The music of the Beatles has been taken on by jazz musicians ever since the Fab Four first burst onto the musical—and cultural—scene. Artists such as Sarah Vaughn, George Benson, Ramsey Lewis and Grant Green recorded their songs, and even Count Basie devoted an entire album to big-band arrangements of the Beatles’ music. These attempts were often produced with commercial rather than artistic aspirations, and many of these efforts to exploit Beatlemania survive mostly as curiosities. But as musicians of the current millennium, the members of Scenario have come to age in a musical world in which the Beatles music is as securely accepted as Cole Porter’s was in Sinatra’s day. And as a group of modern jazz players adept in blues, rock, gospel, classical and world music, Scenario does not feel constrained to perform the Beatles’s music in a traditional “jazz” manner.

Scenario, says organist Alberto Marsico, “is an Italian word which means the background you see in the theater. It is the background that changes while the scene is being played by the actors. It could be the sky, a house, the desert, an abstract painting, a Roman temple...we chose this name because we change the ‘scenario’ on each song we play’. For each track—live in the studio, without overdubs—the members of Scenario create a distinct setting using whatever sonic colors, textures or rhythms available to interpret the songs of the Beatles.

AIberto Marsico, originally a blues and jazz pianist, became a fan of the Hammond organ and its masters: jazz organists Wild Bill Davis, Milt Buckner, Jack Mofluff and gospel phenomenon Billy Preston. Not so widely known but cited by Marsico as an influence is Earl Grant--a unique stylist, one who used the Hammond organ's full expressive capabilities. Marsico is the organist of choice for many throughout Europe, and has performed with legends such as Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Witherspoon~Saxophonist Simone Santini was classically trained as a composer and oboist, and one can hear the composer's skill in his crafting of musical lines. He is also an adept alto saxophonist who has performed with Enrico Rava and Roberto Gatto, and has paid his dues playing funk and pop. With Scenario, Santini focuses on the sopranino saxophone, a notoriously difficult instrument to master, and produces a sound that combines the purity of the oboe with the power and soulful flexibility of the saxophone. A complete musician who began his musical studies on piano at the Verdi Conservatory in Turin, drummer Enzo Zirilli is in great demand in all styles of music, and his well known for his work with Steve Grossman, James Moody Charlie Mariano, Gary Bartz , Larry Schneider and many other international jazz stars.
The instrumentation of Scenario suggests a traditional organ trio with saxophone and drums, but the players improvise not only with notes, but also with timbres and textures. This creativity reflects the wide-range of influences and experiences of the members of Scenario. Blue Jay Way begins with Zirilli on dumbek-like hand drums, joined by Marsico creating tonal cascades to introduce the saxophone theme. This shifts to a lilting jazz waltz with sensitive brushwork by Zirilli. The Eastern groove returns for Santini's solo at the conclusion of which the waltz, propelled by Ziril Ii's cymbal is the backdrop for an organ solo reminiscent of a classic Blue Note recording.

This shifting of textures is also utilized on Come Together, in which the band alternates between a bossa-nova and rock, and Don't Let Me Down, from the Beatles' Hey Jude. It begins as a jazz waltz and segues into a gospel shout, in which Marsico gives a nod to Billy Preston, and Santini shows how bluesy the sopranino sax can be-From the White Album, Happiness Is A Warm Gun starts with a contemplative statement of the theme on sax, only to burst out in a rhythmic dance. It then returns to a spacious groove for the organ solo, slides into a bossa tinged with sadness, with Zirilli using the hand drums to great effect. Hear how on Help, the opening reggae groove gently naturally flows into a swinging waltz. A free, swirling introduction on Helter Skelter, with Santini on alto saxophone, gives Marsico a showcase to demonstrate the Hammond organs' unique tonal possibilities, and you can hear a bit of Deep Purple's Jon Lord as well. John Lennon's whimsy is still evident on I Am The Walrus, but Scenario brings it to a soulful climax before the returning to the dada-inspired theme. A little-performed ballad of rare beauty, John Lennon's Julia, from the White Album, was written for his mother. This haunting song is well served by the simple, yet powerful, reading Scenario gives us, shaded with Zirilli's exotic percussion. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is given a Caribbean-style treatment, and other-worldly tones and effects, Santini's sinuous sound sculpting a line of quiet intensity.

As the finale, Scenario presents Her Majesty, which was also the concluding track on The Beatles' final album, Abbey Road. Performed as a organ and drums duet. Mocanney's sly wink at the Queen is given a spirited ride by Marsico and Zirilli.