Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers (Steely Dan Related)

Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers - The Music Of Steely Dan Live - 2006 - Headache Production

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are fundamental points of reference in my musical development. I have listened to Fagan's "Nightfly" (produced by Becker) at least a thousand times and to see them still prolific and active today keeps me hopeful for future surprises. It goes without saying that in '99, when I wanted to form my own band, I immediately took inspiration from them and thus entered into the 'tunnel' of cover bands… I justify this to myself thinking that I am doing nothing but bringing new life to the compositions of the great artists of the twentieth century, arranged in my own way. Their repertory is so beautiful from every point of view that I accept having added to the moniker, 'Cover Band' with this project. Who know, however, why in Rock and Pop we talk of "covers," when in Jazz the same practice is labeled, "Standards." Anyway! I have a great time and have produced two CDs with this band that are available for purchase on this site. It is up to you to decide: Cover or Standard? © Lucrezio de Seta http://www.lucreziodeseta.com/projects.html

The Scurvy Brothers, an Italian Steely Dan cover band, were formed in 1999 and are now known as Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers. There used to be a website devoted to the band's music with some great mp3 samples. One of the tracks was a really great version of "Century's End". Sadly the web link is now dead. The original Scurvy Brothers were one of the best Dan cover bands outside the US. Stefania Calandra is a great vocalist and has played with many noted artists. She was a finalist in the IBC Blues Festival in Memphis. Her hoarse husky voice suits the Dan songs on this album beautifully. Pierpaolo Borgia can be heard playing and singing Donald Fagen's "Walk Between The Raindrops" @ http://www.myspace.com/pierpaoloborgia1/music/songs/walk-between-raindrops-d-fagen-scurvy-b-56387342 Lello Panico is a cracking guitarist, and plays some great solos on this album. Read his STEELY BLUES article @ http://www.axemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109:tutte-le-sfumature-del-blues&catid=11:lessons&Itemid=21

This live gig was recorded at the BIG MAMA Blues Club in Rome and is one of the best Steely Dan covers albums available. The vocals, horn and guitar work is great, and the Italian accents really add to the overall sound. Buy this band's great "The Nightfly Show - LIVE" album. Don't forget to listen to Donald Fagen's new "Sunken Condos" album out soon. Real music is back judging by the pre-release track [All tracks @ 320 Kbps except "Century's End" @ 64 Kbps: File size = 124 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Green Earrings
2 Peg
3 Kid Charlemagne
4 Don't Take Me Alive
5 Black Cow
6 Pretzel Logic
7 Do It Again
8 Bodhisattva
9 Josie
10 Cousin Dupree
11 Century's End *

*[Not on official album but added here. Track is taken from now defunct Scurvy Brother's website]

All songs composed by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen, except "Century's End" by Donald Fagen

MUSICIANS

Pierpaolo Borgia, Lello Panico - Guitar
Saverio Capo - Bass
Vittorio Iue - Piano, Keyboards
Lucrezio de Seta - Drums
Aldo Bassi -Trumpet 
Gianni Savelli -Tenor Sax
Claudio Pantaleone, Stefania Calandra - Vocals

BIO

Lucrezio was born in Rome on 12 September 1970. In 1982, he began studying drums and percussions and playing in various Rock and Jazz bands of Rome musical scene. In 1986, he joined the Deutsche Schule Rom orchestra under the lead of the director Maestro Hansjürgen Hörnel thanks to which he could enrich his professional experience in genres such as the Musical and the Greek tragedy. He worked in the productions of "West Side Story" by L. Bernstein, "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare, "Antigone" by Sophocles, "Three Penny Opera" by Brecht and "Cats" which gave him the opportunity to tour Europe and play as a drummer as well as a classic percussionist in several theatres around Europe. In the meantime, Lucrezio attended many workshops which allowed him to get to know his idols: Vinnie Colaiuta, Tony Oxley, Dave Weckl, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Trilok Gurtu. On the occasion of one of these workshops held in 1991, he met Peter Erskine whose advice persuade him to move to the States in order to widen his knowledge of the instrument. A few months later he was admitted to the Drummers Collective of New York where he lived and studied for some time learning from masters like Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Kim Plainfield, Duduca da Fonseca, Michael Lauren, Pete Zeldman, Ricky Sebastian, Mike Clark, Frankie Malabe and others. He then attended the Master-Classes held by Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers among others. Since 1991 he has been working live and in studio with a lot of artists and bands: Donovan, Stefano Di Battista, Tom Harrell, Gianni Togni, PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi, Franz Di Cioccio, Franco Mussida, Patrick Djivas, Lucio Fabbri, Don Backy, Michael Landau, Bestaff, Tinkara, Gerardina Trovato, Niccolò Fabi, Linley Marthe, Luca Barbarossa, Tony Scott, Fontella Bass and Deitra Farr, Tina Arena, Garou Seul, Alex Britti, Tollak, Alessandro Safina, Phillip Ingram, Anggun, Syria, Romano Musumarra, Vittorio Gigolo, Linda Kiràly, Chrissy Hynde, Placido Domingo. He has taken part in several kermesses and television shows such as the May 1st Live Concert at San Giovanni in Rome, "Festivalbar" (Italia 1), "Un disco per l'estate" (Canale 5), "Euro Folies" in Paris (Radio Inter and Radio France), "Help!" and "Roxy Bar" by Red Ronnie (Tmc 2), "Mio Capitano" (Rai Due), "Tarattattà" (Rai2), "Top Of The Pops". From 2002 he co-leads the Power-Trio Virtual Dream with whom he has recorded the CD "Casuality" published by 99th Floor-Audio Globe and the recent “Three Sides of a Coin” (Headache Production – Schoots Records). He has recorded and coproduced Stefania Calandra - Blues Volume One, the debut album of Fritz Gang's blues quartet (BAOL), Bootleg Blues Band (Pagina 3), Haze (soon to be released), The Scurvy Brothers (Headache Production), Next Trio (soon to be released). He has founded the trio "Blues In Vein" with Stefania Calandra (finalist at the I.B.C. 2007 edition in Memphis) and has produced their first eponymous CD. Besides his activity as an instrumentalist, Lucrezio de Seta is fairly active as a teacher of drums and music theory and collaborates with many famous drummers in clinics and workshops (Kim Plainfield, Pete Zeldman, Virgil Donati, Akira Jimbo, David Garibaldi). He has realized a Minus One Drum Method featuring the music of his Trio ‘Virtual Dream’. His credits include clinics and tours as endorser of the following brands: Gretsch, UFIP, Vic Firth, Gibraltar, Toca, AKG, Acquarian. His drums sounds are available as samples in Native Instrument’s Battery 3 © http://www.lucreziodeseta.com/biography.html