"Motivo su raggio di luna" is a 1962 jazz song composed by

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

. The song was released as a single in 1962 in Italy.

Development

"Motivo su raggio di luna" or "Contemplate on a moonbeam" was released in Italy as a vinyl 7" 45 picture sleeve single by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

in June, 1962 as 45–3080 in mono backed with "Il mio domani". The track was recorded during the ''

Chet Is Back! ''Chet Is back!'' is a 1962 studio album by jazz musician Chet Baker. Background ''Chet Is Back!'' was recorded in Rome, Italy in 1962 at RCA's Studios. It features bop-oriented tunes such as "Pent-Up House" and "Well, You Needn't". His Chet Ba ...

'' sessions for RCA in Rome at RCA's studios in the spring of 1962.

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

conducted and arranged and the choir, backing Baker on trumpet and vocals, was The Swingers. The lyrics are in Italian, written by Alessandro Maffei, while Baker composed the music. Maffei also wrote the lyrics to "

So che ti perderò "So che ti perderò" or "I Know I Will Lose You" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a B side single in 1962 in Italy. Background "So che ti perderò" or "I Know I Will Lose You" was released as a 45 single in Ita ...

", "

Il mio domani "Il mio domani" or "My Tomorrow" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a B side single in 1962 in Italy. Development "il mio domani" or "My Tomorrow" was released in Italy as a vinyl 7" 45 picture sleeve single by ...

", and "

Chetty's Lullaby "Chetty's Lullaby" is a 1962 jazz song composed by Chet Baker. The song was released as a single in 1962 in Italy. Background "Chetty's Lullaby" was released as a 45 single by RCA Records in June, 1962 as PM 45–3068 in mono backed with " So ch ...

Background

In August, 1960, Baker was arrested in

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one o ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. He was convicted of drug smuggling and forgery and sentenced to a year, seven months, and ten days in a Lucca prison. When he was released early, in December 1961, RCA Italiana organized collaborative sessions with composer, arranger, and conductor Ennio Morricone. In 1962, they recorded four of Baker's own compositions that he wrote while incarcerated: "Chetty's Lullaby", "So che ti perderò", "Il mio domani", and "Motivo su raggio di luna". The recording was featured on the 1999 compilation box set ''The Ennio Morricone Chronicles'' on

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

International, on the ''Chet is Back!'' CD release by RCA in 2003 in the U.S. as a bonus track, on the 2010 Sony album ''The Perfect Jazz Collection'', and on the 2014 collection ''Chet Baker Sings - The Complete 1953-62 Vocal Studio Recordings'' on Valentine Records.

Other recordings

Sue Richardson recorded the song on the 2013 Chet Baker tribute album, ''Too Cool: The Life and Music of Chet Baker'', on Splash Point.

References

Sources

*Baker, Chet. ''As Though I Had Wings: The Lost Memoir''. St. Martin's Press, 1997. *De Valk, Jeroen. ''Chet Baker: His Life and Music''. Berkeley Hills Books, 2000. *Gavin, James. ''Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker''. 2011. *Rouy, Gérard. ''Chet Baker.'' Paris: Editions du limon, 1992. *Ruddick, Matthew. ''Funny Valentine: The Story of Chet Baker''. Melrose Books, 2012. {{authority control 1962 songs Chet Baker Jazz songs Jazz compositions 1960s ballads