After
a good live activity, supporting bands like PFM and even Gentle
Giant, in 1975 Arti & Mestieri released their second album “Giro
di valzer per domani”. The line-up, along with founder members
Furio Chirico (drums), Beppe Crovella (keyboards, piano, mellotron,
Hammond), Gigi Venegoni (guitar), Giovanni Vigliar (violin,
percussion, vocals), Marco Gallesi (bass) and Arturo Vitale (sax,
clarinet, vibraphone), here features a new member, vocalist
Gianfranco Gaza, from another band from Turin, Procession. Despite
the presence of a lead singer the weight of instrumental tracks
prevails over committed lyrics and vocal parts. The music is in the
same vein as the previous album, delivering an original, perfectly
balanced twining of jazz, rock, classical music and folk.
The
opener “Valzer per domani” (Waltz for tomorrow) is a light,
joyful instrumental. Furio Chirico’s drumming is brilliant while
the melodic lines played by the violin seem to bring some gusts of
optimism.
“Mirafiori”
is more complex. It begins softly with delicate melodic lines, then
the rhythm takes off backing a following frenzied violin solo.
Changes in rhythm and frenetic solos seem to depict a very busy
place... Mirafiori is the name of the Turin district where there is
the most important car factory in Italy, Fiat Mirafiori, a symbol of
the industrialization of the whole country.
On
“Saper sentire” (Knowing how to feel) you can listen for the
first time on this album to Gianfranco Gaza’s voice. It’s a
nervous, introspective track inviting you to avoid the venomous
spells of consumerism and trust your feelings... “Why are you
crying if I’m here with you? / If you look for me / You will find
me inside you... Just a few people know what a man is now / But there
are many people who can easily feel it...”.
“Nove
lune prima” (Nine moons before), “Mescal”, “Mescalero” and
“Nove lune dopo” (Nine moons after) are closely linked together
and form an exciting instrumental suite featuring sudden changes in
mood and rhythm. The titles could suggest a spaghetti western
setting, featuring Indians and cowboys and the cavalry charging...
Well the music here is very different from an Ennio Morricone
soundtrack but the band showcase great personality and musicianship,
so you can imagine what you want while listening to this wonderful
flow of notes!
“Dimensione
Terra” (Dimension Earth) is a short instrumental featuring tense
drumming and catchy sax patterns that leads to the committed “Aria
pesante” (Heavy air) where the desire to change the world and rage
shape a dreamy atmosphere turning into a nightmare... “Yesterday
you were dreaming to set the city on fire and hang all the
inhabitants / Today you wake up and, you know / It’s sad when you
realize that you have no fire and that they have put a rope around
your neck...”. The heavy air of the years of lead!
Three
short instrumentals follow, forming an evocative, dreamy suite, the
ethereal, nocturnal “Consapevolezza parte 1” (Awareness part 1),
the joyful, wild “Sagra” (Feast) and “Consapevolezza parte 2”
(Awareness part 2), a short reprise of part one.
The
bitter-sweet “Rinuncia” (Renouncement), is piece about the
generation gap that is structured as a dialog between parents and
son. The vocals feature Eugenio Finardi (albeit not credited) who in
1975 released his debut album on Cramps Records, the same label as
Arti & Mestieri and Area. “The dreams that were born some years
ago are now like trees broken by the weather / Time slipped out from
us and we are not children but fathers now...”.
Next
comes “Marilyn” an instrumental that begins with a delicate piano
pattern, then sax and drums help stir the flow of the music. The last
track “Terminal” is another excellent short instrumental where
violin and vibraphone perfectly interact with the other instruments.
On the whole an excellent album...
Arti
e Mestieri: Giro di valzer per domani (1975). Other opinions:
Jim
Russell: For me personally the music is at times too busy and this
is why I give a higher rating to something like Esagono, who may not
have quite the chops of this band but arguably provide more
emotionally satisfying music. "Giro" can be a simply
exhausting listen that rarely gives the listener a chance for a
breather - of course I realize this is a plus for many of you...
(Read the complete review HERE)
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