A MATTER OF CHOICE

Libero arbitrio is the first solo album by Amos Ghirardelli, a keyboard player and composer from Sassuolo, now based in the province of Venice, with years of experience behind him. It was released in 2024 on the independent Velut Luna label and recorded with the contribute of a group of talented musicians who help highlight the compositional value of the pieces, mostly inspired by the symphonic progressive rock of the seventies. In fact, the line-up includes Amos Ghiradelli himself (keyboards), Andrea Valfrè (keyboards), Filippo Ghirardelli (piano), Andrea Ghion (bass - from Egonon and Aldo Tagliapietra Band), Roberto Parolin (drums - from Egonon), Matteo Ballarin (guitar - from The Former Life and Aldo Tagliapietra Band) and Massimo Bellio (vocals). The recording sessions took place at Magister Recording Area, in Preganziol, Treviso on August and September 2024 and I’m sure that the final result will please many prog fans...

The title track, “Libero arbitrio” (Free will), is a sort of declaration of intent that opens the album. It’s a long suite that starts by rarefied and dreamy atmospheres. The rhythm is slow but gradually grows while the melodic lines evoke strange trajectories in space and time. Then a short funky section followed by a marching beat introduces the sung part. The title refers to the capacity to choose between different possible courses of action, an ability that is connected to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, advice, persuasion, deliberation and prohibition. But do not worry, this is not a boring philosophical treatise. The music and lyrics are meant to give a stern warning: it is better to take the time to listen and carefully consider the advice of interested benefactors who could do you a lot of harm. They are like beasts that hunt you, black crows that do not help you, they are like a pack of wicked children who do not know the limit of fear and who seek you... You’ve better get rid of those people! Think twice and make your own choices...

The long instrumental “Oltre la nebbia” (Beyond the fog) begins by a slow keyboard intro that paints in black the musical canvas. Then dark organ sounds set a mystical atmosphere and a sense of bewilderment and restlessness. The central section with a delicate piano theme could make one think of a boat searching for its way through the fog, illuminated by soft night lights, among the narrow canals of Venice, while the final part, more decisive and jazzy, seems to suggest the exit from the strange lagoon web made of fog, doubts and nostalgia and the beginning of a new journey towards the unknown...

“Frammento di me” (Fragment of me) is an introspective and melodic song that speaks of the awareness of one's choices with hermetic verses and fragmentary images. Without scruples the protagonist rearranges and finds new words that he then interprets. Shivers of fantasy flow and the colours of May offer us images and destinations without tomorrow where you can get lost. Try to surrender to dreams while the mind leads you to secret places where you can find new songs. Don't let yourself get down, choose and what you have chosen will become possible and will make you see the deception of your freedom...

Then comes another long instrumental piece, “Dreaming Sanremo”. The organ introduction evokes an almost liturgical atmosphere, then the rhythm increases and the music takes you on unexpected paths, where relaxed and nocturnal moments alternate with sunny and majestic passages. The sky is a wonder and flowers are everywhere. Maybe it’s not for nothing that Sanremo, the city of the title, is also known as the city of flowers. By the way, Sanremo is also famous for the Italian song festival, an event that fortunately has very little to do with this track...

The short instrumental “Malinconia” (Melancholy) closes the album with a soft and relaxed atmosphere. Here you can find a hint of nostalgia and a touch of regret while the notes are used as pastel colours to paint an expressionist picture...

On the whole, a very interesting album that is worth listening to.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:

https://www.referencemusicstore.it 

ANOTHER TRIP

 Now The Time Has Come is the second album by The Trip’s new course started in 2015 on the initiative of original drummer Pino Sinnone who took over the name and brand (initially as The New Trip) to keep alive the old repertoire of the band. While the previous work from 2021, Caronte 50 Years Later, was mainly focused on the re-interpretation of tracks from the early years of the band, this new album is based only on original pieces and fresh ideas. The consolidated line up features Pino Sinnone (drums), Andrea “Ranfa” Ranfagni (lead and backing vocals), Carmine Capasso (guitars, sitar, theremin, percussion, drums), Tony Alemanno (bass) and Andrea “Dave” D’Avino (Hammond, piano) plus the guests Nico Di Palo (vocals), Max Botto (Hammond, Moog, Mellotron, piano) and Giuseppe Sarno (Hammond). This work is not a concept album but in some way follows the atmospheres of The Trip’s second album from 1971, Caronte. The beautiful art cover by Lidia Grillo tries to give an idea of the musical content...

 

 

The album opens with the excellent instrumental “Joe’s Spirit”, composed by Max Botto and dedicated, as you can guess from the title, to The Trip’s original keyboardist and founder member Joe Vescovi. It’s a brilliant piece with many classical quotes and changes of rhythm. The atmosphere is dark, the organ is in the forefront backed by the rhythm section and everything works to help you cross the Styx on Charon’s boat...

 

 “Fragile Mimì” is sung in Italian and is dedicated to the memory of late Italian pop singer Mia Martini, an old friend of the band who had a love affair with Joe Vescovi in the seventies. It’s a delicate, intense ballad who evoke the sublime melodies that the singer was able to create with her voice. Described as sad and fragile, Mia is now just another star in the sky, a light in the darkness who has chosen to hide to find shelter from the judgements of malevolent people... 

 

 “Enigma” is another beautiful instrumental piece. It begins by threatening bass lines and dark organ sounds, then the drums and fiery electric guitar riffs break in contributing to build up an atmosphere of mystery and distress, perfectly suited to evoke a strange walk in the underworld where you can meet the souls of the dead...

 

 

 “Il mio capitano” (My captain) is dedicated to the memory of Pino Sinnone’s older brother, Rino. It’s another touching ballad interpreted by the particular voice of the special guest Nico Di Palo, historic member of New Trolls. The music and lyrics evoke an indelible memory emerging from the past and depict the image of two little children in the cold, lost in the snow. One of them shows his courage helping and comforting his younger brother...

 

 Unfortunately, in the following ballad “Two Friends” the vocals turn to English. The music and the hermetic lyrics tell of a surreal friendship where music is the real protagonist... Then comes the intense “Four Lives”, a piece dedicated to the late members of the band, Joe Vescovi, Wegg Andersen and Billy Gray. Pino Sinnone is the only surviving member of the original line-up but he feels that his former bandmates are still with him while he plays to keep their memory alive...

 

The Trip, 2023

 

 The autobiographical “Momento Prog”, despite the Italian title, is sung in English and sums up the spirit of this work. It’s a piece that starts by telling about the birth of a child's passion for rock music and drums, then recalls with puns based on the titles of the songs from the early years the experience and passion of playing together in a band like The Trip and ends by telling about the joy of picking up the drumsticks again and starting to play again after a long period of musical inactivity... 

 

 The album closes with an alternative version of “Il mio capitano”, sung this time by Andrea Ranfagni and considered a “bonus track”.

 

 On the whole, a very good work.

 

 You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/thetripbandofficial 

 

A FURIOUS TRIP

The first reunion of The Trip ended in 2014 after keyboardist and original member Joe Vescovi passed away. Drummer Furio Chirico gave up and from 2015 on the name and brand of the band has been in the loving hands of Pino Sinnone, drummer on the first two albums of the seventies. Nonetheless, in 2019 Furio Chirico decided to come back to the old repertory of the band with a new line up and with the main idea of continuing to open new paths through research and experimentation, without any nostalgic approach but staying true to the most genuine “progressive rock” texture. In 2022 the new course took form under the name Furio Chirico’s The Trip (to avoid confusion with the other current incarnation of the band) and released an interesting album entitled Equinox with a line up featuring, along with Furio Chirico (drums), also Paolo Silvestri (Hammond, synthesizers, vocals), Giuseppe Lanari (lead vocals, bass) and Marco Rostagno (guitars, vocals).

 

The opening track, “I’m Fury”, was composed by keyboardist Paolo Silvestri who dedicated it to his new band leader. Furio Chirico is here free to express his explosive, virtuosic and brilliant drumming, interacting with the organ and the other instruments in an exemplary way. The rhythm is fast, the atmosphere is full of emotion, the new trip begins...

 

The following “Mother Earth” deals with environmental issues and global warming. The music and lyrics depict a gloomy, arid landscape were you breath sand and ashes. Water is rare and precious, it looks like a Holy Grail. The countdown has begun, time is running out, Mother Earth is dying while we waste our energies in pointless discussions instead of trying to save her...

 

The beautiful “A Suite For Everyone” is a long, complex piece that blends baroque influences and psychedelic visions. It starts softly, the atmosphere is dreamy and relaxed. Then the rhythm takes off and the music goes through many changes. It’s time for memories and reflections about the time spent running after freedom, music, friendship, love and dreams. To be honest, the music is excellent but the vocal parts are not always up to the task and I think it’s a pity that the band did not choose to sing in their mother language. After all, Arvid “Wegg” Andersen was English but the new singer is not...

 

“Catch The Dreamin’” is a good track where the music and lyrics revolve around the concept of carpe diem, the necessity to seize the day and try to make your dreams come true when you have the chance because life is short and nothing can last forever...

 

“Downward Onward” tells of a personal crises. Boredom, drug addiction and bad habits could push you to lock your dreams and even your whole life in a closet, so you fall down. But sometimes joyful memories can do the trick and reverse the course of a life fathomed to doom. The image of your mother appears. She’s here to support and comfort you with her adorable tenderness telling you that you can go on and make it...

 

The acronym of “The Reason Inside Playing” is T.R.I.P. It’s a piece dedicated to the late bassist, vocalist and founder member Arvid “Wegg” Andersen and to the early days of the band. According to an interview, the lyrics of this piece were conceived as a kind of wordplay and the man in black they mention is, of course, Ritchie Blackmore who was part, for a short period, of the very first nucleus of The Trip...

 

The instrumental “Summer Solstice” was composed by guitarist Marco Rostagno and, according to the artist, it’s conceived as a story told by the voice of the lead guitar, imagining the sun that, in its maximum splendour, defeats the darkness, generating a true rebirth. The fiery electric guitar sound is in the forefront and the interaction with the other instruments is pretty good...

 

“Remember Joe” is dedicated to the late The Trip’s keyboardist and founder member Joe Vescovi. It begins by a church like organ section, a kind of requiem that might recall Bach, then the vocals evoke images from Atlantis and a call for a Time Of Change, beautiful sounds from the past that last in the memory of the music lovers. The final organ pattern fades in the last track, the short, dreamy instrumental “Story Of A Friend”...

 

In addition to the CD, this work also includes a DVD with the recording of the live performance at the Salone Internazionale del Libro in Turin on May 23, 2022 where the members of the band showcase all their potential on stage. The set list features three songs from the new album, a selection of tracks from the 1972 album Atlantide, and a piece from the second album from 1971, Caronte.

 

On the whole, a very good work.

 

You can listen to the complete album HERE

 

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/thetrip.official/ 

 

BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

 

Spectrvm come from Cantù, a town in the province of Como, and their roots date back to 1974 when they took form under the name of Stratus. The first incarnation of the band was active until 1982 but never had the chance to release an album. In 2020, after a long period of hibernation, they came back to life with a new name and a renewed line up featuring Frank Lazzari (vocals, organ, keyboards), Jordan Bozzolan (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Daniele Bozzolan (bass, piano, backing vocals) and Marco Brega (guitars, backing vocals) plus the guest Renato Olivo (vocals, guitar). After a meticulous work in the recording studio, in 2023 they finally released their debut album, entitled Teschio del mondo, on the Terzo Millennio Records label. It’s an interesting work with a strong emphasis on melody that sometimes could recall bands such as Latte e Miele, La Corte dei Miracoli or La Bottega dell’Arte...

 

The opener “Anima” (Soul), alternates frenetic sections and reflective passages with beautiful melodic lines and harmony vocals that could recall New Trolls or Pooh. According to the liner notes, it tells in music and words of an inner journey into the depth of human nature with its fragilities and fears. The lyrics evoke sounds of silence carried by the wind and the image of a man who takes his soul in his hands. It’s a silver soul, a globe of light. At the end a friendly hand appears that helps him overcome his personal crisis...

“Bestia” (Beast) starts by an evocative organ solo and alternates melodic vocals to more aggressive passages (the short instrumental middle section, in fact, could recall Deep Purple). The lyrics describe a strange dream in which an ominous beast weaves a net and waits at the end of the road for his prey. The beast is a metaphor that symbolizes problems like drug addiction, mental illness, a nervous breakdown or a sudden lack of money...

“Nessuno piange, nessuno canta” (No one cries, no one sings) is a long, complex piece that tells the story of a pet dog that during a windy night escapes from the garden of a sad house in the suburbs. But life in a big city is very hard. The puppy is lonely and scared as he wonders through spectral streets, drunk on sounds, whipped by threatening lights, spied on by hostile eyes. He keeps on running, hunted down by kicks and noises, he’s exhausted, but when his heart is about to break a door opens. The ending of the story is up to you...

 

The funny “Sogni di pietra” (Dreams of stone) is a nice piece that describes the dreams of a stone longing for a more interesting life. It’s a metaphorical way to depict the feelings of someone who can’t change the rhythm of his life and whose days are all the same, all life long. Same horizon, same sun and moon, same view, same routine. For eternity...

The title track, Teschio del mondo (Skull of the world) is a short, visionary song that evokes dark thoughts and new expectations. The title refers to the image of the moon reflecting light in a dark, cloudless sky. The night comes wearing its black cloak and the moon looks like a skull. It’s the time when the spiders feed on their preys and the protagonist look at the sky in a hallucinatory way. In the dark someone steals, some other kills, others cry for help. The sun will come like a burning blade to bring back warmth and hope...

“Crisalide” (Chrysalis) is an excellent piece that tells in music and words of a metamorphosis. The dream of a new day and of a body that is going to change, the chrysalis slowly turns into a colourful butterfly, ready to take off with into sky. The chrysalis is still dreaming of its new life, a rebirth and a leap into the unknown, full of dangers like cobwebs or man and his madness. A lightning bolt or a flame could burn the butterfly that now dives into eternity...

 

“Prigione” (Prison) is a piece that expresses amazement and bewilderment. According to the liner notes, it is a tribute to the Seventies and to the psychiatric reform wanted by Franco Basaglia. This piece tells about the exit of a mentally ill person from his room and the eve of his return to the real world after years of isolation. Words and music try to express the feelings of the protagonist...

The last piece, “Templum” (Temple) is sung in Latin and wants to convey an atmosphere of mystic mystery. In fact, the short lyrics are the motto of the Knights Templar, a French military order of the Catholic faith that was founded 1118 to defend pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages. Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da Gloriam can be translated as Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory...

On the whole, a very good work that deserves a try.

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info:
https://www.spectrumprog.it/

ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

 Jemma is a collective of musicians from Velletri, a town near Rome, whose roots date back to 2017 when, on the initiative of Federico Buccini, they began to jam together inspired by jazz, Mediterranean folk, funk and progressive rock. After a good live activity, in 2023 they released an interesting eponymous album on the independent Emme Record label with a line up featuring Federico Buccini (keyboards, piano, guitar), Sofia Ara (flute, sax, vocals), Agnese Antonelli (violin, vocals), Ludovico Franco (trumpet, flugelhorn), Daniel Ventura (sax, flute - from VEMM), Alessandro Recanati (electric guitar), Marco Bruno (bass), Shanti Colucci (drums - from Ingranaggi della Valle and VEMM), Guglielmo Molino (bass), Davide Fabrizio (drums) and Rosario Ceraudo (percussion) plus the guest Gianluca Petrella (trombone). According to the band, it’s a concept album about the sea and the culture of the sea where original compositions alternate with traditional folk songs re-elaborated with a jazz rock modern taste in the vein of bands such as Perigeo, Agorà, Snarky Puppy or Weather Report: Jemma speaks of earth, sea, wind through intimate, tribal, rock, groove and ethnic atmospheres seasoned with an overflowing energy. It is a “crossover” work where jazz, world, rock, funk blend naturally into an original and innovative sound, a mix of identities, a crossroads of styles and souls. For the lyrics, the band chose languages and dialects from the Mediterranean sea like Italian, Portolotto, Salentine Grecanic or Ancient Greek but the focus of this project is more on the music than on the lyrics...

 

The beautiful opening piece, “Timelapse”, is completely instrumental and is paradigmatic of the musical direction followed by the band. It ranges in different musical territories with continuous changes of rhythm and atmosphere. Maybe, it’s not by chance that the title refers to a photographic technique in which the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than the frequency used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapse...

“Kaneloriza” is a famous traditional song from Asia Minor, in the past interpreted, among others, by Domna Samiou, a prominent Greek researcher and performer of Greek folk music, or Nana Mouskouri. This version blends Rebetiko music style and jazz. The song evokes the dangerous charm of a beautiful cinnamon girl...

 

From the east shores of the Mediterranean Sea then we sail to the western coasts, towards Spain. “Hija mia mi querida” is a piece that comes from the Sephardic tradition and shows us an example of a poetic and musical genre developed in the Iberian Peninsula since the Middle Age. Although it starts by an acoustic pattern and ethnic flavours, there is no room for flamenco sketches here and soon the music veers into a different direction with a great electric guitar solo...

“Love Road Song” begins softly and the atmosphere is dreamy, with piano trumpet and violin in the forefront. Then the rhythm rises, the pace takes speed and you’re off on the road, ready to new musical adventures, like Pytheas of Massalia, a Greek geographer, explorer and astronomer who made a voyage of exploration to Northern Europe in about 325 BC. He was the first known Greek scientific visitor to see and describe the Arctic, polar ice, and the Celtic and Germanic tribes. He is also the first person on record to describe the midnight sun. Pytheas introduced the idea of distant Thule to the geographic imagination, and his account of the tides is the earliest one known that suggests the moon as their cause...

I spent all the previous words about Pytheas to introduce the following track, “I Iriden Så”, an old Swedish folk song full of pagan symbolism. From the Mediterranean Sea to North Europe and snowy landscapes. An Italian band singing in Swedish? To appreciate Jemma’s work I invite you to compare this piece with the version of the same song by prog folk Finnish band Gjallarhorn in their 1998 album Ranarop - Call Of The Sea Witch...

 

“Ossi di sabbia” (Sand bones) is a beautiful original piece sung in part in Italian and in part in an ancient dialect called Portolotto that was spoken in all the ports of the Adriatic sea because it was the “lingua franca” of the navy. It was derived from the Venetian language and was almost incomprehensible to most of the people on land. According to the band, “it tells the story of the journey of human beings across the sea, a fabric that connects lands and cultures. To pay even more homage to its meaning we wanted to write the lyrics in Portolotto, a language used by sailors of the Mediterranean. The sand bones are the mineralization of human stories, adventures, difficulties and everything that the sea and the wind can tell about our lives”...

“Winding Way” is an original instrumental track that features the guest Gianluca Petrella on trombone. It takes us with a light pace through jazz rock territories and leads to the final piece, “Nenia Grika” a delicate lullaby that ends the album leaving us amidst dreamy atmospheres in a pleasant sense of peace with a coda in crescendo that might recall PFM...

On the whole, a very good work!

You can listen to the complete album HERE

More info: 

https://www.facebook.com/JEMMA.crew.official/