Album Notes

ANSELMO (AL) FABRIZIO) as a child would listen with fascination when his dad, born in Italy, would occasionally play Italian melodies on a mandolin made by his grandfather. Those melancholy sounds were deeply embedded in his memory. But it was only later in life, when he wanted to recapture those memories that Al seriously began playing mandolin and embraced the expressive Neapolitan tremolo style made popular in Italy. During that time he met Hugo Wainzinger. Together they played various events and soon built a recording studio in Al’s graphic arts business producing two albums, “Serenata Italiana” and “Italian Heartstrings”. “Bella Serenata” and this fourth CD, ”Serenata D’Amore,” were produced at their new recording studio located in Mountain View, California. The popularity and response to their music ushered Al into a new professional musical career, fulfilling his lifelong hope to share his family’s musical heritage. It is fitting that his niece, Rita Fabrizio, plays flute in three selections in this album. She holds a master’s degree in flute performance from San Jose State University and received her bachelor’s degree in music from San Francisco State University.

HUGO WAINZINGER wrote the arrangements for all Heartstrings’ albums, playing guitar and several other instruments. He was born in Argentina, grew up in a musical family and maintained an uninterrupted love and devotion to music from around the world. He is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English. He is a master performer using styles and rhythms from all over South America, Europe and the U.S. He composed, conducted and performed Brazilian, Cuban, traditional jazz and contemporary music with many music groups and combos. Add these ingredients to his natural genius and one understands why his compositions and arrangements vibrate with sparkling originality. His “magic
touch” on guitar captures his audiences who savor every note. He is well known in the San Francisco Bay Area for jazz festivals, various local venues and for his studio work as a sound engineer and producer. Hugo lives in Sunnyvale, CA. and is a partner with Al Fabrizio in Heartstrings Music, LLC., a recording and production studio in Mountain View, California.