Tredici Bacci Amore Per Tutti

Over the last few years, the young musician and composer Simon Hanes has worked tirelessly to channel his deep love and infatuation with 1960’s/1970’s soundtrack music into his own personal vision and homage to the style through dedicated songwriting, and the integration of the totality of his musical influences. After graduating from New England Conservatory and spending time playing bass in the then-Boston-based No(ise) Wave unit Guerilla Toss, Hanes adopted the “Luxardo” persona as an arranger, composer, conductor, and guitarist, and went on to assemble a band of epic orchestral proportions. Consisting of close friends and fellow classically-trained musicians, the resulting band is the ambitiously sizeable 14-piece Tredici Bacci. NNA Tapes now has the distinct honor of presenting their first full-length album “Amore Per Tutti” to the world. Tredici Bacci’s 2014 recorded debut EP “The Thirteen Kisses Cassetta” on NNA introduced the masses to the Luxardo sound world, ripe with the sounds of a past era of time. Now, after nearly two years of diligent work and craftsmanship, Hanes has created an album that presents the next logical step in the band’s development. Retaining the same sonic influences that they wear proudly on their sleeves - classical Italian and French soundtrack music of the Sixties and Seventies, Spaghetti Westerns, big band jazz, lounge, and showtunes to name a few - Tredici Bacci introduces the element of artistic collaboration to bring the band to the next level and give way to a modernization that creates a unique sound like no other. United not by style, genre, or approach, but rather by a mutual love for these classic sounds, Hanes has assembled an incredibly diverse cast of guest musicians to work side by side with his band, ranging from the obscure Italian virtuoso Vincenzo Vasi, to modern underground heroes like Ryan Power (NNA Tapes) and Ruth Garbus, to well-known and established musicians like JG Thirwell (Foetus), Charlie Looker (collaborator of Zs and The Dirty Projectors), and Jennifer Charles (of Elysian Fields and Lovage; collaborator of John Zorn). This collaborative element forms an unexpected cohesion through Hanes’ talents as a visionary arranger with supreme orchestral chops. When all is said and done, “Amore Per Tutti” is the perfect statement of the goals and aims of Luxardo and Tredici Bacci. It is a record of colorful pop explorations that are rooted in musical timelessness, but are also steeped in modernity through the spirit of collaboration, checking all pigeon-holes and categorizations at the door. Hanes’ depth of knowledge of music is made apparent through the wide variety of styles, techniques and moods that he is capable of utilizing alongside his highly talented band, together showcasing true, unbounded musicianship. In an age of information overload and compartmentalization, contemporary dilemmas such as genre or trend can end up imposing limits on creativity. The music of Tredici Bacci, however, seems to transcend these hurdles by celebrating the inherent beauty and love in all music.