Aquarello

Lore & Background

Aquarello formed as a trio of keyboardist Hans-Joachim Roedelius, multi-instrumentalist Fabio Capanni, and saxophonist Nicola Alesini. Their first album, Friendly Game, was released in 1992 under the three artists' names but is listed as the debut Aquarello album on Roedelius' official website. The album featured Capanni playing a wide variety of instruments, including electric and acoustic guitar, piano, synthesizer, marranzano, and bouzuki. They were joined by Arlo Bigazzi, who served as producer, played recorder and bass, co-wrote the song 'Fiori' with Roedelius and Capanni, and shared arranger credits with the trio.

Their second album, To Cover the Dark, was released in 1993 on the British Deep Wave label and was their first release under the Aquarello name. The trio were joined by multi-instrumentalist Laszlo von Ramhorst, who played percussion, bass, keyboards, harmonica, and flute, and keyboardist Felix Jay. Aquarello's third, eponymous album was released in 1998 on the U.K.-based All Saints label. It was the only album on which just the trio played with no additional musicians. Twelve of the fourteen tracks were recorded live at the Visual Music Festival VI in Lanzarote, and most of this material consists of live versions of pieces from the first two albums.

Reader's Guide

Aquarello's significance lies in their fusion of ambient music and jazz, a blend that was relatively uncommon in the early 1990s. Their three albums, released on Italian and British labels, show a progression from a collaborative studio debut to a fully live final album. The group's work is notable for the involvement of Hans-Joachim Roedelius, a key figure in electronic and ambient music, alongside Italian musicians Capanni and Alesini. Their legacy is preserved through their discography, which includes studio and live recordings, and through the continued interest in Roedelius' broader career. The trio's ability to incorporate diverse instruments and collaborators, while maintaining a cohesive ambient-jazz sound, marks them as a distinctive act in the ambient music scene of the 1990s.

Did You Know?

• The trio's first album, Friendly Game, was released under the individual artists' names but is considered the debut Aquarello album on Roedelius' official website.
• Fabio Capanni played a wide variety of instruments on Friendly Game, including marranzano and bouzuki.
• Aquarello's third album was recorded live at the Visual Music Festival VI in Lanzarote.
• The only album on which just the trio played without additional collaborators was their 1998 eponymous album.