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Rating: A truly commendable operation is being carried out by the La Repubblica/L'Espresso group in collaboration with Rome's La Casa del Jazz. Medium-priced CDs, attached to the weekly magazine, in which both well-known and lesser-known names of our local jazz scene are featured in splendid display, captured during "live" occasions in their most congenial environment. The editions from previous years are mostly filled with tempting and unrepeatable opportunities (Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Danilo Rea, Gianluigi Trovesi...), but this year they decided to go even further by commissioning a series of "theme" works from the musicians involved.
Certainly worth noting is the stunning tribute by drummer Roberto Gatto (accompanied by the best local jazz musicians) to progressive rock, a record that no progger should miss. But in my opinion, this work by the Roman pianist is even superior and risks becoming one of the most sensational albums produced this year in Italy. A project by Rita Marcotulli, which gathers around her a large group of musicians from very diverse backgrounds, to pay tribute to the unforgettable works of Pink Floyd.
Am I exaggerating? Perhaps. Meanwhile, let's take a look at the tracklist:
Astronomy Domine (Barrett)
Melodico (Marcotulli)
Cirrus Minor (Waters)
Intromoney (Rabbia)
Money (Waters)
Goodbye Blue Sky (Waters)
Burning Bridges (Waters-Wright)
Saint Tropez (Waters)
Crying Song (Waters)
Set The Control For The Heart Of The Sun (Waters)
Us And Them (Waters-Wright)
Doesn't it already make your mouth water? And as for the list of musicians involved:
Rita Marcotulli: piano and keyboards
Andy Sheppard: tenor and soprano sax
Fausto Mesolella: electric guitar
Giovanni Tommaso: double bass
Matthew Garrison: electric bass
Michele Rabbia: percussion
Alfredo Golino: drums
Raiz: vocals
There's naturally my favorite pianist, for whom - as those who read me on Debaser know - I have an incurable fondness. There's the English saxophonist Andy Sheppard, one of her most frequent collaborators for some time. But also one of my favorite double bassists, Giovanni Tommaso, and the remarkable percussionist Michele Rabbia, formerly of Aires Tango. Matt Garrison is a hyper-virtuous bassist, son of noble loins (the late father Jimmy was none other than the historic bassist of Miles Davis and John Coltrane). Those who don't follow jazz and have stumbled upon this by chance have probably noticed the presence of Fausto Mesolella from Avion Travel, and the rather unusual and distinctive choice of Raiz's "deep voice", hero of Almamegretta and protagonist of many other Neapolitan dub and hip-hop stories.
The heterogeneity of the musicians involved is echoed by the heterogeneity of the selected tracks. Personally, I find the idea of embracing (almost) the entire arc of Pink Floyd's career, from "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" to "The Wall", bypassing the age-old debates like: "I only listen to Ummagumma, the rest is commercial garbage" or: "After Atom Heart Mother, they haven't done anything significant", quite delightful.
Every tribute to Pink Floyd worth its salt cannot but begin with a showcase of the sound effects that have punctuated their works and albums: beating hearts, voiceovers, electrostatic discharges, and the like. A quote within a quote, Raiz recites the lyrics of "Wish You Were Here" in the opening lines of "Astronomy Domine". "Cirrus Minor" is adorned with a dreamy intro by Marcotulli, Raiz introduces the theme, and Marcotulli along with Mesolella create an extremely intense moment, one of the album's most successful.
The group does not disappoint in a much-overused cover like "Money", thanks to a funk-based treatment and a respectable sequence of instrumental interventions, with Garrison, here as elsewhere, passionately strumming the strings of his electric bass. To close beautifully, Raiz doesn't forget his roots when it’s time to rap, and, strangely enough, the result is excellent.
Even an innocuous little song like "Saint Tropez", which gained fame due to its reference to Rita Pavone in the lyrics, is invigorated by a playful arrangement, giving it a "circus" vibe. Very engaging is "Set The Control For The Heart Of The Sun", with Raiz bringing out his Arab heart and instantly transporting us to a Middle Eastern souk. The happening concludes with an extended version of "Us and Them", which Rita had already recorded solo in her "The Light Side Of The Moon". The circle is complete...
The variety of styles touched upon in this musical journey is impressive, and at the same time, the homogeneity that Rita Marcotulli's unmistakable touch manages to impart to the work. Jazz and Rock get along perfectly, blending into each other, with every vocal and instrumental contribution seeming perfect, the only possible in such a context. The visionary spirit of Pink Floyd marries the passion of Marcotulli, and her inexhaustible ability to evoke a multicolored, evocative, and very personal sound universe. For me, a masterpiece.
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