The Almond Sorters

from The Sicilian Jazz Project by The Sicilian Jazz Project

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about

In recent years I’ve been invited to perform and contribute music to a series of concerts organized by the Gryphon Trio (featuring violinist Annaleee Panatipanakoon and cellist Roman Borys). One of the concerts brought together musicians with backgrounds in classical, jazz, and Arabic music, and they asked me to contribute a Sicilian inspired piece. The Almond Sorters is the piece I created, using Alan Lomax’s recording of a group of women in the town of Avola sorting almonds and singing this tragic narrative as a starting point. The narrative is sung by Maryem Tollar (she, Ernie and Hugh Marsh were also part of the Gryphon Trio concert) before the piece changes direction to feature the various soloists.
Sicilian dialect is very different from common use Italian, and depending on the singer’s voice and annunciation, people can be fooled into thinking the music is African or from the Middle-East (and certainly those influences are in the music and language anyway). Nevertheless, while we did have a singer of Egyptian background singing the Sicilian text, my brother and I were delighted when my uncle Joe heard the recording and asked what part of Sicily she was from.

lyrics

In pruvincia Catanzaru
Na famigghia rruvinata
Una figghia di’n massaru
Cundannata e poi amazzata

In the provice of Catanzaro
A family was disgraced
The daughter of a householder
Was condemned and then executed

Ora spiegu lu mutivu
Comu fu ca cuminciau
Chistu fattu cusi vivu
E cu fu ca ci ncurpau

Now I will explain the reason
How was it that it all started
This event so real
And whose fault it was

O massaru don Giuvanni
Ch’era morta la mugghieri
Ci lasso na figghia granni
Lu trionfu do quartieri

The householder Don Giovanni
Had lost his wife
She left a grown up daughter
The most beautiful in the neighbourhood

Dopu un annu stu mischinu
Si vuleva maritari
E ci fu’n granni fistinu
Pi la figghia rispittari

After a year the wretched man
Wanted to remarry
And there was a grand celebration
Honouring his daughter

A du anni ca cumpiu
Lu mischinu si spusau
Fici comu voli Diu
Idda’nfigghiu ci purtau

Two years after the death of his wife
The wretched man remarried
He did as God wills
And his wife gave him a son

Lu vuleru sta fammighia
Lu maritu a la mugghieri
Era un figghiu cul la brigghia
Si stimavunu sinceri

He had wanted this family

The husband and the wife
The son brought them together
They esteemed each other sincerely

credits

from The Sicilian Jazz Project, released January 7, 2013
The Almond Sorters (traditional/Michael Occhipinti)
Produced by Roberto Occhipinti. Strings arranged by Michael Occhipinti. Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Maryem Tollar (voice),Hugh Marsh (electric violin), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Ernie Tollar (saxophone), Roberto Occhipinti (bass), Barry Romberg (drums), Louis Simao (percussion and accordion), Annalee Patapanakoon (violin), Lynn Kuo (violin), Kathleen Kajioka (viola), Roman Borys (cello), Rick Lazar (percussion), Levon Ichkanian (oud)

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Michael Occhipinti & The Sicilian Project image

Michael Occhipinti & The Sicilian Project Toronto, Ontario

“A triumphant recording on many levels” Michael G. Nastos Billboard

Michael Occhipinti’s Sicilian Jazz Project dazzles audiences with its mix of Sicilian folk & jazz, global grooves, & chamber music, with old world Sicily meeting the global sound of Toronto. The group received a 2009 JUNO Award nomination (Canada’s Grammy) & the prestigious Ragusani nel Mondo Award ... more