Italiano
The Soul Jazz Unit is a trio formed in 2012 from an idea by guitarist and producer Pierluigi Masciarelli, formerly active in the 1990s with the acid jazz group Babyra Soul. Together with Emiliano Pari on organ and vocals and Marcello Surace on drums, they launched an innovative project within the Italian jazz scene.Initially, the trio performed a selection of standards drawn from the 1960s soul jazz repertoire, a period in which American jazz musicians began blending jazz language with the rhythms, harmonies, and riffs of rhythm & blues, gospel, and funk. Masters such as Cannonball Adderley, Horace Silver, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Lonnie Smith, Jack McDuff, George Benson, and Sonny Stitt are among the key references of this style, which found a natural fit in the classic “organ trio” format. In 2013, the band decided to record original material, resulting in their debut album “Old School Recipes.” The record features six original tracks and four fully reworked covers (“Red Baron” by Billy Cobham, “Your Is the Light” from Santana’s Welcome album, Stevie Wonder’s “Love Having You Around,” and the timeless standard “Summertime”). The album is further enriched by special guests Eric Daniel on flute (on “Red Baron”) and Franco Marinacci on saxophone (on “Afro” and “I Need Your Funk”).
The sound of Soul Jazz Unit is warm and rich, shaped by all the essential ingredients of Black American music from the 1960s and early 1970s: groove, melody, and feel. Their approach combines simple yet never predictable arrangements and compositions, rooted in soul jazz tradition but expressed through a contemporary musical language. However, the studio work only partially reflects the band’s full potential, which truly comes alive in live performance.Marcello Surace is an explosive and impeccably tight groove master, laying down a perfect rhythmic foundation over which organ and guitar can freely move and interact. Emiliano Pari brings a strong funky edge to every performance, combined with a highly refined melodic lyricism. Pierluigi Masciarelli is a true “hot player,” leaving a distinctive mark through his tone, phrasing, and rare improvisational ability.
For business inquiries send a mail to: pieromascia@gmail.com
