Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is Ballo Liscio Music?
In Italian, Ballo Liscio literally means “smooth dancing.” It refers to a style of music that was popular among the educated classes in Italy in the mid-19th Century, a kind of Italian response to Johann Strauss and the waltz craze. Dancing academies sprang up amongst the cognoscenti to keep up with the latest styles (waltzes, polkas, mazurkas, etc). Of course, Italians already had other forms of dance, many of them from Southern Italy and Sicily, like the tarantella. And from Spain, dance rhythms like the bolero, jota, and paso doble had an influence on the music. Later on, the world wide popularity of the tango joined in the mix.
Much of this music came to America during the great waves of immigration in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. It was kept alive in coffee houses, barber shops, family gatherings, weddings, etc. Later, with the popularity of mandolin orchestras in America during the teens and 1920s, a lot of this music continued to be played in a variety of new arrangements.
2. How Did The Hot Frittatas Find This Music?
The Hot Frittatas discovered a lot of this music in small cafes in North Beach in San Francisco, where old Italians and Sicilians continue to play these tunes. Places like the Caffe Trieste and groups like the Aurora Mandolin Orchestra, among many other venues, not only kept this music alive, but created a unique workshop to create new music. In San Francisco in the 40s and 50s, there were some truly virtuoso mandolin and accordion players, who wrote original music in this old style. Much of this music has disappeared with the death of so many of those immigrant musicians. Much of the music that the Hot Frittatas play comes from this line of musicians: the Andrini Brothers, Peter Tarzia, Matteo Casserino, Rudy Cipolla, Michele Corino, and more. Another unexpected source for the music is simply old recordings, sometimes found at yard sales, thrift stores, and often in the public library. Some great old LPs and even older 78s have turned up some wonderful tunes for the Hot Frittatas’ repertoire.
3. Where Can One Find Sheet Music For These Tunes?
Some of this music was published in the teens and 1920s by companies like O. Di Bella in New York, and other smaller companies on the East Coast. Much of this music is still shared and passed along in a kind of mandolin players underground. Rumor has it that a lot of these editions may be re-published, but so far, there is very little that is still in print. In fact, aside from the more contemporary Italian popular music (Volare, That’s Amore, Godfather theme, etc), most of the old tunes are simply not available commercially. We are hoping that this may change soon.
4. What Kind Of Instruments Do The Frittatas Play?
Dennis has two piano accordions, both built in Italy. On most performances, he uses a Bugari, which he purchased recently at Boaz Accordions in Berkeley. He also has a Scandalli, which he is playing in the photograph on the Caffe Liscio CD.
Gus has two mandolins. The photos on the CDs show the Gibson A-50, built in 1954. He also plays a vintage Gibson A-1, built in 1914. He uses that mandolin on many of the cuts from the new CD. Gus uses D’Addario J74 strings. For more information about mandolins of all types, visit the Mandolin Café website.
Gus’s fiddle was made in Markneukirchen Germany in 1907. It was specially made for the Root Violin Shop in Chicago, Illinois, and the name “Root Artist Violin” appears near the peg box. He purchased the violin from Mick Loveland Violins in Santa Rosa. He also owns an anonymous Czech violin, built around 1920. He uses Helicore strings.
Don has two guitars, a 1962 Martin D-28 and a 1996 Martin D-40qm (quilted maple). He also owns a vintage Gibson A model mandolin, built around 1916. Don and Gus have been working on a number of twin mandolin pieces, featuring the matching Gibson mandolins. Some of these may appear on the next CD.
5. Who Are Some Influences On The Frittatas?
In the Bay Area, there are several bands doing similar style music. The Baguette Quartet out of Berkeley features French musette music, from the era of the late 19th Century through the start of World War II. Another Berkeley group is the Ellis Island Old World Folk Band. The late Bob Black, who founded the group in the late 70s, was himself an alumnus of the old Workman’s Circle Mandolin Orchestra in Brooklyn. His collection of old sheet music was valuable for scores of musicians around the Bay Area, including the Berkeley Mandolin Ensemble, which he also helped to establish. Michele Corino, 85-year-old leader of The Godfather Trio, inspired generations of musicians in the Bay Area, not only from the music store he once owned in North Beach, but also from many accordion tunes he composed over the years. Needless to say, the late Matteo Casserino was a major influence, from his many years playing at the Caffe Trieste in North Beach. The Pickpocket Ensemble of San Francisco is an interesting group, doing original music in a variety of styles. And last but not least, David Grisman is a true mentor for nearly everyone in the mandolin community. His recording of Traversata was a beautiful tribute to traditional Italian music.
Outside the Bay Area, we have always admired the Brave Combo, from Denton, Texas, with their irreverent approach to world music. On the East Coast, we like the music of mandolinist Marilyn Mair, from Providence, RI, and the World Cafe Quartet. This group plays a variety of acoustic music from Paris, Rio, Rome, New York, and beyond. Another group we enjoy is the Canadian Quartetto Gelato, an ensemble of classical players sometimes venturing into Ballo Liscio material, and always with the highest virtuosity. Amongst Italian groups, we’re very impressed with the music of accordion virtuoso Riccardo Tesi. This music shows a wonderful new spirit of musical exploration, combining some of the old Ballo Liscio traditions with very contemporary trans-Mediterranean rhythms and arrangements.
6. We’re Having A Party; How Much Do You Charge?
Now we get into the meat-and-potatoes questions, or is it pasta e secundi?
We need to talk about this off-line. There are so many factors involved in any performance, whether it’s a small party or a major concert venue, it’s just not possible to come up with one bottom-line fee that covers everything. Some of the things we consider are: the nature of the event, the number of people, the length of time of the performance, the distance from Sonoma County, the need to use sound reinforcement (amplification or not), the need to prepare specific material or learn new tunes, the need to meet a specific dress requirement (do we need to rent tuxes? Is it casual?), is it indoors or outdoors? The list goes on. Currently, with the high price of gas, a lot of bands are adding a transportation cost if there is some travel to the gig. This can vary, but sometimes a surcharge of 35 cents per mile may be figured in. In short, there is no easy answer to what our fee would be. The best answer is to call us.
7. Where Can I Hear More Italian Music In The Bay Area?
The most casual and consistent venue has always been the Caffe Trieste in North Beach, San Francisco. Every Saturday morning, Sheri Mignano carries on the tradition of live music, established there over 30 years ago. Her band, Mattinata di Matteo, plays all the old tunes from the Ballo Liscio style, as well as the numerous tunes composed in San Francisco within the Italian music community. Sheri plays accordion in the morning, but is joined by a much larger group in the afternoon, led by Fabio Gianni. This group includes a lot more vocal music and opera, and continues playing all afternoon.
Outside the Bay Area, the town of San Juan Bautista has featured Italian and Spanish music for years, at the restaurant Jardines de San Juan. 89-year old Tony Flores played there every weekend for the last 25 years, but has finally had to give it up, after moving to Sonoma County. The music continues, though, and Tony's former band members, Greg Swim and Billy Packard, still keep the music going each weekend.
In Petaluma, one can hear Italian music at Volpi's Bar and Ristorante every Friday night, led by Volpi's owner John Volpi, his sister Sylvia, both accordion players, and vocalist Pam Nadale.
8. Is It True That A New York Restaurant Is Offering A $1000 Frittata?
Sad, but true. An article appeared in the New York Daily News on May 17, 2004, describing the “Zillion Dollar Frittata” at the Parker Meridien Hotel. The frittata is made of eggs, lobster, 10 ounces of sevruga caviar, cream, and more. The price tag is $1000. Upon inquiry, Gus discovered that this hot frittata was not a joke. In fact, the hotel had sold 8 of them. However, they did offer a frittata at a reduced price (for the rest of us) for a mere $100 (only one ounce of the caviar). What a shame. For an additional $1000, well-heeled diners in New York could fly the entire Hot Frittatas to New York for a truly unforgettable breakfast!
You can reach the Hot Frittatas
in Santa Rosa at (707) 526-7763
or in Lake County at (707) 995-0658.
Or find us on the web at www.hotfrittatas.com.
For more information contact:
Don Coffin don@hotfrittatas.com
Gus Garelick gus@hotfrittatas.com
