Vi Suoniamo Una Storia by Carmine Capasso & Giorgio Fico Piazza

Below you’ll find details and bios of the key players in this project, which brings together two generations and two major figures of progressive rock and Italian singer-songwriter music.

Giorgio Fico Piazza: bass
Giorgio Fico Piazza was the historic bassist of Premiata Forneria Marconi, playing on the band’s first three albums.  His bass appears on cornerstone tracks like Impressioni di settembre, È festa, La carrozza di Hans, Il banchetto and many others.  He is a key bassist in the history of Italian prog, and not only. Before and during his prog years, he worked as a top session player in the studio, recording historic tracks for major names in Italian music such as Lucio Battisti, Mina, Adriano Celentano and Fabrizio De André.

Carmine Capasso: vocals, guitar, synth
Carmine Capasso, singer-songwriter and guitarist, was a member of The Trip. As a solo artist, he blends singer-songwriter writing with the progressive language. Recently, Lino Vairetti, leader of Osanna, named him the new representative of Napule’s Power, the musical movement born in Southern Italy that featured artists such as Pino Daniele, Osanna, Balletto di Bronzo, Napoli Centrale, Edoardo Bennato and many others. In his solo career, Capasso combines deep singer-songwriter lyrics with arrangements that echo the complexity and refinement of prog and blues.

The group backing Carmine Capasso and Giorgio “Fico” Piazza is made up of three talented musicians and established session players on the Italian scene. Their strong cohesion and technical skill allow them to support and enhance the intricate structures of 1970s progressive rock. Here is a brief summary of their bios and roles:

Piero Chiefa: bass on tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4, rhythm guitar
Chiefa is a Milan-based bassist and multi-instrumentalist with long experience, graduated from the prestigious CPM Music Institute in Milan under maestro Dino D’Autorio. He has more than twenty years of career behind him, both live and in the recording studio, moving with ease between progressive rock, metal and pop/musical productions. He is also known in the underground scene for recording and releasing the albums Midgard (2014) and The Legendary Shepherds of the Forest (2018) with the symphonic-folk metal band Holy Shire. During the tour and the album Vi suoniamo una storia, he alternates between bass and rhythm guitar, also contributing to the vocal harmonies of the songs.

Giuseppe “Sep” Sarno: piano and Hammond
Sarno is the band’s main keyboardist, a true master in the use of vintage and analog instruments.  He has a soft spot for the Hammond organ and Moog synthesizers, essential tools to recreate those warm, classic prog soundscapes. His orchestral style and harmonic interweavings blend perfectly with Capasso’s guitars, making him essential both in PFM’s historic suites and in the psychedelic and blues reinterpretations of Battisti and Ivan Graziani.

Jacopo Casadio, on drums and backing vocals, is a solid, dynamic drummer with a strong rock foundation and great technical precision.  These elements are crucial to handle the frequent time changes and improvisations that make the project’s concerts unique. Together with Chiefa, he forms a versatile, flawless rhythm section, able to move naturally from the driving grooves of historic songs like “È festa” to more intimate, acoustic moments.

The album

This is an epic concert, a dive into the powerful, straight-to-the-point sound of progressive rock: a no-frills live recording, captured during the 2024–2026 tour that crossed Italy.  An authentic experience, with no post-production additions, that takes you straight onto the stage.

The musical program is a fascinating journey through the world of progressive rock, from the ’70s to today.  It starts with Carmine Capasso’s unreleased songs, taken from his album “Assenza di Gravità” and from the composition “Enigma”, written for the legendary The Trip.  And to close in style, a tribute to Ivan Graziani with his immortal “Monnalisa”.  The album also celebrates Giorgio Fico Piazza for his eighty years, retracing his incredible career, from his early youth bands to his long studio work with Lucio Battisti, up to tributes to King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

The album is divided into two sections, each with its own unique character.

Carmine Capasso’s original tracks

The setlist opens with songs composed by Capasso, from his solo path or his collaborations:

“Neve Nera” and “Una valigia di perché”: two tracks taken from his 2022 solo album “Assenza di gravità”.

Neve Nera (Live)
A true progressive rock gem, a song with a strong melodic component interwoven with constant time changes, driven by piano, keyboards and analog synthesizers.  The continuous, tight dialogue between Capasso’s guitars and the enveloping groove of Giorgio “Fico” Piazza’s historic bass is superb. Beautiful guitar solo.

Una valigia di perché (Live)
A decidedly more rock-oriented track, energetic and driving, while still keeping very refined melodic solutions and a marked rock’n’roll flair.  The dedication that precedes this gripping yet catchy song is wonderful.

“Enigma”, a progressive track written and recorded during his time with The Trip (included on the album “Now The Time Has Come”). 

Enigma (Live)
This track is Capasso’s tribute to his recent experience with the legendary band The Trip.  A massive, powerful piece that keeps the original progressive spirit intact, enriching it with impeccable technical precision thanks to the backing band.  An explosion of energy.

The classic covers and tributes

The record offers a dive into the past with classic covers and tributes that pay homage to the greats of progressive rock.  

The band performs PFM milestones such as “Impressioni di Settembre”, “È festa” and “La Carrozza di Hans”, with Giorgio “Fico” Piazza’s original bass lines. It’s incredible how these compositions still sound fresh and timeless, even after more than fifty years. “È festa” bursts out with overwhelming energy and a spectacular performance, while “Impressioni di Settembre” is a moment of pure magic, thanks to Giuseppe “Sep” Sarno’s Hammond organ and Moog creating old-time atmospheres. The performances are simply splendid, and the energy of this multi-generational band is contagious. They manage to make songs recorded more than fifty years ago feel current.

In the live set they also perform “Una Bambolina Che Fa No, No, No”, a hit by Quelli, the band that preceded PFM, and “Il Tempo Di Morire” by Lucio Battisti, an artist Piazza worked with extensively in the studio. 

 “Il Tempo Di Morire” is a version with a beautiful blues intro and a firm sound that makes it a dynamic, tight track, carried by great guitar and a flawless rhythm section.

“Una Bambolina Che Fa No, No, No” breaks the mood, bringing to the stage a wave of pure ’60s beat. The live performance is innovative, thanks to Carmine Capasso’s rock energy and the rhythm section.

And there’s no shortage of reinterpretations of historic pieces like “21st Century Schizoid Man” by King Crimson and “Lucky Man” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

“21st Century Schizoid Man” is one of the album’s highest and most technical moments.  Interpreting such an iconic piece of world prog is always a big challenge, but the band tackles it with an almost hard-rock grit. The central section, with those intricate, lightning-fast rhythms between drums and bass, is simply breathtaking.

The ending of “Lucky Man” is legendary for one of the first and most famous synthesizer solos in rock history. On stage, Giuseppe “Sep” Sarno recreates that legendary, sweeping sound with incredible precision, thanks to his analog gear. The first part of the piece allows Carmine Capasso to show all his talent as an acoustic guitarist and his sensitive voice, supported by the soft yet firm rhythmic backing of Giorgio “Fico” Piazza.

The album also includes other author tributes: “Monnalisa” by Ivan Graziani and a western transition linking the theme from “Il Buono, il Brutto e il Cattivo” by Ennio Morricone to “Apache” by The Shadows.

“Monnalisa” is a tribute to Ivan Graziani. The band manages to keep the bitter irony and guitar-driven energy of the original song, enriching it with new, intense and sharp rock-blues shades. A triumph of virtuosity during the musicians’ introductions.

“Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo / Apache” is an instrumental experiment in which Ennio Morricone’s famous western melody is woven into a medley skillfully linked to “Apache” by The Shadows, creating an evocative, epic sound atmosphere.

One of the best Italian and international progressive rock live albums of recent years. Excellent!

My Version:

Label: Ma.Ra.Cash Records – MRC152

Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition
Country: Italy
Release date: Jul 4, 2026

Tracklist

NEVE NERA (Carmine Capasso)
UNA VALIGIA DI PERCHE' (Carmine Capasso)
ENIGMA (The Trip)
MONNALISA (Ivan Graziani)
IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO E IL CATTIVO (Ennio Morricone)
APACHE (The Shadows)
UNA BAMBOLINA CHE FA NO,NO,NO (I Quelli)
IL TEMPO DI MORIRE (Lucio Battisti)
21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN (King Crimson)
LA CARROZZA DI HANS (Premiata Forneria Marconi)
LUCKY MAN (Emerson Lake & Palmer)
IMPRESSIONI DI SETTEMBRE (Premiata Forneria Marconi)
E' FESTA (Premiata Forneria Marconi)

Lineup

Carmine Capasso: vocals and guitar, synth
Giorgio Fico Piazza: bass
Piero Chiefa: bass on tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4, rhythm guitar
Jacopo Casadio: drums and backing vocals
Giuseppe “Sep” Sarno: piano and Hammond