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Rating: Bermuda Acoustic Trio: I don't know why, but beyond the usual idea of the Bermuda Triangle, the group's name reminded me of a party trio from an oratory festival or a village fair.
So this was the image I had in mind when this CD fell into my hands. I decided to listen to it, mainly attracted by the seductive song titles. And I was not disappointed: in the end, I was thrilled. They are a group of guitar (and bass) virtuosos: anything related to the guitar with them seems possible, even if it requires playing it backwards or as a percussion instrument. Listening to the CD, the first thing that catches the ear is their ability to revisit any genre of music and blend it in such a way as to create a sound that is always unexpected and, at times, surprising. That's the point: they surprise. From the classical music of Mozart and Rossini to commercials. They play at high speed, joke, and improvise. There seems to be no setlist, and everything appears improvised. The CD is the result of recordings made during concerts in Modena and Reggio Emilia. I'll go into a bit more detail.
"Sultans of Swing": I admit the song left me indifferent almost until the final solo. It seemed like a simple unplugged version of Knopfler and company's famous masterpiece. But when the solo begins, everything changes: the famous Knopfler passage is perfect and remarkably sped up, indeed, it's in constant acceleration. What astonishes is the extraordinary cleanliness of the string touch by the two acoustic guitars (Giorgio Buttazzo and Gabriele Monti) and the bass (Kamsin Giordano Urzino, whose role is not just rhythmic but especially melodic). The solo is extended: the guitars run and play: there's even room for imitating the clucking of a hen and the sound of a flying insect, still with the guitars.
"Your Song": cover by Elton John. The version is traditional in fidelity to the original, although it loses some sweetness due to the absence of the piano.
The third song is another gem: "Nella Vecchia Fattoria - Take Me Home, Country Road". Combining Nella vecchia fattoria with John Denver. The piece is pleasant and amusing. The rhythm, of course, is country-like.
"Tears in Heaven": cover by Eric Clapton. The track maintains all its sweetness and delicacy thanks to the simple chords and the subtlety of the choir, conveying the right melancholy to the song.
"Pride and Joy": reinterpretation of Steve Ray Vaughan. The mastery in which the final solo is executed, very fast and technical, is commendable.
"Can't Find My Way Home" by Clapton and "Father And Son" by Cat Stevens go together as they showcase a greater commitment and perhaps more 'seriousness' in execution.
"A Casa" is certainly the least successful song. Slow, cumbersome. It gives the impression of dragging on during its 4 minutes.
"Chanson Ballade - Wild World" revisits another song by Cat Stevens.
"Guglielmo Tell - Duelin' Banjo - Marcia Alla Turca": from the title itself, it is clear the intention to mix two famous classical music pieces to a banjo base. It's their ability to mimic these songs that allows the audience to feel involved and actively participate.
The CD concludes with "Little Wing", an extraordinary song by the extraordinary Jimi. And the cover could only be equally extraordinary: compared to the rest of the album, there is a higher concentration. The atmosphere becomes almost solemn. No more funny passages. They no longer sing but Luciana Buttazzo does. Slower, reflective sections are succeeded by faster ones with tremendous solos: the guitars in some parts even seem to chase each other.
In short, a work of remarkable beauty. The guitar (and in particular the acoustic one) always has a special charm, and these maestros, on one hand, ennoble it with excellent performances and unique and unexpected virtuosity; yet, on the other hand, they can appear as irreverent for their constant joking, for their imitations of the animal world amidst solos that have marked the history of music.
In general, I believe they can be defined somewhat as music cabaret performers, or rather, as cabaret artists in music, followers, in a sense, of the more famous Banda Osiris.
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