Melodia

It’s entirely appropriate that D’Amico’s latest project of mostly original compositions, which
clearly demonstrates his dedication to melody, is entitled Melodia. The track “Melodia” has a
lovely melody that gives the listener the impression that it could be an aria by Puccini, but the
piece is also strongly influenced by jazz, making it an excellent example of the musical melting
pot that D’Amico favors in his compositions. Most of the tracks on the recording are primarily
classically influenced, such as the Sonata for piano and bass, movements 1, 2, and 3, which
utilize the sonata form, Toccata (a piece for keyboard or plucked strings), Barcarola, named for
a form that emulates the gently rocking rhythms of Venetian gondoliers (barcaruoli), and
Tarantella, a lively dance in 6/8 that is thought to be caused by the bite of a poisonous tarantula
and is simultaneously the cure for such a bite. Even in these pieces, there is a good deal of
influence from jazz.

The two jazz covers on Melodia are the standard “Tenderly,” by Walter Gross and Jack
Lawrence, which D’Amico plays with tremendous grace and sensitivity, and the John Coltrane
classic “Giant Steps.” D’Amico solos fleetly and fluidly through Coltrane’s nonstandard chord
changes, and his chord voicings make the piece feel fresh and satisfying.