Morricone hits U.S. for concerts, tribute album

By Gary Graff

DETROIT (Billboard) - Producer/manager Luigi Caiola faced one major obstacle when he conceived the all-star tribute album "We All Love Ennio Morricone" -- Morricone himself.

The legendary composer -- best known for his film scores for "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Untouchables," "Cinema Paradiso" and hundreds of others -- told Billboard.com that he tried to talk Caiola out of the project when he first proposed it five years ago.

"I tried to persuade him not to do that because I knew it was really (difficult) to put so many artists together in one CD," the 78-year-old Morricone said through a translator. "Especially for contract reasons, for record labels, etc., these kinds of things, it was complicated. But (Caiola) believed in it so much that after five years, this CD is being released. It took five years for that, but I'm happy."

"We All Love...," due February 20, features performances of Morricone's songs by Celine Dione ("I Knew I Loved You"), Bruce Springsteen ("Once Upon a Time in the West"), Metallica ("The Ecstasy of Gold"), Quincy Jones with Herbie Hancock ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"), Roger Waters ("Lost Boys Calling") and others. Morricone conducted three pieces himself.

"When I compose a piece, I just think that my composition can only go with my performance," he explains. "I really had no idea of all the other interpretations" that could be done. Nevertheless, Morricone says that when he composes, "the idea is that my music is flexible enough to be adapted to different styles and music and different artists."

"We All Love ..." is part of a monthlong celebration for Morricone. He's conducting his first-ever U.S. concerts this weekend, starting with a show Friday (February 2) at the United Nations that will feature "Voci dal Silenzio (Voices From the Silence)," which he wrote in response to the September 11 attacks.

On Saturday he'll lead the Rome Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Canticum Novum Singers of New York through a repertoire of his film music.

On February 25, Morricone will receive an Honorary Academy Award at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony for his "magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." Morricone has been nominated for five Academy Awards during his career.

Reuters/Billboard