Le Orme
Progfiles. Live In Rome (Official Bootleg)

In a musical jungle where "dancing for more than just one summer" is already a minor miracle in itself, it is truly astonishing to witness how some bands manage to keep going with style and consistency for decades, (almost) always without caring too much about the current trend, with a grace and a freshness that only serve to highlight how, sometimes, the love for music is truly something innate, an energy that makes you pound the skins and strings as if you were forty years younger than what your ID card reports.

This is the case with a band like Le Orme, a legendary Venetian ensemble, flagbearer of the finest Italian progressive rock. "What remains of Le Orme," some might say, considering that, from the original lineup, from that trio that forty years ago recorded masterpieces like "Collage" and "Felona e Sorona," only Michi Dei Rossi remains. However, when you observe the skill, both in the studio and live, of the group's new era, the space for controversy is really limited. Released at a not-so-great time, which saw Dei Rossi and Tagliapietra in numerous legal battles over the use of the name, "Progfiles" has the merit of officially launching the band's second life (or perhaps also the fourth or fifth, given the continuous lineup changes) of the Venetian band. The nature of the publication is somewhat dubious, "Official bootleg" is not coincidentally the subtitle: recorded by the band, but you’ll rarely find it in stores, better to go to the merchandise stand after some concert. A sort of "gift" for a select few, so to speak, for an official publication, possibly double and with a DVD, there will be time. Recorded during the spring 2010 tour, it features a setlist that doesn't differ much from what was done during the last tours that still saw Tagliapietra behind the microphone, although the group's new incarnation certainly gives a different interpretation of the various classics, both those from the golden era and more recent productions. A few words should really be spent on this, applauding Michi Dei Rossi who managed, in just a few months, to assemble such a valid lineup. Shooting oneself in the foot would have been really easy, there was a risk of going around with a mediocre cover band, of becoming a tribute to oneself. Instead, the decision was made to work with care and to proceed only when certain of one's resources. The "official" trio formed by the rhythm section Michi Dei Rossi/Fabio Trentini, an excellent acquisition of the last period of the Tagliapietra era, and the tireless Michele Bon on keyboards is indeed accompanied by the talented Federico Gava on piano and William Dotto on guitars. On vocals, Jimmy Spitaleri, a seasoned lion of Italian prog, already known for his participation in Metamorfosi. Change everything so that nothing changes. Because in the end, the emotions really remain the same, regardless of who picks up the bass or holds the microphone.

After the very brief intro, where more attentive listeners can spot some hints of passages that would later end up on the following album "La Via della Seta," the concert starts with "Chiesa d'Asfalto," a beautiful piece from the more recent period of Le Orme. Spitaleri is a lion, and the new lineup immediately proves up to the task, with truly remarkable keyboard work. The setlist presented here is not complete, but it's still nice to notice that the more recent tracks, those from the 1996-2004 decade, were placed at the beginning, almost as if to emphasize that one doesn't live only by past glories. Naturally, there is room for the old classics, and it's nice to listen again to old pieces, often overlooked by both the band and the fans, like "Maggio," taken from that underrated LP "Contrappunti" (1974), eight minutes of progressive class like few others. Guitars and keyboards chasing each other, choruses and a top-level rhythm section, only underline how much good there is in the new adventure of Le Orme. Another noteworthy retrieval is "Vedi Amsterdam," a little gem from the second half of the Seventies, a period usually snubbed by the band itself, evidently not very confident about what they did back then. A great finale naturally with "Sguardo verso il Cielo" and "Collage." So, what can be said? The risks of going around and appearing as a luxurious cover band were all there, but, given the reasons above, have been widely averted. Indeed, in the end, considering also the sound outcome of the sextet, one wonders why they hadn’t thought earlier of introducing solutions like that of a permanent piano or a main guitarist. If the renewed lineup already inspired some confidence here, then, the definitive confirmation would come the following year with "La Via della Seta" (2011), a great prog work fully in tune with those of the golden times. For those who didn't know: Le Orme have recently undertaken a mini-tour with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Missing such an opportunity would be a real pity. I was at that tour: what about you?

Setlist:

Intro/ Chiesa d'Asfalto/ Danza del Fuoco/ L'infinito/ Maggio/ Vedi Amsterdam/ Sguardo verso il Cielo/ Rondò/ Sguardo verso il Cielo (ripresa)/ Collage (finale)

Le Orme: 

Michi Dei Rossi, drumsFabio Trentini, bass, acoustic guitar and vocalsMichele Bon, keyboards, guitar simulator and vocals

With:Jimmy Spitaleri, vocalsWilliam Dotto, guitarsFederico Gava, piano and keyboards