Hammond Express
Rendez-vous

During one of my usual informational tours in the world of YouTube, jumping between opposite and diverse genres, I find myself after a dozen lounge and trip hop videos, reading a title such as: "Hammond Express - Cuban Breeze", complete with a colorful and captivating cover. I find in the name of the track a sort of good promise to redeem myself from those previous, syrupy, and apathetic listens. And indeed, in summary, somehow this redemption arrives; I listen to the track trying to figure out how much of Cuban is in it (little) and, while listening, the video shows the album's inner cover with the names of the lineup: Francesco Gazzara, hammond, Massimo Sanna, bass, Eduardo Piloto Barreto, flutes, Mirtao, percussion, Giovanni di Cosimo, flugelhorn, Sir Blofeld, double bass. The Italian names obviously spark a curiosity that goes beyond a first distracted listen, so I do some research, and spend a nice hour dealing with this record.

Rendez-vous is an album from 2003, quite nice overall, calm, and certainly matching the sound of Scenario Music.

From a first listen, I understand that these are compositions that are perpetually "happy" and entertaining, with declared vintage sounds that are persistent but unfortunately not very original.

The execution is indeed good, and blues like "Everybody In The Sauna", "Modern City Blues", "Shocking Beat" prove it: solos that are rich (perhaps a bit too much) in jazz tradition, with a fluid and conscious language. I then listen to everything, which seems to me on one hand another attempt to fuse certain and various genres, from samba to funk to electronic (which, sure, can't displease me), on the other hand, a somewhat faint and unambitious work.

So, I start summarizing: pleasant compositions ("Doo Doo Cha") and acceptable executions (although a bit "dull"). The sound, as I said, is borrowed from the tradition of those who made the hammond a genuine, dynamic, and propulsive instrument...

But unfortunately, these guys have nothing propulsive about them! The underlying spirit to play this genre is missing, and it is evident from the nu jazz semblances they often give to their pieces (maybe to make up for the lack of verve...), which appear poor and contrived.

Certainly a listenable album and a good background, with many beautiful ideas (I think of "Mexico 70") but nothing more. A Medesky Martin & Wood with something sleepy, affected, and stereotyped.

I would dare to round up excessively, given that they are compatriots...