Record Reviews

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

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RICCARDO ZANNELLI ~ TIRATECI FUORI NOT ON LABEL 001 (Barcode: 8056099001444) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Italian singer / songwriter Riccardo ZannelliFind albums by this artist, which presents eight original songs composed by Zannelli (with some help by his friends on two of the songs) and featuring his lyrics. He is accompanied by a bunch of talented musicians: trumpeter Aldo BassiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Massimiliano FilosiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Francesco BrunoFind albums by this artist (who also plays guitar and bass synthesizers) and a few other guests. Bruno was also the recording engineer, artistic director and arranger of the entire project. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Pop, Jazz, Groove, World Music and a plethora of other elements, but first and foremost the typical Italian sense of melody, which luckily was not lost over the years. Each of these songs is a true gem, which in an ideal world would instantly capture the top of the playlists all over the world. The album could be classified as Smooth Jazz, but in the best meaning of the idiom, as it as good as the best work by StingFind albums by this artist and other Pop artists with strong emphasis on Jazz in their work. Zannelli is a superb vocalist, presenting a wide and rich range of vocal possibilities, from lyrical balladry to Groove / Soul and even Rap, which by the way shows that Rap can be quite musical in contrast to what the world was exposed to in the last decades. The short but elegant and expressive solos by Bassi and Filosi are like sweet raisins in a cake and Bruno´s guitar and synthesizer work is right on the money. His general musical direction placed this album exactly at its most comfortable spot, which is tasteful and catchy, but highly intelligent and sophisticated. This album proves yet again that entertaining music can be superbly crafted and perfect in every sense. This is one of those albums that go straight into your head and can´t be shaken down. I haven´t stopped listening to this album since I returned from Rome a couple of weeks ago and still can´t get enough of it. Hope to hear this music live one day! Thank you Riccardo and Francesco for this beautiful gift of music!

Updated: 31/10/2017Posted: 31/10/2017

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