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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
The cover of the album says it all about Galactic's intents about taking their music to outer space. An astronaut's helmet with the moon in the background depicts perfectly the mission that the fabulous New Orleans funk collective want to achieve on their new record, Into The Deep.
Masterfully produced by band members and hugely skilled musicians Ben Ellman and Robert Mercurio, the album showcases a series of infectious R&B and Funk-Soul gems, which include guest appearances of some of the most important artists of this genres of the last three decades of music worldwide.
The title track features a Macy Gray at the top of her form. A slow soul number permeated of that grace and class that emerges, as always, through the voice of the Ohio-born diva. This is just one of the many surprises on Into The Deep, though.
JJ Grey's energy and powerful vocal delivery on Higher And Higher, Mavis Staples deep and passionate performance on Does It Really Make A Difference, David Shaw and Maggie Koehrner's outstanding duet on Dolla Diva, make you fall in love with this album deeper and deeper on each listen.
The instrumental numbers are, though, the key factor on the Galactic's album. Long Live The Borgne, Sugar Doosie and most of all, Buck 77, with that classic 70's tempo that ignites memories of Isaac Hayes at his very best, are true testimony of style, ability and artistry of the highest quality of this fantastic band.
Galactic wanted to take their music through the universe and into space with Into The Deep. Mission accomplished, without a doubt.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Into The Deep is released by Provogue, part of Mascot Label Group and can be purchased here
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
It has been a long journey for Jeff Fetterman, since his 1999 debut album, Ordinary Man, to record Bottle Full Of Blues, perhaps the album of a lifetime. This extraordinary bluesman from Pennsylvania has exponentially increased his popularity, through the years, with fans and media by combining a winning combustion of blues, rock and funk, the very same formula that brought him to write Bottle Full Of Blues.
The album is an elegant exercise of songwriting skills and phenomenal music ability, not just by Fetterman himself but by the whole array of musicians performing on the album too. In that respect, the instrumental Devil's Shuffle pitches to perfection the craftmanship of the whole band, with Fetterman, Otis James on Harmonica, Anthony Brown on keys and Ralph Reitinger III teasing one another in this brilliant number.
There are lots of radio friendly tracks on the album; the opening Paradise starts as a blues/rock, to then deviating to an irresistible funkadelic tempo. Southbound is a rock tune that would have made Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis ecstatic with joy, with Fettermans' powerful guitar riffs and the band complementing splendidly Fetterman's voice with a muscular performance on this track.
The album title track Bottle Full Of Blues and Wash My Blues Away are delicate, but intense ballads and perhaps the best demonstration of what Jeff Fetterman is all about. Both tracks showcase his incredible guitar ability with some very powerful vocals, as a demonstration of a musical maturity exploding on full blast on this album.
It may be a Bottle Full Of Blues, as the album title suggests, but Jeff Fetterman and his band are far from being uniquely defined as blues musicians. This album, undoubtedly, is a clear statement of Fetterman's music vision and the shape of things to come in his career. A music career that will take him certainly to the zenith of music scene real soon.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Bottle Full Of Blues can be purchased on CD Baby or as a download via Amazon
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Neal Schon is, undoubtedly, having one of his most inspired periods of creativity. His previous album, So U, showed clear signs of the guitarist's return to music excellence, signs re-inforced and confirmed on Schon's new release, Vortex.
The 2-CD all-instrumental album captures the rock guitarist in great form, showing once again his full versatility in this labour of phenomenal skills and craftmanship. A labour of love, too, considering that Schon dedicated, in the sleeve notes of the album, Vortex to his wife Michaele.
Vortex is a delightful album made of incredible rock vignettes, tinted with different elements of world music, jazz, classical and occasionally, even fusion. The opening Miles Beyond is a clear statement of intents on what the album is going to be like; a classy flight on rock experimentations, crafted with the attention to detail by a true Maestro. El Matador, Irish Cream and Airliner NS910 make rocking hearts pulsate even deeper, through Schon's majestic style and Steve Smith thunderous work on drums.
Jan Hammer, one of the most talented keyboardists worldwide is a vital presence on the album too. He and Igor Len add an even vigorous depth to the album by offering, possibly, the best keys on any rock record heard for a very long time. A track like Schon & Hammer Now, is a real demonstration of two musicians at the top of their game and an absolute joy to listen to, whether one may be a rock music fan or not.
There are some beautiful ballads too on the album, such as Tortured Souls, Unspoken Faith and Mom, the latter dedicated to Neal's mother Barbara.
An absolute gem of an album and most certainly a record that comes straight from the heart and soul of the american guitarist. The most sonic masterpiece of Neal Schon ever.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Vortex is available on Mascot Label Group and Amazon
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Sofia Donavan might be just 18, but very bright sparkles of a hugely promising career can be easily spotted through her new mini album. Left To The Clouds is the second EP released by this young artist, after her 2013 debut called Square One. Sofia's pastiche of folk and country carries echoes of a young Joni Mitchell or maybe a more contemporary Taylor Swift, through the beautiful 5 tracks comprised in the EP. Her lyrics may sound at times slightly sad, still, they always come across by being honest and straight from the heart.
Donavan has put that heart on her sleeves on this record, not just lyrically but also musically speaking. Tracks as If It Wasn’t For Love and Rare As Gold speak volume on the personal life journey that the Hispanic/American Donavan is on. That very same life journey that, through her integrity as an artist, will bring Donavan for sure very far in her music career.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
The most delicate flowers are often hidden in the most unthinkable places, either a volcanic rock or maybe, sometimes, in a back alley right in the heart of a big city.
The Only Good Addiction Is Love, Taylor's new album, is one of those beautiful flowers; a sincere homage to poetry, literature and art, played with delicacy and intensity through his guitar and that fabulous depth that his voice possesses.
Taylor has been often emphasised the importance of celebrating the power of language in his precedent albums and this new record is no exception. Through this album, Taylor takes a definite step to the world of aesthetics with the charisma and the experience of a modern Troubadour, supported by a superb array of fellow musicians on each individual track.
There are open references to the Spanish writer Federico Garcia Lorca through a couple of tracks, the instrumental Lorca and the sweet Tienes Mi Alma En Tus Manos. The track Rothko, is a fabulous portrait in music dedicated to the expressionist painter Mark Rothko, whose works are very close to the heart of this very talented artist.
The album flows with such beauty and gentility that one almost regrets to have reached the last track on the album. The White Birds, a poem by W B Yeats closes the album superbly, with the Pedal Steel Guitar of Kim Deschamps keeping the up-tempo, whilst the voice of Taylor takes the listeners to that sea so superbly described by Yeats' lyrics, just by closing your eyes and listening to the song.
A true masterpiece in itself. Taylor deserves respect for his love and devotion for the music he creates and his fine ability and skills as a guitarist. The United Kingdom has definitely unleashed, through this record, another phenomenal artist to definite music stardom.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
For someone like Erja Lyytinen, being raised listening in her home town in Kuopio, Finland, to many different blues influences, from Son House to Robben Ford, Mississippi John Hurt to Brian Setzer, to play in 2014 at the historic 100 Club venue in London, Uk, must have been a dream come true.
The Finnish artist is now already at her 11th album collectively, between studio, live and collaborative records with other artists. On this live recording, from the opening gospel of It's A Blessing onward, the Finnish artist opens the doors of her music world and her personal music heroes, one of these being the great Elmore James, to which Lyytinen dedicated her previous studio album, The Sky Is Crying. Five of the 11 tracks included in the album are Elmore James' but penned in an outstanding format by Lyytinen through her very personal style. Hints of funk emerge occasionally as well on tracks like Person To Person, showing, once again, the deep understanding Lyytinen has about different music style and how well they can work together. From the whole live album, one track in particular though, still from James' back catalogue, The Sky Is Crying, stands out definitely. Such track demonstrates a level of intensity and an incredible depth by the Finnish artist in playing the slide and singing style, which takes one's breath away throughout the whole duration of the song.
But Erja Lyytinen has got many surprises hidden in her own repertoire; Change Of Season is a splendid blues/rock ballad containing a stunnning solo by Davide Floreno, who co-wrote the song with Lyytinen, Let It Shine has that rousing blues tempo that makes you tap your foot incessantly.
Erja Lyytinen is not just a national treasure for Finland as an artist but for the entire world of Blues/Rock and that emerges once again in this outstanding live album. Her music style is fresh, contemporary, forward-thinking and her voice and stage charisma have got that natural fleur and swagger that just pure artists have got built within themselves. If anyone is not aware yet of Erja Lyytinen, please get this album and enjoy it, you won't be disappointed.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
You can see Erja Lyytinen live on Tour next to you at this link: Tour Dates
Album release date: June 8th 2015
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
When it comes to developing vision about music in its globality, Sonny Landreth is the right man for the job.
After the last two albums mostly orientated towards classical jazz and fusion, Landreth returns to play blues at the usual level of excellency on his forthcoming new record, Bound By The Blues, released on June 9th.
