Record Reviews

FRANCESCO BRUNO ~ LE PAROLE ALTRE: IL LUNGO VIAGGIO DI TIZIANO TERZANI VIDEO EIKON ~ ITALY ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is the eighth album by the Italian Jazz guitarist / composer Francesco BrunoFind albums by this artist and his ensemble, which also includes saxophonist / flautist Javier GirottoFind albums by this artist (on two tracks only), pianist Pierpaolo PrincipatoFind albums by this artist, bassist Enzo PietropaoliFind albums by this artist, drummer Tommaso CarliniFind albums by this artist and percussionist Iginio De LucaFind albums by this artist. The vocalist Irina DanciFind albums by this artist adds some voiced ornamentation on four tracks. The album is a multi-media package, which includes an audio CD, a DVD and a book, and which pays homage to the life and work of the legendary Italian journalist and writer Tiziano TerzaniFind albums by this artist, best known for his work about the Far East, where he lived for many years and wrote about extensively. The DVD documents a spectacle, which presents Terzani´s work narrated by his wife Angela Terzani StaudeFind albums by this artist and accompanied by the Francesco Bruno ensemble playing live. The entire project, which combines music, photography, video and literary work is a beautiful example of dedication and love of Culture necessary to make such an endeavor come true. Sadly such projects are quite rare in our reality these days. The audio CD presents eight original compositions, all by Francesco Bruno, which are beautifully melodic and intelligently crafted. The ensemble setting and the fact that Bruno uses also the guitar synthesizer enrich the overall sound scope, sounding quite orchestral at times. The compositions are strongly influenced by World Music, which is emphasized by the percussionist, who uses an array of exotic instruments from all over the world. All the ensemble members perform excellently, creating a vibrant, rich palette of sounds, which is aesthetically pleasing and emotionally engaging. Bruno´s guitar playing is simply spectacular throughout. Although this music was created to serve as part of the entire multi-media project, the audio CD has a complete life of its own and is perfectly suitable to be listened to separately and is a wonderful listening experience at that, sparkling with the joy of life and good spirited music. Overall this is a piece of wonderful work, which should make all those who were involved in its creation proud. In our cold, cynical world the fact that some people still care about Culture is a heart-worming assurance that life is worth living. All I can say is "thanks for sharing"!

BOOK+CD+DVD 2 Recommend To A Friend

MARIO DI FORTUNATO ~ NEI VICOLI DEL MONDO NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 8056099003554) ~ ITALY ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album by Italian singer / songwriter Mario Di FortunatoFind albums by this artist, recorded almost forty-five years after the release of his debut album "Un Buco Nel MuroFind albums with this title" in 1975. The album presents eleven songs, with lyrics all written by Di Fortunato and with music partly composed by him and partly composed / co-composed by Francesco BrunoFind albums by this artist, who also arranged and recorded the music in his wonderful studio near Rome and played all guitars, bass and synthesizers. Several other musicians also take part in the recording: drummer Marco RovinelliFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Massimiliano FilosiFind albums by this artist, pianist Pierpaolo PrincipatoFind albums by this artist, percussionist Iginio De LucaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Giorgio VeneriFind albums by this artist as well as other friends in charge of background vocals. The songs are absolutely wonderful, with a delicate Jazzy subcurrent, Mediterranean melancholy, poetic lyrics and the Italian language creating an unbeatable atmosphere of bliss. The excellent arrangements and instrumental parts all work together to create a highly aesthetic experience, and combined with a somewhat bashful vocals, which sound surprisingly youthful, one can not avoid the strong nostalgic memories of the great heydays of Italian Pop in the 1960s and then the thriving Italian Prog in the 1970s, which left a sublime legacy of wonderful music. This album is an obvious labor of love by all the people involved and although not meant to create "big fuss", it is infinitely more relevant Artistically that most what is considered as music these days. It should not be dismissed as an exercise in nostalgic reminiscences, as it offers a solid, highly intelligent and beautiful musical experience. Personally I have listened to this album many times since I received it and it simply gets better with every spin. Obviously nothing beats a great Italian song, not even Italian coffee!

Updated: 25/06/2020Posted: 25/06/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend