Bobby McFerrin
Bang! Zoom

"Bang! Zoom", what a cool title, first of all. The cover, however, isn't much. Almost makes me want to rent it! It's 1996, ages ago!

Because at the time, there were video rental stores that rented CDs for 3,000 lire as a form of DEPOSIT, with the formula: I listen... if I like it, I'll buy it... maybe!!!

Well, I get home, put it on, set up a nice little Sony C46 cassette and simultaneously press the REC and PLAY buttons, so meanwhile it records, planning to listen to it in bed with the cassette walkman.

Okay, done. I turn on the walkman (which almost always kept playing until those blessed rechargeable batteries were completely drained), and to my great wonder, I discover this absolute genius,a unique and unrepeatable character.

The song "Don’t Worry, Be Happy" – beautiful anyway – made him known to everyone, sure, but here we're in a different league.

Here our guy is accompanied by "na siora bend": Russel Ferrante (who signs three tracks), William Kennedy, Bob Mintzer, Jimmy Haslip (yeah!) - basically the YELLOWJACKETS - and guest stars like Paulinho Da Costa, Paul Jackson Jr., and the Tower Of Power horn section on "My Better Half".

In short, the first ones he found!

In 5 sentences, I'll tell you everything:

it's released on Blue Note - it has the typical fusion sound of the YJ - it is very, very elegant - the sounds are very polished - but it is not a dated album, quite the opposite; sure, back then I was into multiple doses of Weather Report, Billy Cobham, Spyro Gyra, Lee Ritenour, and the likes, and now I'm not, but I recently rediscovered it and to me, it appears as a magnificent example of 100% Bobby’s sound Jazz/Vocal music (meaning 360-degree musical freedom), perfect for every listening device, played to perfection, with a phenomenal voice that is among the most interesting in the world.

Well, I don't have to sell you anything (!), but believe me, here master Mc Ferrin, with his usual sweetness, signs some amazing tracks, full of African vibes everywhere. It's a bright album that sticks to you, eventually, you'll tire of it, but you'll pull it out again because you'll miss it. With Bobby, it's always like this.

Want to know how it ended?

I bought this CD on clearance at the video rental store, opened the case, and without pressing the center, I broke it in two! WHAT A BUMMER!!!