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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Music as an antidote to start a new chapter in life. This is the philosophy adopted by the eclectic and talented guitarist/songwriter Reed Turchi on his just released solo debut album, Speaking In Shadows.
Despite his blues-influenced musical roots, which inspired in the past years three excellent albums of experimental blues/rock released with his band simply called Turchi, the North Carolina-born artist moves definitely two notches away from his musical past in Speaking in Shadows.
Turchi manages to create an eclectic kaleidoscope of sounds, traveling from the glam/ rock of the '70s, as in the tracks Juggling Knives and Ima Bore, to the alternative post-modern rock of Everybody's Waiting and Drawn And Quartered with great class and craftmanship .
Even when the lyrics become darker and highly introspective, Turchi draws very cleverly sonic frames around his songs, fitting perfectly his songwriting style at times deeply personal and crepuscular.
Through every layers and shades of each songs on this well-balanced album, Turchi never stops to surprise and challenge constantly the listener.
One example, in an album that contains many highlights, is the spiritual catharsis occurring in the song Texas Mist, a slow and dark tune that reflects beautifully the internal conflict of the artist, struggling to find himself again. Offamymind is a splendid bluesy tune, in which Turchi confesses to have a hard time to erase from his mind the end of a relationship and in which the talented guitarist offers one of the most intense guitar riffs of the album.
Undoubtedly, Speaking In Shadow represents for Reed Turchi a new sonic path, not only in terms of approaching different music genres but also for the great use of instrumentation that Turchi does on this album. Together with his old friend Adriano Viterbini on guitar, the artist is also supported by a group of musicians of great talent on this record. Art Edmaiston on sax, in particular, shines with his class on the song Floristella, in which Turchi tells the story of his great-grandfather that, back in the early twentieth century ran away from Sicily in Italy to the United States, trying to escape the miserable life of working in a mine.
When one thinks that every corner of the sonic structure of Speaking In Shadow is unveiled, Reed Turchi surprises us all one last time with the final track of the album, View From Angel's Landing. The song, entirely instrumental, is a soft, pleasant guitar duel between electric and acoustic guitars, as if to seal a mirage of hope for a new chapter in the future to come for the American artist.
Those who loved and appreciated Reed Turchi from the beginning, will fully appreciate and understand this new step in sound research that this formidable artist has done through Speaking In Shadows. Turchi's solo album is a declaration of love for music at 360 degrees played with freshness, skill and high level of knowledge and understanding of different music forms. The record is the perfect demonstration that Turchi has many arrows still to shoot in his artistic career. Speaking In Shadows constitutes the perfect and most inspired experimental platform, from which Turchi will not surely fail to pleasantly surprise us again in the future.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Speaking In Shadows is out now and can be purchased via Amazon
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- Written by: Deb Hebert
Album: Blues of Desperation
Artist: Joe Bonamassa
Label: J & R Adventures
Release Date: March 25, 2016
Artist Website
"I challenged myself and started a new book. It's all original music-- and I wouldn't do it any other way. It was a blast," writes blues-rock titan, Joe Bonamassa, of his latest musical endeavor, Blues of Desperation.
For this solo album, longtime producer, Kevin "Caveman" Shirley envisioned a more aggressive sound and pushed more out of Joe by adding a second drummer. Anton Fig, a veteran session musician on several of Bonamassa's recordings, is widely known as a rock player. Greg Morrow, the newcomer to the mix, has roots in soul. Each player's capable of carrying the full weight of these 11 tracks. Together, they create separate room for Michael Rhodes, on bass (and Bonamassa) to explore the depths of these compositions.
Read more: Blues of Desperation: A New Book for Blues Guitarist, Joe Bonamassa
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
There is always a lot of curiosity when a new album from the Blues/Rock Titan Joe Bonamassa comes out. Curiosity that becomes also an expectation of the highest standard especially after his last studio album Different Shades Of Blue, in which the Guitar Virtuoso from New York had taken a considerable leap away from blues music.
The good news for all Bonamassa's fans and music lovers in general, is that Blues Of Desperation is a vastly more cohesive work, in comparison to Bonamassa's last studio album. The less good news, especially for those blues lovers who have loved Joe Bonamassa since the dawn of his career, is that with this record, the Guitarist Extraordinaire steps decisively towards the world of rock music.
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
When Jeff Healey passed away in 2008, age 41, because of a sarcoma cancer, the world of music lost prematurily another of its most talented disciples. One of the greatest blues/rock giants of the last quarter of the century, Healey had been writing and composing music even in the hardest moments of his fight for survival. Music that, rather unfortunately, never saw the light of the day for almost 20 years, until now.
Heal My Soul is a full-length new album that includes 12 brand new songs from this formidable artist. Thanks to the determination and the passion of Cristie Healey (Jeff's wife) and Roger Costa, one of Healey's closest friends, we finally get the chance to hear what this prodigious guitarist and songwriter wrote between 1996 and 1998, a period in which the relationship with the members of The Jeff Healey Band was falling apart.
Frankly, there are moments on the record where Healey has never sounded any better than this. The extraordinary capacity of the Canadian-born artist to adapt his ability and talent in different music genres erupts all over Heal My Soul. The Multi-Grammy nominated guitarist and songwriter can play whatever he wishes to and still, everyone will be able to recognise his trademark sound.
When he rocks, he really rocks. The thunderous Please contains some of the best guitar parts Healey has ever written. Same goes for Temptation, a tune that starts gently with an acoustic guitar line, to then explode into a furious sonic rock attack, with Healey's voice sounding as powerful as it has ever been in his career.
Put The Shoe On The Other Feet is a pure funk feast, in which Healey dazzles the listener by leading superbly the tune through the blasting sound of his guitar.
Even when he goes acoustic, Healey is able to create an extraordinary intensity. All The Saints is such a superb tune in its simplicity and the demonstration that true artists don't need anything more than their guitars and voices to create atmospheres able to go straight to the hearts of the fans.
Despite minor glitches in a couple of tracks of the album, not related to Healey's material but more to production and mixing aspects, Heal My Soul shows an artist at the peak of his creativity and reveals to the new fans why Healey has been one of the most influential and original guitarists for almost three decades of blues and rock.
On 25th March, the album's release date, Jeff Healey would have turn 50. Heal My Soul is the tastiest birthday cake he has ever baked. Happy Birthday, Mr. Healey, we truly miss you.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Heal My Soul will be available from 25th March via Mascot Label Group/Provogue
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
The greatest thing about being in your twenties is that swagger and the sense of invincibility that the age range carries with, until that fateful moment comes. It is the time when you realise that your teenage years are almost over and you just don't want to let them go. This is exactly the narrative theme ongoing on Happy Bastards, the new album from the talented Andy Frasco & The U.N.
The American collective throw a full-throttle, incandescent goodbye party to their youth, infusing their music formula with an irresistible pastiche of 60's R&B, Soul, Reggae and Dance. Add to this winning recipe, lyrics sometimes funny, other times deep or even, occasionally, on high testosterone level to make you play this album over and over again. The sole goal of the record, though, is to make people want to dance and have a good time and, by jove, they fulfill that superbly.
Despite the album's light-hearted theme, Andy Frasco & The U.N. sound in fabulous form, even more so than their previous, critically-acclaimed third album Half A Man. There are the vibes of a whole Motown-style orchestra in tracks like When You're Lonely (Fill You Up), the East Coast R&B heart-warming sound of tunes like Make It Work, Blame It On The Pu**y and (Oh My My) Can't Get You Off My Mind or the cheeky folkish Rumba of Let's Get Down To Business.
The velvet soul of Good Ride, a song about breaking up, is perhaps the true highlight of an album that manages to incorporate brilliantly so many different musical elements. The band work together in perfect harmony, thanks to the strong and powerful voice of singer, Frasco and the great sonic amalgam of The U.N.
Happy Bastards is an uplifting record that aims to bring joy to everyday life. Even when they use language straight-to-your-face, Frasco and The U.N. manage to keep their style true to themselves, respecting their roots and still offering an incredibly dynamic and fresh sound. A highly entertaining record for any time and any place.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Happy Bastards will be released on 25th March on Ruf Records
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Scotland is not just one of the most enchanting parts of the United Kingdom but also a land that never ceases to surprise for the variety of music genres this place is able to gift the world with. It can be rock or pop or blues, that doesn't matter, because a true Scot will play any type of music straight from his heart and soul.
To be able to combine many different genres and make them work as sublimely as the Glaswegian Stevie Nimmo does on his brand new solo album, Sky Won't Fall, is a demonstration of true, sheer talent.
Recorded in just ten days, the album is the perfect introduction to Nimmo's personality and his versatility as a musician.
From the imperial attack of the opener Chains Of Hope, a true rock and roll firecracker, bouncing to the almost country-esque ballad Walk The Thin Line, to then buzzing to the sexy riffs of Nimmo's guitar on that wonderful slow blues that is Gambler's Roll, Sky Won't Fall is like a series of pyrotechnical fireworks that dazzle the listeners in every track of the album.
Nimmo's ability on guitar is well known among the blues/rock world but his singing style is perhaps the most sublime discovery on his new album. The Scottish artist showcases an incredible array of singing styles throughout the record, from the thunderous, powerful vocals on Roll The Dice Again to the deeply emotional and soulful delivery on the acoustic, closing tune Love You More Tonight.
It is well worth mentioning the great wall-of-sound that Craig Bacon on drums and Mat Beable on bass have helped to achieve on Sky Won't Fall, completing Nimmo's outstanding work on guitars and vocals.
2016 has hardly started and it has already gifted fans of blues, rock and blues/rock with some authentic masterpieces. Make some space for Sky Won't Fall on your CD rack, because Stevie Nimmo has pulled out of his magical music hat his best work so far.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Sky Won't Fall is out now on Manhaton Records
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- Written by: Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
One of the many positive aspects of music genres like Blues, Roots or Americana is that one doesn't necessarily need to be a native American to be able to play such types of music, as long as there is the right commitment and enough heart and soul from an artist.
Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip from Finland, at their sixth album have successfully managed to create the right blend of all the genres above mentioned with class, elegance and, most of all, great artistry. Ain't Bad Yet, their new record, shows in full the great eclecticism of a band that has reached an incredible musical maturity as years go by.
There are some truly inspired moments on the band's new album. The opener Last Train In Memphis is the perfect introduction to the album. Bjorklof's electric guitar and Lefty Leppanen's slide guitar duel with great synchronicity, with Teemu Vuorela's almost jazzy drumming style to support beautifully the rhytmic canvas of the song.
Train In Jerusalem is a rousing Blues-Rock ride that has got all the criterias to become an international hit, sustained admirably by Bjorklof's guitar playing and a singing style that gets better and better over time, just like a fine wine.
Rat Chase reveals a slightly more Funky-Jazz side of Bjorklof & Blue Strip while the track Today reveals in full the Protean capacity of a band able to incorporate, in a three-minutes-plus song, elements of Blues, Folk and Americana with such lightness and consummate craftmanship at the same time.
Make no mistakes about one thing; Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip are at the top of their forms and they mean every note they play and sing in each of the eleven tracks of Ain't Bad Yet. Without a doubt, the peak of their musical career so far.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Ain't Bad Yet is out now and can be purchased on Amazon
