Although he grew up in an Italian family, Anthony Taddeo didn’t know much about Italian folk music until much later. The percussionist/composer discovered the musical thread that led to forming Alla Boara while in college, when he heard recordings of Italian folk musicians made by the American musicologist Alan Lomax in 1954.
A professional musician with a long list of collaborators, Taddeo formed his 6-piece ensemble in 2021 with singer Amanda Powell and instrumentalists on accordion, trumpet, guitar and bass, with himself as the percussionist. In an interview with Cara Lieurance, Taddeo describes the rich variety of styles and cultures that can be found in Italian folk music and how Alla Boara, which means “To the Work,” takes these traditions and makes intricate, ambitious arrangements that pull from their jazz and classical foundations as well.
The Ohio-based Alla Boara, now touring with its first album Le Tre Sorelle, will perform at 4 pm on Sunday, Nov 20 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Portage. Full details are at the Connecting Chords Music Festival website.
