brownie Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 From AP: BENITO MUSSOLINI'S SON ROMANO DIES AT 78 By Ariel David, Associated Press Writer Romano Mussolini, a son of Italy's World War II dictator Benito Mussolini and his last living offspring, died Friday. He was 78. The jazz musician and painter had been hospitalized more than two weeks ago for kidney and gall bladder problems and died Friday, according to the Web site of his daughter's political party. The daughter, Alessandra Mussolini, leads a small right-wing political movement. Romano Mussolini, one of the dictator's three sons and two daughters, was 17 when he last saw his father in April 1945, 11 days before the dictator was killed. Jazz music was censored in Italy during the fascist regime, but the ban didn't reach the sheltered lives of Benito Mussolini's family. Romano developed a love for jazz and became one of Italy's early connoisseurs, writing reviews in magazines and teaching himself to play the piano. Benito Mussolini didn't share his son's passion for jazz, but preferred classical music. In recent interviews, Romano recalled with fondness the times when he played classical pieces with his father, who was an amateur violinist. After the war, Romano Mussolini shied away from his father's tainted legacy and earned a living playing under assumed names with a band in the Naples area. In the 1960s, he became one of Italy's foremost jazz musicians, using his own name in the "Romano Mussolini All Stars" band. His 1963 "Jazz Allo Studio 7" record was acclaimed by critics and international tours brought him in contact with Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. He was "a personality that has contributed, in far away and difficult years, to spread and popularize in Italy the extraordinary artistic strength of jazz," Rome mayor Walter Veltroni said. Mussolini refrained from discussing his father's legacy until 2004, when he published a book titled "My Father Il Duce," depicting him as a caring father who loved music and cried at the wedding of his first-born daughter. Mussolini leaves his wife, Carla Maria Puccini, and three daughters: Alessandra, Elisabetta and Rachele. The first two are the daughters of his first wife, Anna Maria Scicolone — the sister of actress Sophia Loren. A funeral service was scheduled Saturday in a Rome church. Never thought much of him as a piano player. I'll spare eveyone my thoughts on his father Good friend Tony Scott who often played with him thought rather highly of him! Quote
JSngry Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 Who was it it who, upon meeting him, is reported to have said "That's a drag about your old men" or some such, Dexter? Quote
brownie Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Posted February 3, 2006 Not Dexter, the one and only Chet Baker! Quote
king ubu Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 Good friend Tony Scott who often played with him thought rather highly of him! What's that, your good friend Tony Scott, or Benito's ahem... or wait, you mean your good friend Benito? Quote
JSngry Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 Not Dexter, the one and only Chet Baker! Ah, yes. Thanks! Quote
brownie Posted February 3, 2006 Author Report Posted February 3, 2006 Good friend Tony Scott who often played with him thought rather highly of him! What's that, your good friend Tony Scott, or Benito's ahem... or wait, you mean your good friend Benito? My good friend was (and still is I- hope - although I have not seen him in a long time) Tony Scott. The first jazz musician I ever met. The start of a long affair! What a beautiful man Tony Scott is. Wish he could find time to write his biography. He has thousands of stories with all the jazz greats to tell! Beside being an awesome musician! Never met Romano. My heart was not into that! Quote
king ubu Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 Just making a bit of fun - didn't know you knew Scott, though! Quote
AllenLowe Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 I have an old recording, Mussolini on piano, Hitler on bass, Stalin on drums - not bad once they stop fighting over Poland - Quote
JSngry Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 (edited) I have an old recording, Mussolini on piano, Hitler on bass, Stalin on drums - not bad once they stop fighting over Poland - Didn't they back up Sonny Stitt & Robin Kenyatta on Duces Wild? Edited February 3, 2006 by JSngry Quote
AllenLowe Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 is that the one with vocals by Martha Raye? Quote
Randy Twizzle Posted February 3, 2006 Report Posted February 3, 2006 Here's a variation on the Chet Baker/Romano story. It's from, believe it or not, Willam F. Buckley Jr.: There were 40 or 50 of eight scattered about the lawn. I found myself seated next to -- Carroll O'Connor! I told him that Providence had effected this meeting because we now had a consolation prize for missing O'Connor in "All in the Family." He quickly engaged us in conversation and told the story that was evidently much on his mind. He had returned that very day from Rome. He had traveled there, he told us, with a lifelong friend who was maybe the oldest anti-fascist activist in America, having begun at age 8 collecting coins in Los Angeles for the committee to Aid the Allies in their war against Nazism and fascism. His traveling companion loved jazz piano and, walking with O'Connor down an ancient Roman street near midnight, heard the tinkle of a piano, so they dropped into the boite. O'Connor's face warned us of drama to come. "My friend Abe, after a few pieces, asked the headwaiter, 'Who is that guy playing the piano?' And the maitre d' said, 'That's Romano Mussolini.' Abe froze. 'Any relation to ...?' 'Yes. He's Il Duce's son.' But Abe sat there, and we moved over, closer to the piano, and he began asking for favorite tunes. After about the fourth Scotch and soda, I swear it must have been 2 in the morning, he leaned over and said to the piano player, 'You know, that was a hell of a thing they did to your father!'" Quote
brownie Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Posted February 5, 2006 Dozens of fascists were among the mourners at Romano Mussolini's funeral Saturday. A first in jazz history and a sad one! From AP: ROME Hundreds of people attended today's funeral in Rome for jazz musician Romano Mussolini, the last of the former Italian dictator's children to die. Some among the crowd raised their arms in the Fascist salute and chanted slogans in memory of the deceased man's father. Jazz was censored by the Fascist regime, but Romano Mussolini was still able to become one of Italy's early connoisseurs of the new music. After World War Two, he earned a living playing under assumed names and eventually became one of the country's foremost jazz players. His international tours brought him in contact with jazz legends including Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. In recent interviews, the younger Mussolini fondly recalled playing classical pieces with his father, who was an amateur violinist. He died Friday at the age of 78. Quote
Dmitry Posted February 5, 2006 Report Posted February 5, 2006 I'll spare eveyone my thoughts on his father It may seem strange, but Il Duce to many is almost a lovable fascist. Maye it's because of his jolly physique, maybe because he made trains run on time. Maybe it's Fellini's films. I dunno. Never heard his kid's music... Quote
JSngry Posted February 5, 2006 Report Posted February 5, 2006 This was in stock at DG yesterday. Now it's not. Gee. A beautiful album of moody electric keyboards by this famous Italian pianist who was also the son of Il Duce! Mussolini plays Fender Rhodes throughout, with a great mellow sound that's got a perfect 70s Italian jazzy groove. Mussolini's usual trio is expanded by the addition of Glauco Masetti on alto and Emilio Soana on trombone, and titles include "Mirage", "Sweet Elisabeth", "The Twitch", "Hong Kong", and "Blues for Alexandra". Very nice -- and like finding a lost CTI session! http://www.dustygroove.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap...ni&issearch=yes Quote
brownie Posted February 5, 2006 Author Report Posted February 5, 2006 I'll spare eveyone my thoughts on his father It may seem strange, but Il Duce to many is almost a lovable fascist. Maye it's because of his jolly physique, maybe because he made trains run on time. Maybe it's Fellini's films. I dunno. Never heard his kid's music... Fascist and lovable are two words that do not go together. Mussolini was a Dictator, and a brutal one at that! He ran a police state, with total control of the media, had scores of political opponents murdered or imprisoned, his troops attacked Abyssinia, waited until the German troops had conquered France to launch and attack on southeastern France in 1940. I could go on and on... As for trains running on time read this: The only time, Mussolini made me laugh was when Jack Oakie played Il Duce in Charles Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator' Quote
J.A.W. Posted February 5, 2006 Report Posted February 5, 2006 I have an old recording, Mussolini on piano, Hitler on bass, Stalin on drums - not bad once they stop fighting over Poland - Utterly tasteless in my opinion. Quote
Dmitry Posted February 5, 2006 Report Posted February 5, 2006 I have an old recording, Mussolini on piano, Hitler on bass, Stalin on drums - not bad once they stop fighting over Poland - Utterly tasteless in my opinion. Yep. I say if there is no response to an attempted joke in, say, 10-20 minutes, the poster might as well delete it. Quote
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