Recorded in the resonant space of Santa Lucia alle Malve, this is a wide open and sat times cavernous sounding duo encounter featuring the Trevor watts-inclined soprano of Mimmo exchanging ideas with multi-instrumentalist Iriondo.
The latter gets some paino and electric guitar effects going from his koto, occasionally adding some electronic grit to the mix as well (though it’s a bit perfunctory and unispiring on “Nostos Algos”), as Mimmo patiently extrapolates ideas and hews together lines or long tones.
The contrast between studied relative cool from the saxophonist and rambunctous noise –making( string scrapings, preparations, or even some unsetting heavy breathing on the title track) from Iriondo is a enjoyable one.
Sometimes you can hear stomps and thuds around the church interio, which makes for a nice effect, as does the bird-calls from both players on “Barn Swallows”.
Somehow, though, the quality that came through most clearly( on “Several Calls” in particular) was of an almost aquatic effect that recalls the Tony Oxley- Alan Davie partnership.
An interesting and idiosyncratic record.Recorded in the resonant space of Santa Lucia alle Malve, this is a wide open and sat times cavernous sounding duo encounter featuring the Trevor watts-inclined soprano of Mimmo exchanging ideas with multi-instrumentalist Iriondo.
The latter gets some paino and electric guitar effects going from his koto, occasionally adding some electronic grit to the mix as well (though it’s a bit perfunctory and unispiring on “Nostos Algos”), as Mimmo patiently extrapolates ideas and hews together lines or long tones.
The contrast between studied relative cool from the saxophonist and rambunctous noise –making( string scrapings, preparations, or even some unsetting heavy breathing on the title track) from Iriondo is a enjoyable one.
Sometimes you can hear stomps and thuds around the church interio, which makes for a nice effect, as does the bird-calls from both players on “Barn Swallows”.
Somehow, though, the quality that came through most clearly( on “Several Calls” in particular) was of an almost aquatic effect that recalls the Tony Oxley- Alan Davie partnership.
An interesting and idiosyncratic record.
Archivi categoria: Press
Craig Green + David King – DMG
Featuring Craig Green on acoustic & electric guitars, electronics & compositions and Dave King on drums, percussion, vibes & piano. Although I had not heard of Craig Green before this disc, no doubt many know of the great drummer Dave King from the super-popular Bad Plus and Happy Apple. Starting with “Thin Blue Ice” which features stark piano and distant spooky drones. On “Faux Hawk,” Craig has a dark, sort-of Marc Ducret-like tone with some slow shredding guitar while David plays fine marching, jazz/rock drums. Craig plays some spacy, liquid-sounding guitar sounds on “Part 2” while David plays some crafty metal percussion. Dave also plays some melodic, bluesy piano on a few of these pieces while Craig plays some superb, subtle jazz guitar. On each piece, both players change their sound or approach so that each piece sounds different. While David plays stark drums on “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” Craig switches between acoustic and electric guitars to create different layers or textures. Rubbing the strings, eerie swirls of feedback and harmonics suspended in the air all add a mysterious vibe to this haunting piece. What I dig about this disc is the way both players don’t depend on any obvious melodic cliches but rather create music with focused sounds. Much of this disc has a more cinematic vibe, painting pictures and setting up certain scenes. A long and varied journey to some unexpected places.Featuring Craig Green on acoustic & electric guitars, electronics & compositions and Dave King on drums, percussion, vibes & piano. Although I had not heard of Craig Green before this disc, no doubt many know of the great drummer Dave King from the super-popular Bad Plus and Happy Apple. Starting with “Thin Blue Ice” which features stark piano and distant spooky drones. On “Faux Hawk,” Craig has a dark, sort-of Marc Ducret-like tone with some slow shredding guitar while David plays fine marching, jazz/rock drums. Craig plays some spacy, liquid-sounding guitar sounds on “Part 2” while David plays some crafty metal percussion. Dave also plays some melodic, bluesy piano on a few of these pieces while Craig plays some superb, subtle jazz guitar. On each piece, both players change their sound or approach so that each piece sounds different. While David plays stark drums on “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” Craig switches between acoustic and electric guitars to create different layers or textures. Rubbing the strings, eerie swirls of feedback and harmonics suspended in the air all add a mysterious vibe to this haunting piece. What I dig about this disc is the way both players don’t depend on any obvious melodic cliches but rather create music with focused sounds. Much of this disc has a more cinematic vibe, painting pictures and setting up certain scenes. A long and varied journey to some unexpected places.
The Ill-Tempered Piano – The Wire
That unfeasibly complex machine, the piano, has evolved to the point where silky smooth sound and microscopically engineered response are taken for granted. A clavichord player like Brighton’s Paul Simmonds might remind us, however, how clunk and clank were an integral part of early keyboard music. Now Italian pianist Nicola Cipani tackles a score of low maintenance New Yorkjunkheaps, the kind of instrument that would elicit foaming-at-the-mouth fury from a touring concert pianist were he to find one on his stage. There’s playful fun and considerable style in this sequence of 24 short pieces. Cipani has to establish a relationship with each battered beast, and he plays with real appreciation of the unique qualities of a particular neglected instrument. Sometimes he works from the keyboard: “La Deutsche Vita” is a tune rendered woozily unrecognisable by extreme tuning problems. Other times he climbs inside and works like a percussionist, with an impressive range of techniques. Pitches shimmer and slide as Cipani wields a bottleneck device, and “Accent Elimination 1” sounds like subtle application of a tremolo effect – or maybe that actually is a clavichord, where pressure on the keys can vibrate the strings. “Paramour” is very effective, riffing on notes so broken as to be almost silent. Other tracks, like opener “Body Hair Rag”, are robust and rapid, jangling celebrations of loose parts and grand piano resonance. The record recalls British improvisor Mike Adcock’s Moments Of Discovery – Adcock’s “Quickly Prepared Piano” used ajacket or some such tossed inside the instrument. Cipani has found a lot of music inside his ramshackle machines, and briefly restored them to blazing life.That unfeasibly complex machine, the piano, has evolved to the point where silky smooth sound and microscopically engineered response are taken for granted. A clavichord player like Brighton’s Paul Simmonds might remind us, however, how clunk and clank were an integral part of early keyboard music. Now Italian pianist Nicola Cipani tackles a score of low maintenance New Yorkjunkheaps, the kind of instrument that would elicit foaming-at-the-mouth fury from a touring concert pianist were he to find one on his stage. There’s playful fun and considerable style in this sequence of 24 short pieces. Cipani has to establish a relationship with each battered beast, and he plays with real appreciation of the unique qualities of a particular neglected instrument. Sometimes he works from the keyboard: “La Deutsche Vita” is a tune rendered woozily unrecognisable by extreme tuning problems. Other times he climbs inside and works like a percussionist, with an impressive range of techniques. Pitches shimmer and slide as Cipani wields a bottleneck device, and “Accent Elimination 1” sounds like subtle application of a tremolo effect – or maybe that actually is a clavichord, where pressure on the keys can vibrate the strings. “Paramour” is very effective, riffing on notes so broken as to be almost silent. Other tracks, like opener “Body Hair Rag”, are robust and rapid, jangling celebrations of loose parts and grand piano resonance. The record recalls British improvisor Mike Adcock’s Moments Of Discovery – Adcock’s “Quickly Prepared Piano” used ajacket or some such tossed inside the instrument. Cipani has found a lot of music inside his ramshackle machines, and briefly restored them to blazing life.
Dandelions – Downtown Music Gallery
Featuring Carla Bozulich on vocals, Simone Massaron on guitars, banjo & loops, Xabier Iriondo on mahai metak, Andrea Viti & Davide Tedesco bass and Zeno de Rossi on drums. We know of guitarist, Simon Massaron, from two ther discs on this same label with Danielle Cavallanti and Giovanni Maier. Drum wiz, Zeno de Rossi, can be found on more than a half dozen discs on the El Gallo Rojo and Splasch labels.
I must admit that I’ve become a big fan of singer, Carla Bozulich, over the past few years. I’ve caught Carla live with the last version of the Gerald Fibbers, with Nels Cline in Scarnella, her tribute to Willie Nelson and with Evangelista at the Victo Fest a couple of years back. It is difficult to describe what it is that is so special about her, yet each time I hear her sing, she does me in. Once again, Carla is in fine form on this disc with these righteous Italian folk/blues rockers. She sounds so world weary on the opening tune, “Never Saw Your Face,” which features some dark, probing string thing (mahai metak?) and scrunchy, scary guitar from Simone. The title track sounds as if it was written for Roy Orbison or maybe Elvis Presley, touching without being cheesy. Simone plays some earthy, skeletal banjo and slide guitar on “Love Me Mine” with some fine bluesy vocals by Carla. Carla wrote all of words here (in English) and does all of the singing as well. Simone’s music, arranging and playing fit Carla’s voice like a well worn glove throughout. Don’t let this buried treasure slip from your hands, you deserve to soothe yourself in the haunting sounds of ‘Dandelions on Fire’Featuring Carla Bozulich on vocals, Simone Massaron on guitars, banjo & loops, Xabier Iriondo on mahai metak, Andrea Viti & Davide Tedesco bass and Zeno de Rossi on drums. We know of guitarist, Simon Massaron, from two ther discs on this same label with Danielle Cavallanti and Giovanni Maier. Drum wiz, Zeno de Rossi, can be found on more than a half dozen discs on the El Gallo Rojo and Splasch labels.
I must admit that I’ve become a big fan of singer, Carla Bozulich, over the past few years. I’ve caught Carla live with the last version of the Gerald Fibbers, with Nels Cline in Scarnella, her tribute to Willie Nelson and with Evangelista at the Victo Fest a couple of years back. It is difficult to describe what it is that is so special about her, yet each time I hear her sing, she does me in. Once again, Carla is in fine form on this disc with these righteous Italian folk/blues rockers. She sounds so world weary on the opening tune, “Never Saw Your Face,” which features some dark, probing string thing (mahai metak?) and scrunchy, scary guitar from Simone. The title track sounds as if it was written for Roy Orbison or maybe Elvis Presley, touching without being cheesy. Simone plays some earthy, skeletal banjo and slide guitar on “Love Me Mine” with some fine bluesy vocals by Carla. Carla wrote all of words here (in English) and does all of the singing as well. Simone’s music, arranging and playing fit Carla’s voice like a well worn glove throughout. Don’t let this buried treasure slip from your hands, you deserve to soothe yourself in the haunting sounds of ‘Dandelions on Fire’
Dandelions – Rockit
Bel colpo questo lavoro di Simone Massaron. Il chitarrista e compositore milanese ne scrive interamente le musiche e riesce nell’impresa d’attorniarsi di una band d’eccellenza che vede la voce di Carla Bozulich primeggiare nell’alto dei cieli. L’immancabile Iriondo (Uncode Duello e moltissimi altri progetti) alle chitarre e l’ottimo Zeno De Rossi (Shtik, Capossela) alla batteria formano un combo formidabile.
Massaron è un raffinato jazzista e lo dimostra ampiamente nella title-track, un pezzo dalle lente e intense trame che ricordano il Tom Waits accompagnato dalla fedele chitarra di Marc Ribot. “Never saw your face” si aggira in territori blues scuri e rumorosi con le chitarre grattugiate e la voce della Bozulich che sa muoversi a meraviglia in ambiti a lei congeniali. Attitudine che ritorna anche in “Five dollar lottery” e nella più sperimentale e rumorista “Baby you so creepy”. L’album si chiude con una sfuriata a metà tra il classicismo folk e l’avanguardia rock, segmento dove la Bozulich si avvicina di più alle ormai celebri prove vocali con i suoi importanti Evangelista. Proprio un bel disco dunque, album da esportazione, ottimo risultato per la scena italiana.Bel colpo questo lavoro di Simone Massaron. Il chitarrista e compositore milanese ne scrive interamente le musiche e riesce nell’impresa d’attorniarsi di una band d’eccellenza che vede la voce di Carla Bozulich primeggiare nell’alto dei cieli. L’immancabile Iriondo (Uncode Duello e moltissimi altri progetti) alle chitarre e l’ottimo Zeno De Rossi (Shtik, Capossela) alla batteria formano un combo formidabile.
Massaron è un raffinato jazzista e lo dimostra ampiamente nella title-track, un pezzo dalle lente e intense trame che ricordano il Tom Waits accompagnato dalla fedele chitarra di Marc Ribot. “Never saw your face” si aggira in territori blues scuri e rumorosi con le chitarre grattugiate e la voce della Bozulich che sa muoversi a meraviglia in ambiti a lei congeniali. Attitudine che ritorna anche in “Five dollar lottery” e nella più sperimentale e rumorista “Baby you so creepy”. L’album si chiude con una sfuriata a metà tra il classicismo folk e l’avanguardia rock, segmento dove la Bozulich si avvicina di più alle ormai celebri prove vocali con i suoi importanti Evangelista. Proprio un bel disco dunque, album da esportazione, ottimo risultato per la scena italiana.
The Ill-Tempered Piano – L'Internazionale
Altro esemplare sommesso e curioso di piano man, Cipani (nato in Svizzera nel 1965, cresciuto e diplomato a Milano) nella vita fa il lettore alla Nyu e (almeno negli ultimi due anni) il ricercatore di strumenti a tastiera abbandonati per la città. Il suo recente cd The iII-tempered piano (Long Song Records) documenta questa passione in 24 improvvisazioni su altrettanti strumenti mal temperati. l’ascolto è impervio, ma regala ai pazienti un senso d’ironica avventura. Come un inseguimento, attraverso capannoni e tasti abbandonati, di dieci piccoli polpastrelli in fuga.Altro esemplare sommesso e curioso di piano man, Cipani (nato in Svizzera nel 1965, cresciuto e diplomato a Milano) nella vita fa il lettore alla Nyu e (almeno negli ultimi due anni) il ricercatore di strumenti a tastiera abbandonati per la città. Il suo recente cd The iII-tempered piano (Long Song Records) documenta questa passione in 24 improvvisazioni su altrettanti strumenti mal temperati. l’ascolto è impervio, ma regala ai pazienti un senso d’ironica avventura. Come un inseguimento, attraverso capannoni e tasti abbandonati, di dieci piccoli polpastrelli in fuga.
Dandelions On Fire – Rock-A-Rolla
Milan-born guitarist Simone Massaron has been a staple of the Italian improv circuit for years, and here he ropes in the increasingly ubiquitous Carla Bozulich for a surprisingly effective collaboration that takes in dark Americana, Nick Cave and Lydia Lunch. Bozulich’s recent run of impressive releases (including Evangelista and a guest slot on The Book Of Knots) has seen her spread her talent far and wide, and in Massaron she may well have found the perfect partner. As most of Dandelions shows, it’s like the two were born to work together.Milan-born guitarist Simone Massaron has been a staple of the Italian improv circuit for years, and here he ropes in the increasingly ubiquitous Carla Bozulich for a surprisingly effective collaboration that takes in dark Americana, Nick Cave and Lydia Lunch. Bozulich’s recent run of impressive releases (including Evangelista and a guest slot on The Book Of Knots) has seen her spread her talent far and wide, and in Massaron she may well have found the perfect partner. As most of Dandelions shows, it’s like the two were born to work together.
Duo Milano – Rock-A-Rolla
Duo Milano documents an exceptional mind-meld meeting between two of America’s finest avant-guitarists: Elliott Sharp and Nels Cline. Recorded on a single day in April2006 the results are divided into five tracks of unplugged acoustic guitar interaction and five tracks with full electrical amplification; running the gamut from improvised scrabbling to stellar string bending and hitting all manner of points in-between. Playing off each other with an ease and fluid- ity that suggests some kind of telepathic connection their acoustic interchange mixes rapid strumming with percussive strikes, fitful clusters of notes and arrhythmic picking to create a tangled, absorbing weave. Embellished with feedback and effects the electric side, meanwhile, is more open and drawn out with two of the pieces only narrowly falling short of the ten minute mark. While both parts definitely warrant investigation it’s the latter that arguably bears the most interesting fruit – eschewing discord in favour of space and a more cohesive resonance.Duo Milano documents an exceptional mind-meld meeting between two of America’s finest avant-guitarists: Elliott Sharp and Nels Cline. Recorded on a single day in April2006 the results are divided into five tracks of unplugged acoustic guitar interaction and five tracks with full electrical amplification; running the gamut from improvised scrabbling to stellar string bending and hitting all manner of points in-between. Playing off each other with an ease and fluid- ity that suggests some kind of telepathic connection their acoustic interchange mixes rapid strumming with percussive strikes, fitful clusters of notes and arrhythmic picking to create a tangled, absorbing weave. Embellished with feedback and effects the electric side, meanwhile, is more open and drawn out with two of the pieces only narrowly falling short of the ten minute mark. While both parts definitely warrant investigation it’s the latter that arguably bears the most interesting fruit – eschewing discord in favour of space and a more cohesive resonance.
Craig Green + David King – All About Jazz
Sometimes when listening to improvised music there’s the feelingof being Donny Kerabatsos from the movie The Big Lebowski, who Walter Sobchak scolds with the line, “…you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You’re like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know the story.” But that’s not a problem with Craig Green and David King’s improvised duo recording. In fact, their self-described ‘new American roots music’ works quite nicely. While the pair perform spontaneous compositions here, nothing sounds alien or without reference for listeners to pick up upon or follow.
Percussionist Dave King is well known to jazz listeners as a member of The Bad Plus and Happy Apple bands. Craig Green should be introduced as a guitarist versed in jazz, rock and world music playing with the likes of Ray Charles, Brazilian drummer Emilano Benivides, North Indian tabla player Sadip Berman, Eyvind Kang, Jeff Kaiser and The Violent Femmes.
The disc opens with the drummer playing not drums but piano. “Thin Blue Ice” is a meditative and foggy track with Green furnishing electronic effects behind the early-morning chamber sounds of King’s piano. King’s piano playing is heard elsewhere, and it reveals itself to be as open to sound making as his drumming. He stabs notes behind the electric guitar of Green on “Walk Left,” a sort of halting ballad. King also reveals his vibes playing, tapping glass notes on “Part 2” and chimes on “Rainey Qunciera.”
Green conjures sounds from his guitars both electric and acoustic to great effect. He becomes a son of Bill Frisell, grandson of Derek Bailey but with a pension for rock. The longest track on the disc, “Snow Plow,” thumps along to King’s bass drum and Green’s stellar guitar effects. He alternates melodic passages with noise (as pleasant as can be), creating a menagerie of sound that morphs into a sort of tango. Elsewhere, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” hovers around the military beat until Green’s acoustic guitar signals a blues tune. King follows making the pulse a marching funkiness. The music is free, at times it’s wacky, but it’s altogether enjoyable. Dudes, this music abides.
Read it inside the site:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=30732Sometimes when listening to improvised music there’s the feelingof being Donny Kerabatsos from the movie The Big Lebowski, who Walter Sobchak scolds with the line, “…you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You’re like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know the story.” But that’s not a problem with Craig Green and David King’s improvised duo recording. In fact, their self-described ‘new American roots music’ works quite nicely. While the pair perform spontaneous compositions here, nothing sounds alien or without reference for listeners to pick up upon or follow.
Percussionist Dave King is well known to jazz listeners as a member of The Bad Plus and Happy Apple bands. Craig Green should be introduced as a guitarist versed in jazz, rock and world music playing with the likes of Ray Charles, Brazilian drummer Emilano Benivides, North Indian tabla player Sadip Berman, Eyvind Kang, Jeff Kaiser and The Violent Femmes.
The disc opens with the drummer playing not drums but piano. “Thin Blue Ice” is a meditative and foggy track with Green furnishing electronic effects behind the early-morning chamber sounds of King’s piano. King’s piano playing is heard elsewhere, and it reveals itself to be as open to sound making as his drumming. He stabs notes behind the electric guitar of Green on “Walk Left,” a sort of halting ballad. King also reveals his vibes playing, tapping glass notes on “Part 2” and chimes on “Rainey Qunciera.”
Green conjures sounds from his guitars both electric and acoustic to great effect. He becomes a son of Bill Frisell, grandson of Derek Bailey but with a pension for rock. The longest track on the disc, “Snow Plow,” thumps along to King’s bass drum and Green’s stellar guitar effects. He alternates melodic passages with noise (as pleasant as can be), creating a menagerie of sound that morphs into a sort of tango. Elsewhere, “Rock, Paper, Scissors” hovers around the military beat until Green’s acoustic guitar signals a blues tune. King follows making the pulse a marching funkiness. The music is free, at times it’s wacky, but it’s altogether enjoyable. Dudes, this music abides.
Read it inside the site:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=30732
Dandelions On Fire – L'isola che non c'era
Gli amanti del blues più viscerale, fumoso e storto dedichino qualche minuto alle righe che seguono. Carla Bozulich non è italiana (città di nascita New York, Stati Uniti) ma italiani lo sono tutti gli altri nomi che partecipano a questo progetto. In primis il chitarrista Simone Massaron, qui alla sua seconda prova dopo l’esordio con “Breaking News” di tre anni fa, e con lui uno stuolo di validi musicisti circuitanti nella scena indie, avant e jazz del nostro Paese: da Zeno De Rossi (batteria, Vinicio Capossela), agli ex Afterhours Xabier Iriondo (chitarre e tahai metak, da alcuni anni alle prese con diversi progetti sperimentali come Uncode Duello, Polvere) e Andrea Viti (basso) – più organo, piano e cello che appaiono qua e là. La Bozulich dal canto suo è una delle regine della scena blues-sperimentale d’oltreoceano – gli amanti di sopra non si lascino scappare i suoi lavori più recenti: “Evangelista” e “Hello, Voyager”, quest’ultimo uscito a nome Evangelista – e la partecipazione a questo disco non può che essere per Massaron un vanto, soprattutto perché Dandelions on fire è un signor lavoro.
Rispetto alle uscite in proprio o a nome Evangelista, qui la Bozulich tiene quasi sempre a freno la sua vena più sperimentale a favore di un pugno di ballate piuttosto “rotonde” e tradizionali, sempre in bilico tra blues e folk, in cui però non mancano mai particolari raffinatezze o stravaganze che connotano i singoli brani. E d’altra parte tradizionale ma al contempo raffinato e personale è il chitarrismo di Massaron, che mette al servizio dei brani le sue corde una volta sferraglianti un’altra malinconicamente acustiche dando ad ogni traccia, grazie anche al contributo degli altri partecipanti, un profilo netto. Marziale e palpitante Never say your face, tenue e dal retrogusto mariachi (ma senza alcuna “messicaneria” di sorta) la title-track, odorante di praterie e crepuscoli Love me mine, languida ma via via sempre più nervosa The getaway man, dolceamara Here in the blue, fumosa e a suo modo circense My hometown.
Discorso a parte invece per Five dollar lottery, Baby, you so creepy e I saw him, che lungi dal voler apparire come canzoni fatte e finite sono in realtà vere e proprie improvvisazioni in cui vengono mischiati scampoli psichedelici, bassi geometrici, rumoristi di varia natura strumentale, vocalizzi e sospiri tra il mistico e il disperato, umori elettrici e ritmiche stentoree. Il risultato? Mai sopra le righe e anzi spesso di grande intensità. Stupefacente se non sapessimo chi è Carla Bozulich e se non cominciassimo ad intuire quanto di buono potrà venire ancora dalla chitarra di Simone Massaron.Gli amanti del blues più viscerale, fumoso e storto dedichino qualche minuto alle righe che seguono. Carla Bozulich non è italiana (città di nascita New York, Stati Uniti) ma italiani lo sono tutti gli altri nomi che partecipano a questo progetto. In primis il chitarrista Simone Massaron, qui alla sua seconda prova dopo l’esordio con “Breaking News” di tre anni fa, e con lui uno stuolo di validi musicisti circuitanti nella scena indie, avant e jazz del nostro Paese: da Zeno De Rossi (batteria, Vinicio Capossela), agli ex Afterhours Xabier Iriondo (chitarre e tahai metak, da alcuni anni alle prese con diversi progetti sperimentali come Uncode Duello, Polvere) e Andrea Viti (basso) – più organo, piano e cello che appaiono qua e là. La Bozulich dal canto suo è una delle regine della scena blues-sperimentale d’oltreoceano – gli amanti di sopra non si lascino scappare i suoi lavori più recenti: “Evangelista” e “Hello, Voyager”, quest’ultimo uscito a nome Evangelista – e la partecipazione a questo disco non può che essere per Massaron un vanto, soprattutto perché Dandelions on fire è un signor lavoro.
Rispetto alle uscite in proprio o a nome Evangelista, qui la Bozulich tiene quasi sempre a freno la sua vena più sperimentale a favore di un pugno di ballate piuttosto “rotonde” e tradizionali, sempre in bilico tra blues e folk, in cui però non mancano mai particolari raffinatezze o stravaganze che connotano i singoli brani. E d’altra parte tradizionale ma al contempo raffinato e personale è il chitarrismo di Massaron, che mette al servizio dei brani le sue corde una volta sferraglianti un’altra malinconicamente acustiche dando ad ogni traccia, grazie anche al contributo degli altri partecipanti, un profilo netto. Marziale e palpitante Never say your face, tenue e dal retrogusto mariachi (ma senza alcuna “messicaneria” di sorta) la title-track, odorante di praterie e crepuscoli Love me mine, languida ma via via sempre più nervosa The getaway man, dolceamara Here in the blue, fumosa e a suo modo circense My hometown.
Discorso a parte invece per Five dollar lottery, Baby, you so creepy e I saw him, che lungi dal voler apparire come canzoni fatte e finite sono in realtà vere e proprie improvvisazioni in cui vengono mischiati scampoli psichedelici, bassi geometrici, rumoristi di varia natura strumentale, vocalizzi e sospiri tra il mistico e il disperato, umori elettrici e ritmiche stentoree. Il risultato? Mai sopra le righe e anzi spesso di grande intensità. Stupefacente se non sapessimo chi è Carla Bozulich e se non cominciassimo ad intuire quanto di buono potrà venire ancora dalla chitarra di Simone Massaron.