I lived in Italy from 1981-82, and singer/songwriter Lucio Dalla was sort of like the John Lennon of that country while I was there. A deep thinker with a center of gravity towards wondrously reflective songs with a nice melody, he was a major figure of the Italian pop scene. On this digital only release, various Italian artists such as Paulo Freso and Stefano di Battista bring forth jazzy versions of Dalla’s music, and it works amazingly well.
There is a mix of instrumentals and vocals; be forwarned ahead of time-Italians like to put A LOT of words in their songs, so it can sound like they’re crowding the lyrics together, but that’s just what Italians do! Think Rossini operas and you get close to the concept. Material like “Itaca”by Vinicio Caposella is a perfect intro to the melodicsim of Dalla, while “Caruso” and “Baila Baila Ballerina” are infectious and irresistible. You even get to here Lucio Dalla’s voice on the closing “La Mer” along with trumpeter Luca Aquino to give you a hint of greater pleasures if you go into his songbook on your own. Bon Viaggo!
Okeh Records
www.sonymasterworks.com