Tuesday afternoon Gary Edwards and I walked up to Bottega Del Vino to hear Renato Sellani do a lunchtime set. Gary had been telling me about Renato, that he is in his eighties and that he has been a fixture at Umbria Jazz for many years. He said that we really needed to hear him. I'm so glad that we did.
We arrived before the wine bar opened and had to wait in line for a seat at the bar. Once we got inside the cramped, by very cozy room we ordered a couple glasses of wine. I opted for a local red, which was very good. But the real treat was the music provided by Mr. Sellani and Massimo Moriconi, who accompanied him on bass. One after another we listened to to the duo's interpretations of classics from the American Songbook. It was acoustic jazz, played beautifully, with no microphones or effects, just great musicianship. Mr. Moriconi's bass solos were very inventive and Mr. Sellani's piano playing was beautiful.
After every song the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause and at the end of the set Mr. Sellani took several bows and graciously posed for photographs.
This was a special moment, a highlight for me for sure in a week filled with special moments.
 |
| Renato Sellani strikes a pensive pose during a bass solo by Massimo Moriconi |
 |
| Taking a bow at the end of the set. |
photographs ©2012 by Joseph Crachiola. All rights reserved.
