In the second half of the seventies numerous jazz musicians were used by film productions such as session man for recording soundtracks. For musicians this opportunity, combined with that in RAI orchestras of Rome and Milan, becomes a way to make up for non-continuous and, in most cases, low-paid engagements in the Italian jazz circuit, as well as presenting itself as a favorable opportunity to broaden one's experiential baggage in the field of applied music. Of course, there is no shortage of job opportunities in an Italian cinema scene divided between large productions and an endless filmography considered to be of the "B series", detective films, spaghetti-westerns and Italian sexy comedies, which are successful among the public with high box office revenues. The musical training deduced from classical studies allows the pianist Enrico Pieranunzi to have a high level technical preparation which is also expressed in the ability to promptly read and analyze musical scores. A skill acquired over time, not very common among jazz musicians in that period, of fundamental importance for an instrumentalist called to participate in the recording of soundtracks, a situation in which the strong instrumental qualities must go hand in hand with the speed of learning the parts assigned present in the original scores and a flexible approach to their performance within small or large orchestral organs. By virtue of this, Enrico Pieranunzi began, following the experience gained in the public service television orchestra, a prolonged and intense activity of session man in film studies. Among the numerous soundtracks in which he participates we can mention: A genius, two cronies and a chicken (1975) directed by Damiano Damiani, Duck à l'orange (1975) directed by Luciano Salce, Agnes goes to die (1976) directed by Giuliano Montaldo, Twentieth century (1976) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, The blue-eyed bandit (1980) directed by Alfredo Gianetti (the pianist is accompanied by his trio made up of double bass player Riccardo Del Fra and drummer Roberto Gattoat the age of ten. The initial interest in blues soon turns into a strong passion for jazz, a musical genre that he deepens at the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, first following the traditional diploma course and then the three-year jazz period. A lot Nice (1980) e White, red and green (1981) directed and starring Carlo Verdone, Once Upon a Time in America (1984) directed by Sergio Leone (together with the pianist there are the drummer Pierino Munari and the double bass player Enzo Pietropaoliat the age of ten. The initial interest in blues soon turns into a strong passion for jazz, a musical genre that he deepens at the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, first following the traditional diploma course and then the three-year jazz period. New Cinema Paradiso (1988) directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, in which Pieranunzi also plays the role of solo pianist.
Furthermore, Pieranunzi tries his hand at writing themes for cinematographic films: with the group Pulsar Music Ltd, formed by the guitarist Silvano Chimenti and the drummer Vincenzo Restuccia, he creates the soundtracks of the films Violent Milan and Taxigirl, while with Maestro Gianfranco Plenizio he composed the one for the film, starring Thomas Milian, Free, armed and dangerous (1976).
Various soundtracks mentioned allow the Roman pianist to work closely with Ennio Morricone, one of the major composers of film themes of the twentieth century. Several years later, between 2000 and 2001, the circle closed when the pianist together with the double bass player Marc Johnson and the drummer Joey Baron, records two albums dedicated to the Roman conductor, Play Ennio Morricone 1 & 2. The album is made up of jazz reinterpretations of very famous themes written and performed by the Maestro and original pieces written by the pianist. Two recordings that mark the link between cinema and jazz and between two great personalities of contemporary music.
Paolo Marra
In the photo by Alessio Calvani (from left) Joey Baron, Enrico Pieranunzi, Marc Johnson and Ennio Morricone at the Alexanderplatz Jazz Club in Rome on 26 November 2001
