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Rating: Giuseppe Cerrato with his new album Il Giorno…La Notte manages to condense all his artistic background and curriculum into eight tracks, where blues and rock embrace perfectly.
Il Giorno…La Notte represents an extremely high-quality musical product, the result of the artistic production of Giuseppe Cerrato (author of the lyrics and music, vocals, bass, and guitar). The love for music by the Associazione Symphonos combined with the proven mastery and lightness with which Giuseppe Cerrato sets his soul to music make Il Giorno…La Notte a work appreciable to every listener: eight tracks of incredible depth, which embrace ingenious ideas, the experience of proven musicians, and the wonder of the sophisticated simplicity of blues.
La Redenzione di Lucifero kicks things off, with a guitar played with the slide that immediately brings to mind the crossroads of Louisiana. How can we not remember the good old Robert Johnson, the bluesman par excellence, who decided to sell his soul to the devil just to learn to sing and play the blues? The track opens by welcoming the rest of the crew: bass, guitar, percussion, and even a harmonica. The singing, in Italian, closely resembles that of the King, Elvis Presley, so dear to Cerrato that he wanted to honor him with a tribute band, which also had the opportunity to open some of the concerts of Bobby Solo (of whom Giuseppe was a musician from 1980 to 1994). While everything flows perfectly, with that touch of light groove typical of blues’n’roll, Lucifer asks the Lord for forgiveness, eager to close a bad chapter of the past but at the same time conscious of the fact that humanity will probably never be able to get over it all.
Who knows if with the Alba Nuova Lucifer will have finally made peace with his soul. A beautiful metaphor of day and night, opening up an infinity of worlds on introspection, is gently set to music by sweet melodies, by an expert and concise voice, in a decisive yet emotional, very sweet whisper. The delicacy of the piece recalls the summer breeze of a landscape deluded in the dream of a new dawn, of a new day, with adventures on the horizon that life puts before us.
Solo on a calm path, towards a future, sometimes black as a moonless night. The work continues with a composition articulated between rhythm guitar and hammond, which spreads its wings with an opening that goes on to embrace a few more touches of percussion and continues wearing an energetic and sensual groove.
And then came the time for the ballad, yes, but La Ballata della Tigre. With a touch of country, this blues ballad evolves the melodic component, assuming the guise of a tender lullaby with the scent of summer ending. The voice, the protagonist with its delicacy, demonstrates its chameleon-like qualities.
A subsequent example is Io e la Mia Bella, in which the singing becomes thicker and infused with fresh energy. Amid background barks and whinnies, this delightful track is an irresistible explosion of country rhythm, garnished with saloon violins and the tinkling of bells around the neck of a grazing cattle herd.
Con La Luna returns to the more melancholic steps of La Ballata, colored by the presence of a light piano, which blends perfectly with more Mediterranean rhythms and the plucked strings of the guitar.
Ho Visto la Luce encompasses a splendid reflection, tinged with divine not only from the perspective of the lyrics but also in terms of musicality. Hope, the word that immediately imposes itself in the listener's mind. A sensation perfectly highlighted by the hammond and the celestial choir that doubles the main voice during the repetition of the alleluia mantra.
To close the work is Un Viaggio nel Buio, among the most intriguing pieces of the entire album: a perfect soundtrack for a good thriller movie, in which the plot intertwines between muted trumpets and a piano chord.
Giuseppe Cerrato expresses heartfelt thanks, beyond being necessary, to the musician friends who participated in the realization of the album Il Giorno…La Notte for the great professionalism that distinguishes them and especially for the insight they have shown in their interpretations, fully satisfying what he himself would have done if he had known how to play their instruments well.
In particular, thanks are extended to: Cesare Zebro, Vincenzo Amalfitano, Angelantonio Feola, Claudio Adorno, guitars; Giampiero Mercaldo, hammond, piano, and organetto; Vincenzo Faraldo, cello; Fiore Di Nuzzo, drums; Giuseppe Bellotta, violin; Almerigo Pota, trumpet; Angelo Riccio, saxophone; Maurizio Carbone, percussion; Angelo Rauccio and his fantastic choir in the track Ho visto la Luce;
Raffaele Nasta, sound engineer who took care of the final phase of the recordings at his personal studio and most importantly the final mixing, reading all the sounds and details well, in the most imperceptible folds and managing to grasp what were Giuseppe Cerrato's ideas, not an easy thing, with great intuition, professionalism, and knowledge of the matter.
Giampiero Mercaldo, in addition to being a musician already mentioned above, is particularly thanked for having started this project with Giuseppe Cerrato from the first stone, handling the arrangements, discussions concerning the tracks, and being a professional travel companion.
Ettore Pavone, for the percussion arrangements, with whom Giuseppe Cerrato has also started a new edition on the songs he has written in recent times. A percussionist always in search of new sounds, public relations, Art Director and above all a friend and a person worthy of such a name, in this world a bit, let's say, difficult to come across.
A special tribute directly from Giuseppe Cerrato, from his modest experience as a musician who has traveled the world, up to the wooden stage of l'Olympia in Paris (2012), finally goes to Bobby Solo, to whom he will never cease to say thank you for the fantastic experiences that contributed to the growth of musician and man, giving him the opportunity to look into the eyes of people from much of the globe.
The recordings were made at the Sonus studios in Caserta, curated by Giampiero Mercaldo.
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