Umberto Fiorentino
Ulisse

Lingomania, the most influential and seminal Italian electric jazz and fusion band of the eighties, had among its members musicians who now fill the billboards of the best jazz festivals. People of the caliber of Danilo Rea, Maurizio Giammarco, Furio Di Castri, Roberto Gatto, Flavio Boltro, Enzo Pietropaoli... And Umberto Fiorentino.

The Roman guitarist has long been a "musicians' musician", revered by scores of guitarists for the disarming ease with which he can craft a phrasing of remarkable technical content, without ever abandoning good taste and musicality. A great teacher, as well as a great performer, he is the holder of courses and author of several texts on guitar improvisation.

A maniacal perfectionist, also from the point of view of the composition and organization of his albums, which he releases sparingly, like bottles of fine wine. "Ulisse" is from 1995, and makes use of the artistic production of Gianfranco Salvatore, a renowned musicologist and music critic who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, "jump the fence" and join the musicians’ side, producing interesting and quality works.

Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta is the foreign guest who arouses the most curiosity, but in reality, Fiorentino is accompanied by a large group of fellow countrymen, chosen among his best ever collaborators. Noteworthy are the names of Fabrizio Sferra, who will gain popularity by recording with Danilo Rea's Doctor 3, bassist Dario Deidda, perhaps less known, but who boasts a plethora of collaborations with both jazz and pop-rock artists (Maurizio Giammarco, Fiorella Mannoia), and a nearly unknown but very interesting pianist/keyboardist: Ramberto Ciammarughi. Some tracks feature a horn section in which Stefano D'Anna and Gabriele Mirabassi stand out, but overall, this is a sporadic contribution to the success of the work.

The album shows a varied range of influences and musical styles, all handled with a certain skill by Fiorentino, who does not fear getting lost in such heterogeneous material. The influence of the original group is still strong in the title track, where he showcases his instrumental mastery, and in the rarefied waltz "La variante di Lüneborg". Many titles are taken from literary works that particularly inspired him, such as "Manuale Di Conversazione" which features a joyful brass fanfare and a nice solo by Ciammarughi. However, there is also a will to explore new directions, for instance, the creative use of electronics: with exquisitely geometric-contrapuntal intentions, as in "Effetti Collaterali" and "Gödel, Escher, Bach", but also to craft surreal and evocative situations ("Il Collasso Dell'Universo"). Moreover, "La Gran Bevuta" suggests "free" echoes, eased by an out-of-tune choir of friends.

The chemistry among the musicians is palpable, and the band finds in Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" an ideal vehicle to string together a sequence of killer solos: notably the bass solo by Deidda, reminiscent of Pastorius, but ending with an almost Hendrix-like climax. The reinterpretation of Prince's "Sign Of The Times" is of great emotional impact, where he allows himself a dialogue with himself, overdubbing two swirling electric guitar solos.

Later Fiorentino will embark on new and different paths, focusing on the one hand on an all-encompassing research, difficult to label, and on the other hand on a return to the acoustic and the more canonical jazz, so to speak. "Ulisse" remains a testament to a period that produced much music of dubious quality but, if you look well, also small shining pearls, like this one.