Zenit are a band from Turin that began as a musical research laboratory during a music festival in Perinaldo and later evolved into a stable project. The line-up features Leonardo Pallanca (alto sax), Zoe Ballestrero (keyboards), Emanuele Balboni (guitars), Salvatore Sanfilippo (electric guitar), Pietro Ballestrero (bass) and Gabriele Peretti (drums, caxixi). In 2026, the band self-produced and released their debut album, Linea lieve, drawing inspiration from musicians such as Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, Keith Jarrett, and Roy Hargrove. All compositions are by Emanuele Balboni and blend jazz with folk and rock elements, with every musician contributing to enrich the pieces with distinctive colours and nuances. It is an interesting sequence of dreamy instrumental tracks that at times remind me of an album by Area, their underrated 1980 Tic & Tac, the one recorded without the vocals of Demetrio Stratos. The cover art by Benedetta Ciarmoli aims to provide a visual representation of the album's content...
The opening track, "Libeccio" (South-west wind), sets the course: propelled by a gentle southerly wind, the sails of the ship the band has boarded seem almost to be seeking their own "Island of Canteloupe" amidst the calm waters of the Mediterranean sea...
Next comes a delicate, alluring track, "Un altro giorno, ancora" (Another day, once again), a piece where one can almost perceive the moon in the well (la "Luna nel pozzo"), though it would be unfair to draw too many comparisons with Area here...
The musical journey continues with "Scorci di mare" (Glimpses of the sea), a calm, nocturnal piece featuring rhythmic ripples that foreshadow the soft Latin-American influences of the following track, "Hola, chicos!"... Antes de hablar!
"Quattro passi in due" (Four steps in two) is a slow ballad featuring prominent piano and sax and a lovely electric guitar solo, while the almost bluesy "A domani" (See you tomorrow) opens with a beautiful bass part. Then, there is room for heartfelt sax and electric guitar solos set against a restless rhythm, leading to a finale where the tension eases and calm returns...
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| Zenit, 2024 |
"Zenit" (Zenith) is a long, complex track with dark undertones. The title seems almost to evoke the aspiration to reach the highest point of the celestial sphere. The musical journey is winding and the rhythm challenging to maintain, complete with a drum solo... Then another calm, dreamy ballad, "C'è spazio" (There's room) concludes the album.
On the whole, an interesting work that is worth listening to.
You can listen to the complete album HERE
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