Quintorigo
Live 21/06/2006 @ Vascon (TV) Festa d'Estate

THE REVIEW

A bit doubtful and perhaps too little confident.

This was the spirit with which I attended the concert of Quintorigo, held at the now decades-old Summer Festival in the province of Treviso. I was doubtful and not very confident because ever since I had reluctantly learned that John De Leo, the group's "original" singer, had decided to pursue a solo career, I imagined that finding someone "at his level" would have been really difficult for the band.

But of course, my expectations were shattered after just a few moments of the concert. What I had before me was indeed a renewed band, yet they had maintained their original sound in every aspect, a blend of jazz, blues, rock, funky, with some notes of reggae, and pseudo-electronic nuances, but there's nothing electronic at all since on stage there are only Sax, Violin, Cello, and Double Bass.
And what could be among the most classic of instruments, during the concert transform into guitars capable of distorting sounds, strings that are plucked with a frantic rhythm, and fingers that glide over these strings and the keys of the sax like a pianist's fingers on a piano. But folks, there's no guitar or piano here!. And of course, it's all complemented with a female voice that saying superb is an understatement.

Because this girl, Luisa Cottifogli, has nothing to envy from the "legendary" former singer. With absolute ease and without any apparent effort, she moves from one note to another on the scale, octave by octave, leaving everyone astonished and mesmerized. She too plays, plays with her voice with great dynamism, distorting the sounds at her pleasure to spice up the music with original and studied rhythms. What can I say, no news then, except for a voice with a, how to say, female timbre.

The repertoire is varied: mostly all pieces from the new album “Il Cannone” released just this year. However, there are also some rearranged old songs and a few truly emotional moments. The Quintorigo, in fact, have long been supporters of AMREF and its projects for children, and when during "Redemption Song" by the legendary Bob Marley, images of Africa provided by the association were displayed behind them, there was a great silence and long sighs...

This band truly deserves it. And the Album too. But that's another story. Martina