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Composer/Guitarist
John T. La Barbera, film score composer, producer, guitar and stringed instrument virtuoso and concert artist, has won several awards and commissions from The Jerome Foundation, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Martin Gruss Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, Meet the Composer, UMass-Dartmouth, and ASCAP.
His film scores include: Children of Fate (Academy Award Nomination 1992); The Old Guitarist starring Dominic Chianese; The Bounty Hunter; Sacco and Vanzetti ; Sister Italy; Pane Amaro; What's up Scarlet; Neapolitan Heart ; Finding The Mother Lode: Italian Immigrants in California; La Festa and Tarantella .
His silent film scores include Assunta Spina, (1915, Naples), ‘A Santa Notte (1922, Naples), Chaplin’s The Immigrant (1917) and The Adventurer (1917), The Black Hand (1906), The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) and The Adventures of Lieutenant Petrosino, (1912), Regeneration (1915)
In Theater, his expertise as composer, arranger and musical director was valuable in the off-Broadway productions of Souls of Naples, (Theater for a New Audience) starring John Turturro and the stage adaptation of Sicilian playwright Luigi Pirandello's short stories in Kaos, (New York Theater Workshop) directed by Marta Clarke. Folk Opera, Stabat Mater-Donna di Paradiso, was commissioned and performed at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
He has appeared on recording and performance projects with many great artists including folk singer Judy Collins, actor Dominic Chianese (Uncle Junior- Sopranos), Hollywood film soundtracks, Walt Disney Productions, TV and Radio jingles, Broadway actress and star of The Lion King, South African vocalist Tsiddi Le Loka and the famed Italian American - Neapolitan singer, Jimmy Roselli.
As a producer he has recently produced I’m a Typical New Yorker for actor Dominic Chianese and worked for several labels including: Shanachie records, Meadowlark, Rounder Records, Lyrichord Disks, Ellipsis Arts, and Bribie Records.
He appears in the film When in Rome (Touchstone Films) as the wedding scene mandolinist/band leader and in the Bounty Hunter (Sony-Columbia) as the cocktail guitarist performing his own composition Cavatina Blue.
He is the author of the first and foremost book published in the U.S. on the Italian mandolin called Traditional Southern Italian Mandolin and Fiddle Tunes and Italian Folk Music For Mandolin, with Mel Bay Publications.
Since 1973 he has performed in concert halls around the world with classical music, jazz and traditional world music (as composer, solo guitarist and chamber music), throughout Europe, South America, Canada and the US and is the co-founder of I Giullari di Piazza, Inc., traditional southern Italian folk music and theater company in New York City since 1979 and artist in residence at The Cathedral of St. John The Divine.
He is an adjunct faculty professor of music at Bergen Community College and conducts workshop in Italy. His music can be found on: Bandcamp, DistroKid, YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud , CD Baby and his own website.
www.johntlabarbera.com
Episode 9, the penultimate episode of Season 9 and Helen's plan to turn trees into homes for the homeless is starting to take shape. How does she do it? Listen on.. This week's cast is Frankii Phoenix (as Serena Narain), …
Episode 8 continues on with Susie, Charlie and the goddess/nymph Cyllene at Helen's place, coming up with a plan and finding out what Susie and Charlie are up to. Zeus and Hera settle into the homeless shelter, and carry on …
Episode 7 finds Helen enjoying the sunshine in the garden with her neighbour, 103 year old Nana Madeleine. Zeus and Hera have no idea that they've become famous again, René is working part time as a barista in between acting …
Season 9 already! And Helen is getting back to 'normal' life, performing at the Good and Deadly Poetry Society of South London. But those pesky Greek Gods can't leave her alone for long. The cast is: Henry - Tayo Aluko …
Episode 8 brings Season 8 to a conclusion with the Epilogue. Zeus reads the riot act to his disobedient children Artemis and Hermes, and his granddaughter Persephone. Helen gets good news on the political front from Serena (J...
Ep 7 and Helen finds herself delivered to wherever it is that the Trickster Gods (Anansi, Loki and Hermes) have arranged to meet up with the Minister for Talking Garbage to 'do a deal'. Now the tricky business really kicks …
At last, the big day has arrived, and Helen in a bit of a flap, getting ready to attend the 2023 UK Philanthropist of the Year Awards ceremony. She's wearing the fabulous one-off designer ball gown provided by the goddess …
Helen's oldest friend, Joey, has some thoughts on the subject. That Gala Dinner is getting closer all the time. At least, now we have some idea what it's in aid of - and litter bins have little to do with …
...because I'm not sure Helen can. When her niece Georgina calls up from Sydney, Australia to find out what's with the strange dog who stopped by for a few days, Helen struggles to keep shtum. But then, Georgie may have …
Helen is alone again, as the dog Hermes has gone off to Australia to visit her granddaughter Susie, and to enlist the stray dogs there to join in the litter cleaning campaign. She's enjoying a quiet early morning moment on …
Helen's new friends, a couple of Ancient Greek Gods, are at least attempting to be helpful. Hermes in the form of a dog is staying with Helen in her London flat. Helen's neighbour Jennifer offers help out, and Susie, Helen's...
Helen's mathematician friend Misha has a plan to tidy up the sky littering problem started by Helen and the stray dogs, and Helen has been befriended by a couple of Greek Gods. As you do. Janey agrees to take her …
Helen's friendly walking companion is not a stray dog after all. And she has a name. And those pesky Greek women just cannot leave her alone. But there does seem to be some clarity emerging at last. Support the show …
And we're back! Season 7 finds Helen still in her 'safe house' in a parallel universe, trying to come to terms with her new founds 'super power' for blowing stuff into the air. She has been befriended by a local …
And we're off! almost... A few extracts from Episode 1, of Season 7 to whet your appetite. Helen is still in the parallel universe where strange Greek sounding people are involved in her new found power to use her breath …
Final episode for Season 6, and some of Helen's wishes come home to roost. As she suspected, there are always unintended consequences. Find out about the wonderful performers who have contributed to this Season on the website...
Helen needs to control her thoughts, not easy after a lifetime of advocating free thinking. But there must be some way to make use of this newfound ability... Thank you for listening and for supporting the podcast via https:/...
Helen's son-in-law is whisking her away to a safe house in the country. The Greek woman who introduced Helen to her role as the Chosen One is on a bus in Liverpool, talking to her daughter who seems to be …
Susie's old professor is behaving suspiciously, Helen enjoys a chat with her neighbour Jennifer, and the international scientific community doesn't seem to be helping. Helen and the dogs carry on cleaning up the streets, but ...
S6E4 It seems that Helen's interest in the natural world is having strange effects, and Misha thinks there may be more than meets the eye. Meantime, even in Scotland, where young Rene is back in school, news of the dogs' …
S6E2 Helen's granddaughter Susie and Charlie the boyfriend try to enlist some expert help to promote Helen's newfound superpower. Jonathan, Helen's son-in-law doesn't think it's such a good idea... I do hope you will take a m...
Season 6 kicks off with a brand new look, new musical theme, and an amazing adventure for Helen and the crew. This is a screwball comedy serial, in which there are super powers and superior beings handing them out, possibly …