Aldo Tagliapietra

Anyone with even a passing interest in Italian progressive rock is unlikely to be unaware of ALDO TAGLIAPIETRA. Born in Murano, Rome, in 1945 for over forty years (1966 - 2009 with a break 82 - 86) he fronted one of the most successful Italian prog bands, LE ORME (see separate entry on PA). Originally playing guitar as well as providing his distinctive melancholic falsetto vocal style he also turned to playing bass for the classic trio line-up of keyboard driven symphonic prog band of the seventies. When LE ORME temporarily split in 1982 he took the opportunity to release his first solo album "...Nella Notte" in 1984.
In 1986 LE ORME reformed putting his solo career virtually on hold, though he released a live album "Radio Londra" in 1992 and in 2008 "Il Viaggio", an album recorded ten years previously based on his experiences in India and featuring sitar, which he'd taken up in 1994, as the main instrument. "Il Viaggio" was released in a limited edition of only 999 and included a signed autobiographical book alongside the CD.
TAGLIAPIETRA left LE ORME again in 2009 and briefly re-unites with former LE ORME keyboard player TONI PAGLIUCA and guitarist TOLO MARTIN (briefly a member in 1975) to perform at the Prog Exhibition, a festival held in Rome in 2010. Since then he's released two albums featuring unplugged versions of his songs, some solo work, some LE ORME with the most recent including three new songs. His first solo album proper since 1984 was released in 2012 tiltled "Nella Pietra e Nel Vento". Whilst the music is recognisably TAGLIAPIETRA he has moved in a more commercial and pop orientated direction and hence his inclusion on Prog Archives as prog related rather than RPI, a decision that didn't come easily to the RPI team.
Paul Fowler (Nightfly).
http://www.aldotagliapietra.it/site/