antoniodeste

MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO ROOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOO LEBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLEEEEEE EEEEEEE DEEEEEEEEEEEGGGLIIIIIIIII SSPPPPPAAAAAAACCCCCCCAAAAAABAAAAAAA AAAAALLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE COOOOOOOOOOOOMEEEEEEEEEEE FIIIIIIIIIIGOOOOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEE. VAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIII AAAAA ROOOOOOOOOOMPEEEEEEEEERLEEEEEEEEEE AAAAAAAAAA TUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOO PAAAAAAADREEEEEEEEEEE. For Nightwalker10: Don't mind it, it's normal. Some jerk, in this case "figone," had to make us understand how important his contribution is. It's the first time I've reacted like this, but I felt like it, even though I usually prefer not to react. Usually, people like this get bored. Like children. (Or maybe it's a child?)

Great disk and great band. Note: I just discovered it recently, but Decca has reissued, for the collectors, a "Snow Goose" with two previously unreleased tracks recorded at the Marquee before the album was released, for a total of over a quarter of an hour. Kudos to Nightwalker10 for bringing this gem back to light.

For Antonino91: finally! It took about a month, but at least there are some explanations. There's no problem regarding that. As for tastes, it seems there’s no room for discussion...

"Words for my father" can also be found in a decent work by Niels Lan-Doky (the brother of Chris Minh-Doky) that Gino himself produced in 2001 for Emarcy, "Haitek Haiku": do you know it? Regarding what you wrote to me: of course it goes wherever it pleases! And it has every right to do so! The same right I have not to buy him "Canto". Bye.

Dear MisterNo: I must say that I too would prefer the music you call "pure," meaning instrumental music in certain "genres." First of all, I believe that "purity" can also be found in singing, as it is a primal form of artistic expression for human beings, even though I personally have tastes that align with very subjective principles in identifying what is considered good or not in singing. Vannelli, along with Sinatra, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Noa, Bobby McFerrin, Michael McDonald, Jon Anderson, Cassandra Wilson, Michael Franks, just to name a few that come to mind, meet these highly personal criteria. I reiterate that I prefer music that is only "played," and to return to the subject, Vannelli happily (and rarely) combines playing with singing. Regarding "fusion": as an enthusiast during the "golden age" (late '70s to early '90s, roughly), I closely followed the development of this phenomenon that then, rightly, transformed into something more hybrid, incorporating multiple elements. To say that it "is dead" seems reductive to me, as it has only evolved. Instead, a certain interpretation of "fusion" has died. Vannelli is a happy epigone of it, who has nonetheless changed quite a bit in his last two works ("Yonder Tree" is almost "straight ahead jazz...."). Certainly, bands like Uzeb, Elektric Band, Casiopea, Mike Stern Band, etc., might now come across as a bit dated when they play their mood. For Nightwalker10: the technical-virtuosic element has proven to be a double-edged sword for "fusion"; in recent years, the downward leveling of "taste" and musical "trends" has "devalued" the technical skills that often underpinned the work of fusion musicians, implicitly declaring them unnecessary because they are too "brainy" for a music business that needs mass appeal. I'll stop here; I think I've already gone on too long, perhaps. Let me know what you think. Bye.

Ok.

For Mr. No: I wouldn't want to start an unnecessary argument here: I like Nick Drake and (some of the) Eagles a lot, just to be clear; what I meant is that in general it's never necessary to make comparisons when there's no need. That's all. Love.

Great review, and having sensed the viewpoint and heart (as well as the ear) of the reviewer on other pages of Debaser, I am not surprised by the brilliant presentation of this album. Nightwalker is truly the sublimation of Vannelli after years of exploring "luxury" pop with para-jazz influences. It is the perfect completion of a cycle. It represents the harmonic maturity of the artist that was already highlighted with the previous "Brother To Brother." The reviewer knows what he is talking about, and being likely a musician, he is able to grasp nuances, subtleties, and aspects of the compositions that might escape others. I can only agree with everything, including the succinctness of the description, the merit, and the judgment. Well done.

I join Donjunio, Lewis Tollani, MisterNo, and others who, with the wisdom and heart of then (and now), "feel" this work as something truly important and perhaps even epoch-making. For me, it is indeed essential, one of those "traiprimidieci," but I can understand the doubts, the questions, and the sensitivities that differ from mine or from those of the reviewer. The latter deserves praise for having dusted off one of the brightest gems of the Woodstock era and for the meanings that can consequently be attributed to it. Just a tiny, tiny note: I believe, Donjunio, and please don’t take it the wrong way, that the references to Eagles and Nick Drake are quite superfluous and/or unnecessary. The review, the album, the character stand quite well on their own like this. A warm greeting and heartfelt thanks.

Thanks to Nightwalker10 for the clarifications. It is clear that you have a great passion for Vannelli, and as a fan myself, I can't help but be pleased, taking pride in it. I inform you, though you may already know, that there’s a nice show (on DVD) filmed in the Netherlands with our orchestra. However, I don't think it's official. Gino is in fine form, and the musicians of the orchestra remind me a lot of those from Westbrook or Michael Gibbs, with top-notch soloists. I've also heard that a while back Gino was touring with Alain Caron from Uzeb. It's a real shame I wasn’t able to see him. I just hope that, aside from the new release with seven unreleased tracks referred to by Precisino (thanks), Vannelli, now no longer young, doesn't persist in the clumsy attempt (emerged on Canto) to please segments of the audience with simple tastes, missing out on the possibility of a maturity that could still bring great moments. We’ll see. Bye.