lauantai 17. maaliskuuta 2018

B = Baba Yaga – Buon Vecchio Charlie


Only one single to mention, with tracks composed by Maurizio Bigio, for this female trio, whose career lasted until 1980. The style is rather commercial and can hardly be described as progressive.

Baba Yaga also played in the soundtrack composed by Albert Verrecchia for the movie Roma drogata: La polizia non può intervenire, from 1975, but only issued on CD in 2007.

Another single under the name Le Babayaga was issued in 1979, with ”Che gatta!” (main theme of the TV show Discoring) and ”Flop”, on the Disaster label (DIS 1501), and the same group released other singles with the names Le Camomilla and Le Sorelle Bandiera.

Baba Yaga - ”Good Morning Love” / ”The Man and the Sparrow” (1972, single, Art Rock, Pop Rock, Funk, Soul)

_______________________________________________________________________


1968 (early line-up):
o Silver Soprani (vocals, guitar)
o Beppe Pippi (bass)
o Luciano Tassinari (drums)

1968-1970:
o Silver Soprani (vocals, guitar)
o Marco "Jimmy" Villotti (guitar, organ)
o Claudio ”Gallina” Golinelli (bass)
o Gilberto "Attila" Rossi (drums)

I Baci, from Forlì, were formed in 1968 and only released three singles on CBS. The second one is the closest to the contents of this site, with great fuzz guitar work by Villotti.

The original name of the group was I Phedia, changed upon advice of their producer Checco Marsella (one of I Giganti). The early line-up included Soprani, drummer Luciano Tassinari and bassist Beppe Pippi, coming from I Lorenz and later with Forum Livii, but after a short time Tassinari was replaced by Gilberto Rossi and a second guitarist was added, Jimmy Villotti from I Meteors.

This line-up recorded the first single, ”Povero cane”, that went unnoticed and only sold around 800 copies. Pippi decided to go back to his old group, I Lorenz, and was replaced with Claudio Golinelli, the new group was admitted to the Cantagiro 1969.

The second single, ”Il successo della vita”, was the most successful one, with over 10,000 copies sold, but a road accident that stopped them for a few months and the disappointment for the lack of the huge expected success, moved Villotti to try a different way (with a group called Jimmy Mec), while the others went on as a trio.

The third and last single, ”Cerco lei” (1970), was unsuccessful and the group broke up when Golinelli was called up for his army duties.

Golinelli and Pippi later played in Reattori Caldi. Soprani formed a new group called Silver e i Baci, including Enzo Vallicelli (drums), Gabriele Biondi (bass), Mario Valmori (keyboards) and Vanni Meleni (horns), which participated in the "Festival di Avanguardia e Nuove Tendenze di Viareggio" in June 1971, playing many times at the Altro Mondo in Rimini supporting the most important Italian groups. In 1971 they recorded various demos for Ricordi, which opted to release in 1972 a solo single by Silver (Soprani), ”Bella mia” / ”L’erba bianca”, that was selected for the Sanremo Festival. Soprani also issued a self-produced cassette album.

Vallicelli quit in November 1971 to form Hellza Poppin, replaced by Nicola Venditto, while the group broke up in 1975.

¤¤¤I Baci - ”Povero cane” / ”La strada bianca” (1968, single, Beat)

¤¤¤I Baci - ”Il successo della vita” / ”Torna” (1969, Prog Rock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-83EfwrL85o ”Il successo della vita”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i15-ZJLBT68 ”Il successo della vita”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk50TpMFGZY ”Il successo della vita”

¤¤¤I Baci - ”Cerco lei” / ”Scende la notte” (1970, Beat)

_______________________________________________________________________

Ballettirosadimacchia “Balletti rosa di macchia” (supposedly Japanese band Osaka in the beginning of the 1990's, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

o Tonino Leo Ucchi (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, flute, Mellotron)
o Antonio Sassada (acoustic & electric guitar)
o Gianni Mazzi (piano, organ, Moog synthesizer)
o Marcello Taddeo Matteotti (drums, percussion, Organ, Mellotron)

Little is known about this mysterious group, whose only good album often changed hands for incredible prices before people started to realise it's not a real Italian 1970's rarity. Even the year of recording is uncertain. Some say it is from 1974-75, and for this reason it's included here, but it seems more likely that it came out in the second half of the 1980's or early 1990's.

The album was printed in Canada with a German producer, the music is good organ and Mellotron-led prog sung in Italian with a strong foreign accent and often incomprehensible lyrics: This is almost certainly a foreign group, probably Japanese, playing under fake Italian names, and even the incredibly high number of errors in the cover notes and lyrics confirms this impression.

The line-up mentioned on the cover includes Tonino Leo Ucchi (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, flute, keyboards), Antonio Sassada (guitar), Gianni Mazzi (keyboards) and Marcello Taddeo Matteotti (drums, percussion, keyboards). The LP has also been reissued in Japan or Korea with a plain white cover. The first CD reissue came out in 2008 on the Japanese Tachika label, with a mini-LP cover.

¤¤¤Ballettirosadimacchia - Ballettirosadimacchia (1974?, 198?, 199?, Prog Rock) 2.84¤ 4#

_______________________________________________________________________

Balletto di Bronzo (1969-73, 1996-, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

1969-70:
o Marco Cecioni (vocals, guitar)
o Lino Ajello (guitar)
o Michele Cupaiuolo (bass)
o Giancarlo "Gianchi" Stinga (drums)

1971-73:
o Gianni Leone (keyboards, vocals)
o Lino Ajello (guitar)
o Vito Manzari (bass)
o Giancarlo "Gianchi" Stinga (drums)



Formed in Naples in late 60's, with the initial name of Battitori Selvaggi, playing in Nato bases in Italy.

They changed name to Il Balletto di Bronzo with the first line-up, with two good singles in 1969 and 1970 and even recording some tracks in Spanish (released in 1988 as a single and in 1990 on the Il re del castello LP) and their first album, Sirio 2222. The album is now considered as one of the rarest of the Italian prog era, and is halfway between late 1960's psych-influenced pop and prog.

The long suite ”Missione Sirio 2222” is one of the best tracks, while most of the others are in the 3-minute typical length of the time. Some collectors consider it as one of the best in the Italian prog field, others think it's still not a mature group's work. Without doubt a very important one.

In 1971 keyboardist Gianni Leone (from the very first Città Frontale) jeoined the group, that played for a short time as a five piece. Then, when Cecioni and Cupaiuolo quit, with the entrance of bassist Vito Manzari (from the Rome band Quelle Strane Cose Che) a new Balletto was born, much more in a symphonic vein and dominated by his keyboards.

Second album Ys (from the name of a legendary town in Brittany), released in 1972 on Polydor, is a masterpiece, giving the group the success they deserved. An English-sung version, partly already recorded, was never finished.

The group disbanded in 1973 due to internal contrasts, and the last concerts and a final single, ”La tua casa comoda”, were played by Leone and Stinga as a duo. Gianni Leone had a short solo career under the name of Leo Nero, the others went to live in Sweden and disappeared from the Italian music scene.

Gianni Leone has reformed the band in late 1990's with bassist Romolo Amici and drummer Ugo Vantini from the neo-prog group Divae on whose 1995 CD Gianni had played; they made a series of concerts from which the live CD Trys has been recorded.

In 2008 the DVD Live in Rome, filmed in 2007 with a line-up including Leone with bass player Marco Capozi and drummer Adolfo Ramundo, is the first video document ever released by this historical band.

A new project, under the name 'Il Balletto di Bronzo di Lino Ajello e Marco Cecioni' produced Cuma 2016 d.C., issued on vinyl and CD in 2016 and also featuring Gianni Leone on two tracks along with the two original members of the group, but the album is based on a hard sounding rock with a very thin connection with their past.

¤¤¤Il Balletto di Bronzo - Sirio 222 (1970, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock) 2.86¤

Il Balletto di Bronzo - Ys (1972, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock, Symphonic Rock) 4.23¤ 4#

¤¤¤Il Balletto di Bronzo - Il re del castello (1990, 7-track compilation with unreleased recordings from 1969, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock) 3#

Il Balletto di Bronzo - "YS" English Versions (rec. 1972, rel. 1990)

Il Balletto di Bronzo - Trys (live @ Progressivamente Rock Festival in Rome 1996-09-06, rel. 1997, Prog Rock) 2.78¤

Il Balletto di Bronzo - YS Live @ CSA la Torre 2/10/1998

Il Balletto di Bronzo - Live in Rome 2007 (2008, DVD) 4.02¤

Il Balletto di Bronzo di Lino Ajello e Marco Cecioni - Cuma 2016 d.C. (2016, Prog Rock)

Il Balletto di Bronzo - Live @ Centro Cultural Roberto Cantoral, Mexico City 30/04/2016

Il Balletto di Bronzo - Live @ Sidro Club 15/12/2016 (DVD)

_______________________________________________________________________

Bambibanda e Melodie (1974, Rock Progressivo Italiano) / Garybaldi (1969-72) / Gleemen (1969-72)

Gleemen/Garybaldi 1969-72:
o Pier Niccolò "Bambi" Fossati (guitar, vocals)
o Lio Marchi (keyboards)
o Angelo Traverso (bass)
o Maurizio Cassinelli (drums)

Gleemen/Garybaldi 1973:
o Marchi and Traverso quit, replaced by:
o Sandro Serra (bass)

Bambibanda e Melodie:
o Pier Niccolò "Bambi" Fossati (guitar, vocals)
o Roberto Ricci (bass)
o Maurizio Cassinelli (drums)
o Ramasandiran Somusundaram (percussion)

A band from Genova, Gleemen were formed around 1965 by Pier Niccolò "Bambi" Fossati, guitarist extraordinaire and Hendrix lover, and also included long time members Cassinelli and Traverso along with guitarist Marco Zoccheddu (later with Nuova Idea).

Their only album, issued in 1970, is a good rock album, with strong 60's influences and some typical elements of later Garybaldi work: the wild, Hendrix-inspired guitar playing of Bambi, the organ background and a solid rhythm section. Some bluesy tracks are present, like the longest track on the LP Chi sei tu uomo, and the album has a very good average level, though by no means a progressive work.

The same line-up changed name to Garybaldi in 1971, the only difference being a slighly more progressive oriented sound, keeping the same style as previous band, and the wild Hendrix-inspired guitar playing of Bambi Fossati above all.

They had a very interesting debut with the single ”Marta Helmuth” in 1971, the back cover of it stating "from now on we're not Gleemen, we're Garybaldi" to declare their change of style.

Nuda, a year later, is a much more mature album than Gleemen, with the long beautiful suite ”Moretto da Brescia” taking the whole of side two and the four tracks on side one also on a very good level. A very important album, housed in one of the best covers of the era, designed by cartoonist Guido Crepax.

The band had an intense live playing, supporting the likes of Uriah Heep, Van der Graaf and even Santana in their Italian tours, and theirs was a constant presence at the most important Italian pop festivals in the early 70's.

Second album, Astrolabio, released on Fonit label, is a lesser work than Nuda, with just two side-long tracks, ”Sette?” (recorded live) and ”Madre di cose perdute”, both tracks also issued on a promotional single in shortened form. The tracks contain long improvised parts that confirms the high level of Fossati's playing but seem less inspired and can't be compared with the first album. Keyboard player Lio Marchi is also present on the album though not a member of the band, that kept playing as a trio until the end of 1973.

In 1974 a new incarnation of Garybaldi was formed by Bambi Fossati along with old cohort Maurizio Cassinelli, bassist Roberto Ricci and indian percussionist Ramasandiran Somusundaram as Bambibanda & Melodie. Their only album has the usual leading role for Bambi's guitar, but the use of percussion gives a more latin-inspired feel that sometimes reminds Santana.

Percussionist Ramasandiran Somusundaram, previously active as session musician, also released an album and no less than four singles (in a more commercial funky style) between 1974 and 1976 on the Magma label.

Bambi Fossati kept playing under the name of Bambibanda for some years before reforming the old group in late 80's with a new line up including Marco Mazza (guitar) and Carlo Milan (bass) along with Maurizio Cassinelli, and they released an album, more song-oriented, in 1990, as Bambi Fossati & Garybaldi. A new album was then released in 2000, called La ragione e il torto.

In 2010, after the live appearance of Garybaldi at the ProgVention held at Bloom in Mezzago (without Fossati, replaced by Ricky Pelle), a CD/LP including unreleased tracks was issued, entitled Note perdute. The ProgVention concert recording was issued in 2011 as Live in Bloom.

The name Gleemen was revived in 2013 by Maurizio Cassinelli and Angelo Traverso for a new CD entitled Oltre...lontano, lontano, with help, among the others, from Bambi Fossati, Marco Zoccheddu (Nuova Idea), Martin Grice (Delirium). The album was also issued on vinyl in 2014.

Bambi Fossati, leader of these two legendary groups in the Italian pop scene, absent from the scenes since many years due to health reasons, passed away after a long illness in June 2014.

The other musicians involved in the last concerts kept on as Garybaldi, with a new studio album, Storie di un'altra città, issued in 2016 and containing a track recorded with Bambi Fossati.

¤¤¤Bambibanda e Melodie - Bambibanda e melodie (1974, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock) 3.47¤ 4.00#

_______________________________________________________________________

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (1969-, Rock Progressivo Italiano) / Banco

1971-72:
o Francesco Di Giacomo (vocals)
o Marcello Todaro (guitar)
o Gianni Nocenzi (keyboards)
o Vittorio Nocenzi (keyboards)
o Renato D'Angelo (bass)
o Pierluigi Calderoni (drums)

from 1973:
Marcello Todaro replaced by
o Rodolfo Maltese (guitar, trumpet, French horn)

Formed in 1969 around brothers Gianni and Vittorio Nocenzi, both keyboard wizards, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is a unique example of long professionalism and beautiful musicianship, still playing in the 2000's with the same enthusiasm they had many years before. Early line-ups comprised former Chetro & Co. guitarist Gianfranco Coletta (later replaced by Claudio Falco), bassist Fabrizio Falco and drummer Franco Pontecorvi (replaced by Mario Achilli). Some of these musicians had previously played with Gianni Nocenzi in Crash.

Their first recordings before a stable lineup were officially released not before 1989, in the Banco del Mutuo Soccorso three-track 12" and Donna Plautilla LP, but their real beginnings are with the entrance in 1971 of new members Di Giacomo, D'Angelo and Calderoni, all of them coming from the same band, Le Esperienze, and guitarist Marcello Todaro from Fiori di Campo.

The first album, simply called Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (1972), housed in a large money box shaped cover, is still one of the most representative examples of the Italian prog, with classical influences based on the twin keyboards interplay and the original voice of Francesco Di Giacomo. ”R.I.P.” and ”Il Giardino del mago” are among their best tracks ever, and ”Traccia” has always been a live classic. Their live activity was constant and they supported the likes of Curved Air and Rory Gallagher when touring Italy, developing a large and dedicated following.

Darwin! (1972) is a concept album based on the mankind evolution (a recurring theme in many prog albums of the time) and keeps the same high level of their first album, with nice tracks like the long ”L'evoluzione” and ”La conquista della posizione eretta”.

Third album and another milestone in their production, Io sono nato libero (1973), has a shaped gatefold cover with a lyric booklet stapled in. ”Non mi rompete” and ”La città sottile”, both from this album were also released as a single, and all these albums entered the top 10 charts being highly successful at the time.

Right after the recordings for the third LP the original guitarist Marcello Todaro (later with Crystals) was replaced by Rodolfo Maltese from Homo Sapiens, that also had a collaboration role in the album. The group needed some time to reorganize with the new line-up and a transition album was released, Banco (1975), with English-sung versions of some of their best tracks and just an unreleased gem, ”L'albero del pane”. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was trying, just like PFM in the same years, to break the foreign markets, and an English album seemed a good move. The album appeared on ELP's Manticore label, still distributed in Italy by Ricordi, and gave way to an international tour of UK and USA that didn't give the success the band hoped.

Coming back to Italy they released in the beginning of 1976 Garofano rosso, a completely instrumental album, soundtrack to the film of the same title, and though the voice of Francesco Di Giacomo is missing, yet the record keeps the distinctive Banco sound, like in the long ”Suggestioni di un ritorno in campagna”.

Another album in the same year 1976, Come in un'ultima cena, based on the Last supper biblical theme, the last one with stronger classical influences and some very good tracks like ”Il ragno and Quando la buona gente dice”. This album was also released abroad with the English title As in a Last Supper.

The subsequent album is another highly ambitious work, ...di terra (1978), all instrumental and played with an orchestra, a good album though not representative of Banco's style.

At the end of the 1970's the band has a line-up change, with bass player Renato D'Angelo being replaced by Gianni Colaiacomo, but after Canto di primavera (1979) the band entered a low-level period with the live Capolinea (1979, the first with the shortened new name Banco), Urgentissimo (1980) and the following ones all having a strong commercial feeling that's distant from their first works. Five of the band members (the Nocenzi brothers, Colaiacomo, Maltese and Calderoni) also helped Angelo Branduardi in his 1978-79 Italian and european tour and are featured in his 1980 Concerto 3-LP box set.

In 1983 one of brothers Nocenzi, Gianni, leaves Banco for a solo career, and he's never rejoined the band, that kept on playing live despite a limited record production.

The 1990's gave new interest in Banco's music, and the band released a good 3-LP box set (again with a moneybox shaped design, as their first album) with re-recorded versions of their first two albums in longer form.In 1997 a double live CD, Nudo, brings the group to new Italian and international tours, even in Japan. Banco were now a six-piece, with Francesco Di Giacomo, Vittorio Nocenzi and Rodolfo Maltese aided by Filippo Marcheggiani (guitar), Tiziano Ricci (bass), Maurizio Masi (drums), often joined by Alessandro Papotto (clarinet, sax, flute). This last member permanently joined the group later, also playing with Periferia del Mondo, with which he released some very interesting albums.

2002 saw the band celebrate 30 years since their first album with a great concert in Rome, with Vittorio Nocenzi's brother Gianni rejoining the band after so long, and a handful of dates, including some unplugged ones, to promote Vittorio's solo album Movimenti. The live CD No palco, released in 2003 is taken from the Rome event, with the presence of many guests including Mauro Pagani, is only partially convincing.

The small independent label Ma.Ra.Cash has released an official live in 2005, Seguendo le tracce, with the full recording of a 1975 concert in Salerno, and it's a pleasure to hear Banco in perfect form in what's probably their best live album ever issued.

The 40-years of Banco, with the group still playing live, were celebrated by Sony with a box set in 2012 including a remastered version of 1972 debut album, a second album with unreelased recordings and a nice illustrated book. A year later, Darwin! was reissued in the same way.

The long career of Banco was severely hit by the sudden death of singer Francesco Di Giacomo in a road accident in February 2014. Di Giacomo was THE voice of the Italian Prog, but he also was one of the most sincere and open-minded people in the history of the whole Italian music. The long life of the group was summarized by a 3LP/2CD set entitled Un’idea che non puoi fermare (a verse taken from ”E mi viene da pensare”), containing unreleased live recordings from 2012 and 2013 along with some lyrics of the band read by various theatre and movie actors.

Another longtime member of the band, Rodolfo Maltese, passed away in October 2015 after a long disease.

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - ”Vedo il telefono” / ”La Mia Libertà” / ”Padre Francesco” (rec. 1970, rel. 1989, EP, Prog Rock)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (1972, Prog Rock) 4.29¤

¤¤¤Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin! (1972, Prog Rock, Symphonic Rock) 4.37¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Io Sono Nato Libero (1973, Prog Rock) 4.37¤

Banco - Banco (1975, Prog Rock) 4.09¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Garofano Rosso (1975) 3.46¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Come in un’ultima Cena (1976) 4.01¤

Banco - As in a Last Supper (1976, english version of ' Come in un’ultima Cena') 3.19¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - …Di terra (1978) 3.75¤
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD_8LjJjwdA ('...di Terra' live @ Villa Ada, Rome, Italy 1978, video)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Canto di primavera (1979) 3.75¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Capolinea (1980, live 1979-11-28 & 29 @ Jazz Club Capolinea, Milano, Italy) 2.07¤

Banco - Urgentissimo (1980) 1.61¤

Banco - Buone notizie (1981)

Banco - Banco (1983) 2.05¤

Banco - ...e via (1985) 1.29¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Donna Plautilla (rec. 1969/70, rel. 1989, Prog Rock, Beat Rock) 2.26¤

Banco presenta Francesco Di Giacomo - Non Mettere Le Dita Nel Naso (1989) 2.19¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Da qui messere si domina la valle (1991, 3LP, 2CD, 'B.M.S' & 'Darwin' 1991 versions)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - B.M.S. (Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, 1991 version) 3.50¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin (1991 version) (1991) 3.44¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Live 1970 (live 1970-12-27 in Modena, Italy, rel. 1993) 2.09

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Papagayo Club 1972 (unofficial live 1972, rel. 1994) 2.32¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Il 13 (1994) 2.27¤

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Nudo (live in Tokyo 1997, 2CD)

Banco - No palco (live @ Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy 2000-07-06, rel. 2003)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Seguendo le tracce (live 1975-04-23 @ Teatro Verdi, Salerno, Italy, rel. 2005)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Quaranta (live 2010-11-06 @ Rome's Prog Exhibition, Teatro Tendastrisce, Rome, Italy, rel. 2012)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Un'idea che non puoi fermare (Live 2CD 2012 & 2013, rel. 2014)
___________

Compilations:

Banco - I Grandi Successi (1993, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Made in Italy (2004, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Collezione Italiana (2006, 2CD compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - D.O.C. (2006, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Solo Grandi Successi (2007, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - The Best Platinum Collection (2007, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - The Virgin Collection: Il Ragno (2008, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Essential (2012, compilation)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (2012, 3CD compilation)

_______________________________________________________________________

Baffo Banfi (Progressive Electronic, former keyboardist of Un Biglietto per l'Inferno)

Giuseppe Banfi, former keyboardist of Un Biglietto per l'Inferno started a solo career with an album in 1978, though it had been recorded a year before and released just when he was in the army by the small jazz-oriented Red Record label.

Inspired by the German electronic music of the 1970's, Banfi attracted the interest of Tangerine Dream's Klaus Schulze, whom he had first met when on tour in the latest days of Biglietto in 1975. Schulze had already been approached to be the producer of the band's second album, but was never released at the time.

Galaxy My Dear was entirely played by Banfi and shows strong comparisons with the German cosmic music, including five long tracks, one of which, ”Goodbye My Little Star”, is 18 minutes long.

Second album Ma, dolce vita was recorded for Schulze's label, Innovative Communication, and released in Germany, again including all instrumental electronic tracks, while a third work, Hearth from 1981, was the only one to feature a rhythm section of guest musicians.

Following the release of this album Banfi quit the music, creating a video production studio in Milan called La Vetraia, and he's strongly involved in the recent Biglietto per l'Inferno celebrative releases.

Baffo Banfi - Galaxy My Dear (1978, Electronic, New Age, Experimental, Ambient, Berlin-School) 3.03¤ 2.00#

Baffo Banfi - Ma, dolce vita (1979) 3.33¤

Baffo Banfi - Hearth (1981) 2.17¤ 2.00#

Baffo Banfi & Matteo Cantaluppi - Frontera (2015) 0 ratings

_______________________________________________________________________

Barabba (1977, one album project, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

● Marita Rainero – vocals
● Genevieve Rainero – vocals
● Teresa Sessia – vocals
● Maurizio Gianotti – sax (from Venegoni & Co., ex-Procession)
● Arturo Vitale – sax and clarinet (from Arti & Mestieri)
● Giovanni Vigliar – violin (from Arti & Mestieri)
● Marcello "Spooky" Quartarone – guitars (from Living Life, ex-Circus 2000)
● Piercarlo Bettini – electric piano and organ (from Living Life)
● Gianni Bianco – bass (ex-Circus 2000)
● Max Aimone – drums (from Venegoni & Co.)
● Sandro Gianotti – percussion??? (from Living Life)

A concept album, Canti dal vangelo secondo Barabba (1977), with lyrics written by young students based on Gospel themes, and music composed by former Circus 2000 guitarist Marcello "Spooky" Quartarone, released by a small label from Turin.

The LP is rather short, around 30 minutes, and many musicians from the Turin area play with Quartarone, among them Giovanni Vigliar and Arturo Vitale of Arti & Mestieri, Piercarlo Bettini, Sandro Gianotti and Gianni Bianco from Living Life, and Max Aimone from Venegoni & Co. The instrumental parts are on a good level, though not particularly elaborated, while the vocal parts are sung by different singers at the same time.

Barabba - Canti dal vangelo secondo Barabba (1977, Jazz-Rock, Prog Rock, Folk) 2.51¤

_______________________________________________________________________

Mario Barbaja (Rock Progressivo Italiano)

Mario Barbaja (real name Barbaglia) is a little known artist based in Milan, whose early works have much in common with another singer-songwriter that released his main albums on Ariston, Claudio Rocchi.

Like Rocchi's first album, Barbaja's debut, Argento, is a mainly acoustic work, based on guitar with some flute, sitar and percussion, in a sort of eastern-influenced psych/folk style.

Second album, Megh, has more intense arrangements closer to rock, and is usually considered his best LP. It featured many well-known session musicians, among which guitarist Ricky Belloni from Nuova Idea and his brother Gigi on bass, Eugenio Finardi, Alberto Camerini and Lucio Fabbri (both also with Finardi, the latter was then in PFM), drummers Tullio De Piscopo (with New Trolls Atomic System and later one of the most important Italian session drummers) and Pasquale Venditto from Forum Livii and Ibis, and even a guest appearance by Stormy Six leader Franco Fabbri. With the latest group Barbaja had also collaborated writing Sotto il bambù, released on single in the same year.

Later albums from 1975 and 1978 were on a lower level and more commercial-styled. After the retirement from his musical career Barbaglia dedicated to his work as architect and designer

Mario Barbaja - Argento (...quando il nostro amore diventa libertà...) (1971) 2.75¤

Mario Barbaja - Megh (1972) 3.04¤

Mario Barbaja - New York Bazar (1975)

Mario Barbaja - Made in Hong Kong (1978)

_______________________________________________________________________

Barbara e I Funamboli (1965-72, Psychedelic Beat Rock)

Piter e i Funamboli (1966-1970):
o Gian Pietro “Piter“ Felisatti (Piter) – vocals, guitar
o Luigi Carena – keyboards
o Gian Luigi Cantoni – bass
o Marco Tamagni – drums

Barbara e i Funamboli (1970-1972):
o Barbara Lory – vocals
o Gian Pietro “Piter“ Felisatti – guitar
o Luigi Carena – keyboards
o Gian Luigi Cantoni – bass
o Marco Tamagni – drums

I Funamboli, from Vigevano,, Pavia, Lombardia, issued many singles since 1966 in a beat style. In the last phase of their career, they issued three singles with singer Barbara Lory, among which this one, closer to a rock sound and with a voice that sometimes reminds Lydia e gli Hellua Xenium.

¤¤¤Barbara e I Funamboli - “Cosa conti tu” / “Il viaggio” (1971, Prog Rock, Symphonic Rock)

+ other singles 1966-1972

_______________________________________________________________________

Donatella Bardi (13.8.1954-13.12.1999)

Born in Turin, Donatella Bardi was very active in the open-air festival circuit of the early 1970's, collaborating with many musicians of the Milan scene, such as Il Pacco, Eugenio Finardi, Claudio Rocchi.

Her LP, A' puddara è un vulcano (1975) is a very good song album, Donatella's nice voice is supported by the help from important session musicians, her brother Lucio Bardi (guitar), Gianfranco "Pepè" Gagliardi (keyboards), Paolo Donnarumma (bass) and Antonello Vitale (drums). It was housed in a nice tri-fold cover.

After the album release, Donatella Bardi continued her musical and theatrical career, until her death in 1999.

Donatella Bardi - A' puddara è un vulcano (1975, Prog Rock, Folk Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

Il Baricentro (1973-83, Jazz Rock/Fusion) / Festa Mobile (1973, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

o Francesco Boccuzzi (keyboards, guitar, percussion)
o Vanni Boccuzzi (keyboards, percussion)
o Tonio Napoletano (bass, percussion)
o Piero Mangini (drums, percussion)

Coming from the ashes of Festa Mobile this band based in Rome chose a very different musical style, concentrating on an instrumental jazz-rock that was very popular in Italy during the mid/late 1970's. Their name was taken from Bari, where the Boccuzzi borthers came from.

Both their albums, released by EMI in 1976 and 1978, show strong influences by the likes of Weather Report or Mahavishnu Orchestra, mixed with a mediterranean feel that's more evident in Trusciant (1978). The first album Sconcerto (1976) contains a track, Della Venis, that has the same name as the first group of the Boccuzzi brothers.

After the second album the group disbanded, and reformed for a short while as a trio in 1983-84 with a disco-inclined self produced single. Brothers Boccuzzi have not left the music, still playing as sessionmen, Francesco in the States and Vanni in Rome. Among other productions they composed the music for the rock opera Androidi, directed by Ida Mastromarino (issued on LP in 1989 by Ricordi International).

Il Baricentro - Sconcerto (1976) 3.75¤ 4.00#

Il Baricentro - Trusciant (1978) 3.62¤ 3.00#

Il Baricentro - “Tittle Tattle (Vocal)” / “Tittle Tattle (Twice)” (1983, single) 2.00¤

_______________________________________________________________________

Luciano Basso (Rock Progressivo Italiano / Classical)

Among the few Italian records dealing with electronics, these albums by the venetian composer/keyboardist Luciano Basso represent an interesting mix of classical-influenced progressive music and avant-garde. Basso had played in the group Il Mucchio recording their last two singles with them, before going solo.

Usually considered his best release, Voci, the first album from 1976, is a very good LP, containing five long instrumental tracks, with keyboards to the fore and backing electric instruments. Among the guest musicians on this album, the Nuvole di Paglia bass player, Mauro Periotto. Later works increasingly went towards contemporary classical music.

Luciano Basso - Voci (1976) 4.04¤

Luciano Basso - Cogli il giorno (1978) 3.24¤ 2.00#

Luciano Basso - Frammenti tonali (1979) 0 ratings

Luciano Basso - Luciano Basso (Arc-en-ciel) (1980) 0 ratings

Luciano Basso - Notturni (1997) 2.95¤

Luciano Basso - Fogli D'Album (2002) 2.00¤

Luciano Basso - Free Fly (2007, solo piano) 3.50¤

Luciano Basso - Open (2016)

_______________________________________________________________________

Franco Battiato / Battiato (born 23.3.1945, Rock Progressivo Italiano, Experiental, New-Age)

An internationally known artist, Franco Battiato has been everything in his long career, from beat singer to avantgarde performer, producer, contemporary music composer. His beginnings lay in the mid 60's, with many singles released with no particular success, the first two under his real name of Francesco. He had left the native Sicily (he was born in Jonia, near Catania in 1945) moving to Milan around 1965.

In 1970 after his collaboration with Osage Tribe (that he quit before their only album Arrowhead) he had a record deal with Bla Bla, releasing his first solo album in 1972.

Fetus (1972), housed in a outrageous cover (reproducing a foetus) was definitely a prog album, but a very original one, with a minimalist sound mainly based on the use of a VCS3 synth, unusual lyrics, complex arrangements. Two tracks, ”Energia” and ”Una cellula” were also released as single.

Second album Pollution (1973) followed the same route, but the sound was a bit richer with a larger use of traditional rock instruments. A good concert activity led to Battiato being very popular as an alternative artist and Pollution even reached the Top Ten Italian chart. These two albums are considered their best (and most musically accessible) from prog fans.

With third album, Sulle corde di Aries (1973), the sound shifted toward a more avantgarde style, as in the long suite ”Sequenze e frequenze”, but ”Aria e rivoluzione” remains one of his best tracks from the first period.

Fourth album Clic (1974) was mainly instrumental, with just a single vocal track, No U turn, and it also had an English release on the prestigious Island label, though this album contains tracks originally included in Sulle corde di Aries (1973) and the Italian issue of Clic (1974). His first solo album had also been recorded in an English version, entitled Foetus (1971), but this was never released at the time and only appeared on CD recently.

With 1975's M.lle le gladiator we're in full avantgarde music, the album even contains a long church organ solo performance and is a very difficult listen. After the Bla Bla's demise the following releases up to 1978 were all in the same direction, with long instrumental piano or synth performances closer to contemporary music than to progressive.

1979 saw the first radical turn, with the new wave-inspired album L'era del cinghiale bianco that began a fruitful collaboration with violinist Giusto Pio. The album was a big hit and later works followed the same style, with very good arrangements and highly inspired and original lyrics. In the 2000's Battiato is still one of the leading figures in Italian music.

Franco Battiato - Fetus (1972, Electronic, Experimental, Ambient, Prog Rock) 3.42¤

Franco Battiato - Foetus (1972, english version of 'Fetus') 3.26¤

Franco Battiato - Pollution (1973, Electronic, Abstract, Experimental, Ambient) 3.65¤

Franco Battiato - Sulle corde di Aries (1973, Electronic, Classical, Experimental, Ambient) 4.09¤

Franco Battiato - Clic (1974, Electronic, Abstract, Experimental, Ambient) 3.55¤

Franco Battiato - M.lle le gladiator (1975, Electronic, Abstract, Experimental, Ambient) 2.10¤

Franco Battiato - Battiato (aka 'Zâ') (1977, Modern Classical) 2.06¤

Franco Battiato - Juke Box (1978, Classical, Stage & Screen, Soundtrack, Contemporary) 2.94¤

Franco Battiato - L'Egitto prima delle Sabbie (1978, Classical, Post-Modern, Minimal) 1.73¤

Franco Battiato - L'era del cinghiale bianco (1979, Pop Rock) 3.38¤

Franco Battiato - Patriots (1980, Electronic, Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Ballad) 2.51¤
https://open.spotify.com/album/25YQ7k86pJBMFeUEoFcRBa (11 songs, 30th Anniversary Edition)

Franco Battiato - Patriots Tour 1980 (Video)

Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone (1981, Electronic, Rock, Pop, New Wave) 3.52¤

Franco Battiato - Live 1981 (Video)

Franco Battiato - L'arca di Noè (1982, Electronic, Rock, Pop, New Wave) 2.41¤

Franco Battiato - Orizzonti perduti (1983, Electronic, Pop Rock, Synth-pop) 2.37¤

Franco Battiato - Mondi Lontanissimi (1985, Electronic, Rock, New Wave) 2.55¤

Franco Battiato - Nomadas (1987, in Spanish, Latin, Pop, Ballad) 3.29¤

Franco Battiato - Genesi (1986, Classical Opera, , Contemporary) 4.43¤

Franco Battiato - Fisiognomica (1988, Pop, New Wave, Modern Classical)

Franco Battiato - Giubbe Rosse (1989, live 2CD, Electronic, Pop, Classical, Classical, Experimental, Vocal, Ballad, Contemporary) 3.28

Franco Battiato - Musiche per il film su Benvenuto Cellini "Una Vita Scellerata" (1990, Modern Classical, Experimental) 3.29¤

Franco Battiato - Come un cammello in una grondaia (1991, Pop, Europop, Ballad, Classical) 2.11¤

Franco Battiato - Gilgamesh (1992, Non-Music, Classical, Opera, Monolog, Neo-Classical) 3.83¤

Franco Battiato - Caffè de la Paix (1993, Classical, Neo-Classical, Pop Rock, Ballad) 3.33¤

Franco Battiato - Concerto di Baghdad (1993, DVD, Classical, Pop Rock, Symphonic Rock) 4.00¤

Franco Battiato - Como un Camello en un Canalòn (1993) 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Messa Arcaica (1994, Electronic, Classical, Neo-Classical, Experimental) 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Unprotected (1994, live, Electronic, Classical, Pop Rock)

Franco Battiato - L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire (1995, Electronic, Classical, Contemporary, Experimental)

Franco Battiato - L'imboscata (1996, Neo-Classical, Pop Rock) 2.83¤

Franco Battiato - La Emboscada (1997, in Spanish sung version of the album 'L'Imboscata') 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Gommalacca (1998, Electronic, New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Vocal) 4.24¤

Franco Battiato - Gommalacca Tour 1999 (video)

Franco Battiato - Fleurs (esempi affini di scritture e simili) (1999, Pop, Chanson, Neo-Classical) 2.60¤

Franco Battiato - Fleur(S) - Live dall'aula Paolo VI in Vaticano (video)

Franco Battiato - Campi magnetici (2000, Electronic, Classical, Stage & Screen, Abstract, Neo-Classical, Contemporary, Experimental) 2.26¤

Franco Battiato - Ferro battuto (2001, Electronic, Art Rock, Pop Rock, Vocal) 2.73¤

Franco Battiato - Hierro forjado (2001, Electronic, Art Rock, Pop Rock, Vocal, in Spanish sung version of the album 'Ferro battuto') 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Fleurs 3 (2002, Rock, Pop, Chanson, Ballad) 2.60¤

Franco Battiato - Last Summer Dance (2003, live 2CD, Pop Rock, Vocal) 4.00¤

Franco Battiato - Dieci stratagemmi (2004, Electronic, Pop Rock, Experimental) 3.71¤

Franco Battiato - Un soffio al cuore di natura elettrica (2005, CD & DVD, 2005-02-17 live at Nelson Mandela Forum, Firenze, Italy)

Franco Battiato - Il vuoto (2007, Electronic, Modern Classical, Pop Rock, Synth-pop) 3.08¤

Franco Battiato - Fleurs 2 (2008) (Pop Rock, Vocal, 3 x Platinum) 3.40¤

Franco Battiato - Inneres Auge – Il tutto è più della somma delle sue parti (2009, (Electronic, Modern Classical, Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Platinum) 3.90¤

Franco Battiato - Telesio (2011, Classical, Stage & Screen) 2.05¤

Franco Battiato - Apriti sesamo (2012, Vocal, Pop Rock) 4.00¤

Franco Battiato - Apriti sesamo live 2013-07-26 @ Arena del Mare, Salerno (2013, video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BvdigM_IeI

Franco Battiato - Ábrete Sésamo (2013, Spanis sung version of 'Apriti sesamo', Vocal, Pop Rock) 5.00¤

Franco Battiato & Antony - Del suo veloce volo (2013, Rock, Pop, Vocal, Art Rock, Indie Pop)

Franco Battiato & Pino "Pinaxa" Pischetola - Joe Patti's Experimental Group (2014) 3.95¤

Franco Battiato & Alice + Ensemble Symphony Orchestra - Live in Roma (2016, live CD & DVD, Pop Rock, Art Rock)

____________

Compilations:

Franco Battiato - Feed Back (1976, compilation, Electronic, Experimental, Ambient) 3.50¤

Franco Battiato - Echoes of Sufi Dances (1985, compilation in English) 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Ecos de Danzas Sufi (1985, compilation in Spanish) 3.00¤

Franco Battiato - Battiato studio collection (1996, collection)

Franco Battiato - Shadow, Light (1996, collection)

Franco Battiato - Battiato Live Collection (1997, live compilation)

Franco Battiato - Gli anni 70 (1998, 2CD compilation, Experimental Electronic, Pop)

Franco Battiato - Un'ora Con… (2012, compilation)

Franco Battiato - Anthology: Le Nostre Anime (2015, 2CD / 3CD / 6CD compilation)

_______________________________________________________________________

Lucio Battisti (5.3.1943 – 9.9.1998, Prog Related)

The most popular singer/composer in Italy for many years during the 1970's, Lucio Battisti can hardly be considered a progressive artist, though his original approach to the music was highly influential for many later performers.

A reserved person, irreverent and nonconformist, Battisti, born in 1943 in Poggio Bustone near Rieti, had his musical debut in the beat groups I Mattatori and I Campioni, before entering the professional music scene as composer for the likes of I Ribelli (including Demetrio Stratos), I Dik Dik, Equipe 84.

His first single came in 1966, ”Per una lira”, but his first hits came in 1968-69 with the singles ”Balla Linda” and ”Acqua azzurra acqua chiara”.

First album came at the beginning of 1970, simply called Lucio Battisti and including many of his previous singles and songs composed for other artists. His collaboration with lyricist Giulio Rapetti (known as Mogol) was very long and produced dozens of hits.

A second album, Emozioni, also in 1970 confirmed Lucio as one of the emerging top Italian artists. Battisti was helped by members of PFM (Mussida, Premoli, Piazza, Di Cioccio), Dik Dik, Ribelli and guitarist Alberto Radius from Formula Tre in this album. A long and fruitful collaboration started now with Formula Tre, Battisti writing and producing their first album and often using them as his backing band.

Third album, released in 1971, was Amore e non amore, and it's usually described as Lucio Battisti's only step into the progressive field. Containing eight tracks, four of which with very long titles such as ”7 agosto di pomeriggio fra le lamiere roventi di un cimitero di automobili solo io, silenzioso eppure straordinariamente vivo” or ”Una poltrona, un bicchiere di cognac, un televisore, 35 morti ai confini di Israele e Giordania”, the album is very unusual in his production and probably not among his best products. To help Battisti in this LP were again the four PFM members and Alberto Radius.

At the end of 1971 Battisti left his old label, Ricordi for Numero Uno, with which he had already started to collaborate producing some of their artists.

Ricordi released a fourth album called Volume 4, that included some of the early singles tracks that were still unreleased on LP.

Later albums came on Numero Uno until the late 80's. One of the most interesting of these is Anima latina, released in 1974 (Numero Uno DZSLN 55675) and containing some progressive-inspired parts, though the use of horns keeps it far from the classic prog sound of those years.

The career of Lucio has followed, with many great hits until the early 90's, when the artist, that had already had in the past many long absences from the musical scenes and very limited live or TV appearances, totally retired. He sadly died in September 1998.

Lucio Battisti - Lucio Battisti (1969, Pop Rock, Ballad, Rhythm & Blues) 3.38¤

Lucio Battisti - Emozioni (1970, Soft Rock, Pop Rock) 3.18¤

Lucio Battisti - Amore e non amore (1971, Pop Rock, Prog Rock) 3.85¤

Lucio Battisti - Volume 4 (Pensieri e parole) (1971, compilation of unreleased 1960's tracks, Rock, Pop, Soft Rock, Vocal, Ballad) 3.00¤

Lucio Battisti - Umanamente uomo: il sogno (1972, Rock, Pop, Soft Rock, Chanson) 3.25¤

Lucio Battisti - Il mio canto libero (1972, Soft Rock, Pop Rock) 2.53¤

Lucio Battisti - Il nostro caro angelo (1973, Folk Rock, Soft Rock) 3.65¤

Lucio Battisti - Unser Freies Lied (1974, 'Il mio canto libero' sung in German, Soft Rock, Pop Rock)

Lucio Battisti - Anima latina (1974, Soft Rock, Ballad, Prog Rock) 3.83¤ 4.00#

Lucio Battisti - La batteria, il contrabbasso, eccetera (1976, Electronic, Soft Rock, Prog Rock, Disco) 3.14¤ 2.00#

Lucio Battisti - Io tu noi tutti (1977, Pop, Chanson) 2.39¤ 2.00#

Lucio Battisti - Images (1977, Soft Rock, Vocal) 2.00¤ 2.50#

Lucio Battisti - Una donna per amico (1978, Soft Rock, Pop Rock) 3.21¤

Lucio Battisti - Una giornata uggiosa (1980, Soft Rock, Chanson) 2.28¤ 2.00#

Lucio Battisti - E già (1982, Electronic, Synth-pop) 3.00¤ 2.50#

Lucio Battisti - Don Giovanni (1986, Electronic, Soft Rock) 3.20¤ 2.50#

Lucio Battisti - L'apparenza (1988, Soft Rock, Electronic) 3.30¤ 2.50#

Lucio Battisti - La sposa occidentale (1990, Electronic, Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Europop, Pop Rock, Synth-pop) 3.27¤ 3.00#

Lucio Battisti - Cosa succederà alla ragazza (C.S.A.R.) (1992, Pop) 3.20¤ 3.50#

Lucio Battisti - Hegel (1994, Soft Rock, Pop Rock, Synth-Pop) 3.11¤ 3.00#

Lucio Battisti - Lucio Battisti in pianoforte (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 1 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 2 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 3 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 4 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 5 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 6 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 7 (2006)

Lucio Battisti - Basi musicali, Vol. 8 (2006)

_______________________________________________________________________

Bauhaus (1972-74, Jazz Rock Fusion) / Buon Vecchio Charlie (1970-72, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

Buon Vecchio Charlie (1970-72):
o Richard Benson (vocals, guitar)
o Luigi Calabrò (guitar, vocals)
o Sandro Cesaroni (sax, flute)
o Sandro Centofanti (keyboards)
o Paolo Damiani (bass)
o Rino Sangiorgio (drums)

Bauhaus (1972-74):
o Calabrò (guitar)
o Claudio Giusti (sax)
o Alberto Festa (keyboards)
o Paolo Damiani (bass)
o Rino Sangiorgio (drums)

One of the bands mentioned here that had no records released during their lifespan, Buon Vecchio Charlie had an album, Buon Vecchio Charlie (rec. 1972, rel. 1999), ready, but it was only recently unearthed, first on CD then on LP, and it's a very good one, well worth buying, even because of its availability at low prices!

The band was formed in Rome in 1970 with a five-piece line-up featuring, along with Calabrò, Centofanti and Sangiorgio, bass player Walter Bernardi and percussionist Carlo Visca.

After some first demos they could record with the new six-piece line-up the tracks for an album, Stairway to Escher (rec. 1974, rel. 2013), in Suono label's (of Opus Avantra fame) recording studio near Venice in 1972, with the help of Venetian Power guitarist Claes Cornelius, also an important session man at the time. Despite the good quality, and the interest shown for the band by many producers, the album never saw the light and was shelved until its first CD release in 1990 in a limited pressing.

The LP is very well made, and with a better production it could have been a classic in its style. Dominated by the flute, with strong classical influences, like in the opening ”Venite giù al fiume” it's still an original work, with very interesting moments.

The band split after the recording, probably disillusioned by the lack of chances connected to their album release. Almost all the musicians kept playing: guitarist Benson released some solo albums and is still active and popular in the Rome area, keyboardist Centofanti followed his career with singer-songwriter Claudio Baglioni and in Libra, while three of the others, Calabrò, Sangiorgio and Damiani, formed with two other musicians a jazz-rock group called Bauhaus.

This group, that received the Best Italian Band prize at the Rome Villa Pamphili festival in 1974, was strongly influenced by Miles Davis' jazz-rock fusion experiments, and only produced a 7-track recording that was issued by Akarma for the very first time in 2003 only. With a very good quality the instrumental-only group has much in common with Perigeo and similar Italian bands, but very little traces left of their progressive rock past.

Buon Vecchio Charlie - Buon Vecchio Charlie (rec. 1972, rel. 1990, Prog Rock) 3.73¤

Bauhaus - Stairway to Escher (rec. 1974, rel. 2013, Jazz Rock Fusion) 3.23¤


_______________________________________________________________________

Beia come Aba (1974-79, Jazz Rock)

1974:
o Dino Bandini (saxophone)
o Antonio Lombardi (guitar)
o Giuseppe Massaglia (bass)
o Antonio D'Ambrosio (drums, percussion)

Later enlarged with:
o Sergio Cardarelli (keyboards)
o Raffaele Fontana (percussion)

On the album 1979:
o Sergio De Francesco (keyboards)
o Antonio Lombardi (guitar)
o Giuseppe Massaglia (bass)
o Antonio D'Ambrosio (drums, percussion)

One of many jazz-rock groups from Turin/Torino, their one and only album was released in 1979. The original quartet was formed in 1974 in the Barriera di Milano/Porta Palazzo area with Lombardi, Massaglia, D'Ambrosio and sax player Dino Bandini. The line-up was later enlarged with newcomers keyboardist Sergio Cardarelli and percussionist Raffaele Fontana, with a repertoire of originali rock tracks with jazz influences and a live activity in the Turin area.

After meeting some of the Arti & Mestieri components, the group had the chance of recording an album in Gigi Venegoni's studio, but musical differences emerged and Bandini, Cardarelli and Fontana quit, replaced by Sergio De Francesco. The new line-up released the LP, Beia come Aba (1979), published by the Mu label and produced by Marco Cimino (Errata Corrige), with mostly improvised compositions, and broke up soon afterwards.

The record was issued with two different covers, the one with a black&white picture (the art direction was by Marco Gallesi, former bassist with Arti & Mestieri) is more common and seems to be the second edition.

Beia come Aba - Beia come Aba (1979, Prog Rock, Jazz-Rock)


_______________________________________________________________________

Bella Band (1977-79, Jazz Rock Fusion)

1977-1978:
o Riccardo Cioni (keyboards)
o Luigi Fiorentini (guitar)
o Roberto Buoni (sax, flute, clarinet)
o Tonino Camiscioni (bass)
o Mauro Sarti (drums)

1979:
Camiscioni and Sarti replaced by
o Fabrizio Federighi (bass)
o Daniele Trambusti (drums)

A five-piece band from Florence that only released an album. Their drummer Mauro Sarti had previously played with Campo di Marte.

The LP, Bella Band, released by Cramps in 1978, included four long instrumental tracks in a typical jazz-rock style, with nice horn arrangements and good guitar, keyboards and sax solo parts.

After a line-up change, and despite a good live activity, the band disappeared in the fertile florentine new wave scene of the late seventies.

After leaving Bella Band in 1978, Mauro Sarti entered the rock'n'roll group Dennis & the Jets, later joined by sax player Roberto Buoni. Riccardo Cioni and Luigi Fiorentini formed Panama, with ex-Sensations' Fix Richard Ursillo and Stephen Head, and singer Sarah Jane Morris. Cioni also has an acting role in Alessandro Benvenuti's film Ad ovest di Paperino (whose soundtrack is played by the group The Colla featuring Tony Sidney from Perigeo).

Bass player Fabrizio Federighi has been for many years a popular session player. Last drummer Daniele Trambusti had a recording studio in Florence and played for a while with Litfiba, very popular in Italy since the 1980's.

Bella Band - Bella Band (1978, Jazz-Rock, Art Rock, Prog Rock) 3.75¤

_______________________________________________________________________


Though the album mainly included children songs, it's interesting to mention it for its arrangements and the help from Arturo Stalteri of Pierrot Lunaire.

Susy Bellucci - Nel paese di Susy (1978, Pop, Children's, Story, Chanson, Educational, Novelty, Vocal)

_______________________________________________________________________

Belve Dentro (1970, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

o Peppe (guitar)
o Gianni (keyboards)
o Amedeo (bass)
o Nando (drums)

Only a good single for this band, that disappeared without trace. They also played as backing band for the singer Giovanna Nocetti in her remake of their single ”Cronaca nera” / ”Un momento nella sera” (Ariston AR 0372 – 1970). The B-side of their only single, ”Subito dopo”, was composed by Claudio Rocchi.

Belve Dentro - ”Cronaca nera” / ”Subito dopo” (1970, Prog Rock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb6lwyiNSDw ”Cronaca nera” with Giovanna Nocetti

_______________________________________________________________________

Edoardo Bennato (born 23.7.1946, Pop Rock, Folk, Blues, Prog Rock, Perdio as the backing band on the album Non farti cadere le braccia)

Not certainly a progressive artist, Edoardo Bennato has always declared, and demonstrated in his records, a true love and commitment to rock'n'roll, always keeping a very good quality in his record releases through a 40-year long career that still lasts today.

After a lonely single in 1966 for Parade (the same label that produced Chetro & Co.'s single), his professional debut came in 1969 with a single on Numero Uno, the first of a very long series of 45's, and while his brother Eugenio (then with NCCP) was more interested in traditional music, Edoardo was since his beginnings a sort of Italian Bob Dylan, always pictured with acoustic guitar and harmonica.

First album came in 1973 for Ricordi, as the later ones, and the main ingredients were already there: sharp lyrics on a rocking background built on acoustic guitar and harmonica but always with large use of electric instruments. An interesting element for the progressive fans is the presence of the Perdio musicians as backing band and the guest appearance of Silvana Aliotta, singer of Circus 2000, here as percussionist.

The long career of Edoardo Bennato still lasts in the 2000's and has given him a huge popularity and many hit singles.

Edoardo Bennato - Non farti cadere le braccia (1973, Acoustic, Folk Rock, Pop Rock)

Edoardo Bennato - I buoni e i cattivi (1974, Pop Rock)

Edoardo Bennato - Io che non sono l'imperatore (1975, Pop Rock)

Edoardo Bennato - La torre di Babele (1976, Pop Rock)

Edoardo Bennato - Burattino senza fili (1977, Rock & Roll, Pop Rock)

Discography 1980-2018 not included

_______________________________________________________________________

Pierpaolo Bibbò (born 20.2.1954, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

This singer/songwriter from Sardegna recorded in 1979 a very good and little known album that went totally unnoticed at the time, being released on a local label in 1980, when his prog-inspired sound was definitely out of date. The musician had already issued under the name Distilleria M.B., along with Giampiero Melosu, a couple of country rock inspired singles in 1976/1977 on the La Strega label, which later produced his LP Diapason.

The album, with an overall length of over 41 minutes, includes 8 tracks with very nice instrumental parts mostly based on synths, though the voice is always present. Only one track, ”Contaminazione” is totally instrumental. Among the best moments are the longest tracks on the LP, like the 9:37 long ”La macchina del tempo”, the opening track ”Cercando una terra fantastica” and ”... e dalle mie macerie...”.

Bibbò sang and played guitars, bass, synth on the album, mainly helped by Adriano De Murtas on keyboards and Franco Medas on drums along with a few more guests on a couple of tracks.

After this LP Bibbò played for a few years in the rock group Segno, and kept playing and working in his recording studio, named Diapason, as the title of his album.

Pierpaolo Bibbò - “Spettatore di un'idea” / “Camilla” (1976, single)

Pierpaolo Bibbò - “Il ricordo dei tuoi si” / “Dolce Silvana” (1978, single)

Pierpaolo Bibbò - Diapason (1980, Electronic, Prog Rock) 3.50¤

Il duo Bibbò (Pierpaolo Bibbò & Francesco Orsini) - Orsini (1995)

Pierpaolo Bibbò - Genemesi (2012, Prog Rock) 3.14¤

Pierpaolo Bibbò - Via Lattea (2018, Prog Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

Maurizio Bigio (Rock guitarist)

The 1973 album, Rock Bigio Blues, by this talented guitarist from Perugia includes some commercial songs and others with rock and blues influences, as shown by the title. Prog lovers will find the nice instrumental track ”Rock evoluzione” interesting, although it was broken in four parts by the producer's decision.

Ma.Gi., from 1975, is a library album, mostly instrumental and played by Bigio himself.

The musician collaborated with such artists as Francesco De Gregori and Edoardo De Angelis, and also appears on a single from 1977 by the group Motouniversale (”E la mia musica sale in cielo” / ”Se mi vuoi se ti vuoi” - Dany Records DR 1007).

The Rai archives also include an album by Maurizio Bigio from 1972 issued by Apollo (ZSLA-55142).

Maurizio Bigio - Rock Bigio Blues (1973, Rock)

Maurizio Bigio - Ma.Gi. (1975)

+ singles

_______________________________________________________________________

Biglietto per l'Inferno (1972-, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

o Claudio Canali (vocals, flute, flugelhorn)
o Marco Mainetti (guitar)
o Giuseppe "Baffo" Banfi (organ, Moog synthesizer)
o Giuseppe Cossa (piano, organ)
o Fausto Branchini (bass)
o Mauro Gnecchi (drums)

Born in 1972 in Lecco, in northern Italy, from the ashes of Gee and Mako Sharks, Un Biglietto per l'Inferno are still regarded as one of the most influential Italian prog bands, despite a single LP release, their magnificent eponymous album from 1974. The band had an intense live activity, that took to a very powerful sound driven by the twin keyboards of Banfi and Cossa and the lead guitar of Mainetti, with flute intermissions by singer Claudio Canali.

The album Biglietto per l’Inferno (1974) is a masterpiece, its hard-rock based sound being perfectly enriched by keyboards and flute, and the lyrics are strong and effective. The five long tracks are all very nice, and the album is worth its high price. Two tracks, ”Una strana regina” and ”Confessione” were also released as a single, the latter in an instrumental-only version, with the same cover design as the album, the classic picture of jumping singer Claudio Canali, taken by Caesar Monti.

A second album Il Tempo della Semina (rec. 1974, rel. 1992) was recorded and ready to release under the production of Eugenio Finardi, as was a single taken from it, and the band was even in touch with Klaus Schulze, but the Trident label's end brought Biglietto per l'Inferno to split after some concerts in Italy and Switzerland at the end of 1975. The album had a limited circulation among fans as a bootleg tape, and only gained an official issue in 1992 on the Mellow label.

Of all the band members only keyboardist Baffo Banfi had a relevant solo career (as J.B.Banfi) with three solo albums in a cosmic vein between 1978 and 1981 (the last two of these came on Klaus Schulze's IC label), while drummer Gnecchi has played in jazz groups and collaborated with PFM guitarist Franco Mussida in his first solo album Racconti dalla tenda rossa, from 1991. Singer Claudio Canali has become a friar, unusual choice after the strong dialogue with a priest in the lyrics of ”Confessione”.

In early 2004 a nice box set was released to celebrate this group, including CD remastered versions of both official albums, a third CD with a live recording from 1974 and a bonus DVD including some video tracks of band members, interviews and audio cuts. Furthermore, a nice book with pictures, lyrics and interviews. A great product, and the first box set ever released to celebrate an Italian prog group!

In 2009 three of the original members, Giuseppe Cossa and Mauro Gnecchi, under the production of Baffo Banfi and with help from other musicians, released a CD as Biglietto per l'Inferno.Folk, including very nice reworkings of old compositions of the band. This group also released a new record in 2015, Vivi.Lotta.Pensa returning to the classic name of Biglietto per l'Inferno, supported with an intense live activity.

¤¤¤Biglietto per l’Inferno - Biglietto per l’Inferno (1974, Prog Rock) 4.09¤

Biglietto per l’Inferno - Il Tempo della Semina (rec. 1974, rel. 1992, Prog Rock) 3.12¤

Biglietto per l’Inferno - Tra l'assurdo e la ragione (2010, new recordings of old tracks ) 3.96¤

Biglietto per l’Inferno - Live 1974 (rec. 1974, rel. 2012) 2.67¤

Biglietto per l’Inferno - Vivi. Lotta. Pensa. (2015) 3.88¤

Biglietto per l'Inferno - Live 2017-02-25 @ Teatro Sociale di Lecco, Lombardia, Italy (video)

_______________________________________________________________________

Black Blowing Flowers (1975, Jazz, World, Disco-Funk)

Black Blowing Flowers - Human Glow (1975, Electronic, Funk / Soul,Psychedelic, Disco)

Black Blowing Flowers - ”Human Glow” / ”Üsküdarra” (Uskudarra) (1975, single, Electronic, Funk / Soul, Funk, Disco)

A mysterious band that only released a mediocre commercial album. The group featured Alberto Radius and Mario Lavezzi, both members of Il Volo and from that band's first album they covered ”Il calore umano” that, with a funky arrangement and the new title ”Human Glow”, was also released as a single. ”Human Glow” also appeared, in a live version, on the Concerto d'estate/Dal vivo alla Bussola compilation (CBS 69150, year 1975).

_______________________________________________________________________

Black Sound (1974)

● Adriano Gagno – vocals
● Silvio Rossi – guitar
● Donato Cuzzato – organ & piano
● Bruno Schiavon – bass
● Gianfranco Pivato – drums

A group from the Treviso area, that only left a single with a good song on the A-side.

Their style brings to mind Fabio Celi & gli Infermieri, with a vaguely sixties sounds and protest lyrics. The B-side is a slow melodic song.

Among the band members were bass player Bruno Schiavon, currently with the Turnover Country Band, and guitarist Silvio Rossi.

¤¤¤Black Sound - “Smog” / “Chissà chi, chissà che” (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_VBd0Q1J9k “Chissà chi, chissà che”

_______________________________________________________________________

Black Spirit (1970-80, Krautrock, Hard Rock)

o Salvatore Curto (keyboards, vocals)
o Nicola Ceravolo (guitar)
o Giovanni Granato (bass)
o Gianni Piras (drums)

Like Atlantide, all the members of this band were italians working in Germany, in Volksburg, and their only album was just released in that country. Formed in 1970, they had their first concerts in 1971 with good success.

It was in 1973 that they decided to record a tape, just as a demo to work on to develop further ideas, but it was taken by their sound engineer Johnny Pesce when he left the group, and appeared some years later on LP, with no one in the band knowing about it!

Their superrare first and only album Black Spirit was issued in 1978 by the small and collectible Brutkasten label. The sleeve notes contain some mistakes, as Pesce is credited as drummer (he didn't play in the band and was only a sound technician) and the recordings are said to have made between 1969 and 1978 (they were made in 1973). The album was mainly a hard rock affair in Black Sabbath style, sung in English and with some rock-blues influences, and very far from the typical Italian sound. For these reasons Black Spirit are commonly listed among German prog artists.

Black Spirit kept playing until 1978, changing a few drummers after Piras left the group in 1974, and with many concerts especially in the Hamburg area. Around 1974 they even played in Denmark and Norway. After the break-up bass player Granato returned to Sicily, drummer Piras stayed in Germany to play, while Ceravolo and Curto moved to Norway. In this country, singer/keyboardist Salvatore Curto released in 1983 a tape album entitled Ritmo dell'amore, in a disco/pop style.

Black Spirit - Black Spirit (1978, Hard Rock, Heavy Prog) 3.13¤

_______________________________________________________________________

The Black Stones (1970-1985, 1990-98)

o Mario Scano (guitar)
o Gianni Veroni (guitar)
o Vincenzo Palla (keyboards)
o Pierpaolo Scano (bass, vocals)
o Anselmo Masala (drums)

Coming from Cagliari, Sardinia, and not to be confused with a beat group of the same name who had issued the single ”Ho un quiz per voi” (Discobolo DIS 52). The Black Stones moved to Rome to record their only record release, in 1960's rock style with organ and fuzz guitar in the foreground. In 1972 they played at the Villa Pamphili Pop Festival in Rome, with a repertoire including original songs (like ”Sara” and ”Jenni”, both never recorded) and Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad and Led Zeppelin covers.

With various line-up changes they played until the mid 1980's, then broke up and reunited again in 1990. The group's leader, Pierpaolo Scano, died in 1998.

The Black Stones - ”Risveglio” / ”Mondo nuovo” (1971, Prog Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

Black Sunday Flowers (soul/funk, experimental progressive jazz rock)

Under this name there was Ghigo Agosti, popular singer in the 1960's, with an original voice, who was often censored by the Italian radio for the outrageous contents of his songs.

This soul-styled single needs to be mentioned because it was released on Bla Bla and also included in the rare Tarzan (1972) compilation on that label. The A-side, ”Hot Rock”, was a remake of a 1965 song by Ghigo himself, ”Non voglio pietà”.

During his career Ghigo has also used other nicknames like Mister Anima, Rico Agosti, Probus Harlem.

¤¤¤Black Sunday Flowers - ”Hot Rock” / ”Madness” (1971, Classic Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

Blizzard (1977) / Alusa Fallax (1967-79, Rock Progressivo Italiano) /

o Augusto "Duty" Cirla (vocals, drums, recorder)
o Guido Gabet (guitar, vocals)
o Massimo Parretti (keyboards)
o Mario Cirla (flute, sax, French horn, vocals)
o Guido Cirla (bass, vocals)

A five-piece from Milan, Alusa Fallax were formed in 1969 deriving from Gli Adelfi, and released their first single the same year, with a second one not long after. Also in 1969 one of the members (there were two of them with the same name) released a solo single as Guido degli Alusa Fallax (Guardarti negli occhi on West Side).

The band kept playing and released their one and only album in 1974 on Fonit; a great little-known gem, in the best Italian prog tradition, led by keyboards with classical influences, it reminds the best things Banco del Mutuo Soccorso ever made.

No less than 13 tracks are listed on the label, but these are connected to form two long suites very well played and sung, and with interesting lyrics.

Unfortunately the band had very little promotion and kept playing in the dance floor circuit until 1979, issuing a commercial single in 1977 under the name Blizzard.

¤¤¤Alusa Fallax - ”Dedicato a chi amo” / ”Charleston 1923” (1969, single) 4.50¤

¤¤¤Alusa Fallax - ”Tutto passa” / ”Cade una stella” (1969, single) 2.14¤

Alusa Fallax - Intorno alla mia cattiva educazione (1974) 4.02¤

¤¤¤Blizzard - “La Soffitta” / “Tu Donna” (1977, single)

_______________________________________________________________________

Blocco Mentale (1972-75, Rock Progressivo Italiano) / Limousine (1978-79)

o Bernardo "Dino" Finocchi (vocals, sax, flute)
o Aldo Angeletti (vocals, bass)
o Gigi Bianchi (guitar, vocals)
o Filippo Lazzari (keyboards, vocals, mouth harp)
o Michele Arena (drums, vocals)

Blocco Mentale were formed in the Viterbo area around the end of 1972, when the members of Oleum teamed up with singer/bassist Aldo Angeletti, active since the 1960’s with his band Aldo e i Falisci. The new group immediately released a melodic-oriented single, ”L’amore muore a vent’anni” / ”Io sto bene senza te”, the their only album, called Poa (a greek word written on the cover in greek letters Ποα, it means "grass"), both in 1973.

As evident from its title, the seven-track album dealed with ecology, lyrics were about pollution, nature, flowers and green grass, sometime with a very naive language typical of the time. Musically the album had some very interesting moments, but veered toward pop at times. The group had some multivocal parts similar to New Trolls, as all the members are credited with vocals. A good album but not at the same level of many others in that great 1973.

The band broke up at the beginning of 1975, for military duties of the musicians, but reformed later with the same line-up, a new name Limousine, a more commercial style, winning some important music contests in 1978 and 1979 and producing a couple of singles.

Singer/sax player Bernardo Finocchi issued in 1980 under the name Bernardo Lafonte the 4-track mini-LP Sei proprio tu (Lettera A AQ122, with help from Michele Arena, Aldo Angeletti and Filippo Lazzari), and with the same name, along with his wife Francesca Lotà, some religious-inspired records. Keyboardist Filippo Lazzari died in a road accident in 1991.

Blocco Mentale - Ποα (Poa) (1973, Prog Rock) 3.86¤

_______________________________________________________________________

Blue Gelatine (1973, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

Similar to the sound of Osage Tribe, this single was released on the same label that issued Living Totem, and it's likely that the musicians were the same.

Blue Gelatine - ”You Turn Me On” / ”Blowing My Life” (1973, Prog Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

Blue Morning (Jazz Rock Fusion)

o Maurizio Giammarco (sax, flute, keyboards)
o Roberto Ciotti (guitar)
o Sandro Ponzoni (bass)
o Alfredo Minotti (drums)

On the album with:
o Alvise Sacchi (percussion on some tracks + album cover)

Closer to jazz than to rock, this rare album was the only record release by Blue Morning, a Rome quartet that featured future solo blues guitarist Roberto Ciotti and well known jazz player Maurizio Giammarco. A fifth musician, percussionist Alvise Sacchi, collaborated playing in some of the album tracks, as well as designing its memorable cover. The album includes five long compositions, some Soft Machine influences can be heard but it won't appeal to rock fans.

¤¤¤Blue Morning - Blue Morning (1973)


_______________________________________________________________________

Blue Phantom (Psychedelic/Space Rock)

A popular album among european psych and prog collectors, Distortions was in fact released in Italy in 1971, along with a single, by a group of unknown studio musicians and later released in other european countries, among which England.

Both album and single appeared in Italy on Vedette subsidiary Spider label, and were composed (under his nickname Tical) and played by Armando Sciascia.

An entirely instrumental album that shows some influences from late 1960's psych sounds.

Blue Phantom - Distortions (1971, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock) 3.10¤

_______________________________________________________________________

Blue Sharks (1971-72, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock)

Two singles (and two others probably only released as jukebox promo issues) appeared for this group, all covers of popular songs played rather well, and both were probably issued around 1971.

Among the songs they recorded, ”And the Day Will Be so Kind” is an original, while there are two Uriah Heep's covers and one by Graham Nash. Their style is hard prog with a good use of organ.

Two instrumental LP's were also issued under the name Blue Sharks, and some say that behind this name hid the composer Stelvio Cipriani, as many of the tracks are credited to his nickname Ipcress. The albums are Funny Walk (Leonardi L 20) and It Became Crystal (Leonardi SL 27), and both came out in the early 1970's.

It's likely that Blue Sharks were the same musicians also known as Dirty, because the versions of ”And the Day Will Be so Kind” made by these two bands are identical.

Blue Sharks - Funny Walk (1971, Jazz, Stage & Screen, Easy Listening)

Blue Sharks - It Became Crystal (197?, Funk / Soul, Stage & Screen, Prog Rock, Rhythm & Blues)

Blue Sharks - “Chicago” / “Gipsy” (197?)

Blue Sharks - “Chicago” / “Toast and Marmalade for Tea” (197? - jukebox, Beat, Prog Rock)

Blue Sharks - “Lady in Black” / “And the Day Will Be so Kind” (197?)

Blue Sharks - “Gipsy” / “Lady in Black” (197? - jukebox)


_______________________________________________________________________

The Blues Right Off (1969-70, Blues Rock)

o Claes Cornelius (vocals, guitar)
o Giancarlo Salvador (bass)
o Fuffi Panciera (drums)
o Paolo Zanella (flute, guitar)

+ Ermanno Velludo (sound engineer)

A very little known group from Venice, but their only album, released in a very limited pressing, is among the rarest of the Italian 1970's rock.

Not really a progressive rock album, this is surely a progressive work, starting from its odd jute sack cover. It was also one of the first (or possibly THE first) LP's by an Italian blues band, as the blues was considered in Italy as a music only reserved to foreign musicians during the 1960's.

The band's leader, guitarist Claes Cornelius, was in fact a foreigner, from Denmark, that had moved to Italy in the mid-60's and soon played an important role in the beat era and afterwards. He had founded with sound engineer Ermanno Velludo the Suono Recording Studio.

The album, Our Blues Bag, contains seven tracks, all sung in English and in the best blues tradition, based on electric lead guitar solos and high-pitched voice. All the tracks are original. Some Canned Heat similarities can be heard in the vocal parts or the use of a flute (like in ”Rushing Wind”), but generally the group has a personal sound.

The band had been formed at the end of the 1960's, and after its demise Cornelius kept as a session player, moving to the USA for a year, and then, back in Venice, contributing to Venetian Power's The Arid Land. He moved back to Denmark in 1974 and has stayed in the music biz since then, as a producer and musician.

The Blues Right Off - Our Blues Bag (1970, Blues Rock)

_______________________________________________________________________

I Boom (1969-73, 1960's beat band)

o Alan (bass, vocals)
o Salvatore Deni (guitar)
o Marcello Saccucci (keyboards, vocals)
o Bracco (drums)

Not a real prog band, I Boom were a 60's beat band who released their only album as late as 1973. In their beginnings the singer was Vittorio Lombardi and the group (renamed Boom 67 or Boom 69) played often at the Piper Club opening for foreign acts like Spencer Davis Group and Small Faces. They also played at the Italian Pop Festival held in april 1971 at the Kilt Club in Rome.

The sound is beat inspired and like similar bands (Il Mucchio, I Raminghi) is closer to the sixties's sound than to prog atmospheres, but it's worth listening, if you can have it taped! The opening ”Luce e vita, Improvvisamente notte” and the long and more complex ”Il padre sono io” with an instrumental keyboard part reminding of some 1970's bands are the best moments of an album that would at least deserve a CD reissue.

I Boom - I Boom (1973, Rock, Beat)

_______________________________________________________________________

La Bottega dell'Arte (1974-85, Pop, Soft Progressive)

o Fernando Ciucci (vocals, guitar)
o Piero Calabrese (keyboards, vocals)
o Romano Musumarra (keyboards, flute, vocals) [also with Automat project]
o Massimo Calabrese (bass, guitar, vocals)
o Alberto Bartoli (drums)

A group from Rome, that's often described as prog or soft-prog, but their large production of albums and singles is mainly in the commercial pop style.

On their 1974 debut single, ”Notturno per noi” is a nice long instrumental track in classical progressive style, then their first album, La Bottega dell'arte, from 1975, the most interesting for progressive fans, as it contains some good instrumental parts though most tracks are in a melodic vein, like ”Come due bambini”, their biggest hit single. The rest of their production is in a commercial pop style.

Keyboardist Musumarra was involved in the Automat project.

¤¤¤La Bottega dell'Arte - ”Addio” / ”Notturno per noi” (1974, single)

¤¤¤La Bottega dell'Arte - La bottega dell'arte (1975, Pop, Ballad)

¤¤¤La Bottega dell'Arte - Dentro (1977, Symphonic Rock, Prog Rock, Pop Rock, Romantic)

¤¤¤La Bottega dell'Arte - L'avventura (1979, Pop)

¤¤¤La Bottega dell'Arte - Forza 4 (1984, Pop, Prog Rock)
+ many other singles
____________

Compilations:
La Bottega dell'Arte - Hits de la Bottega dell'Arte (1980)

La Bottega dell'Arte - Made in Italy (2004, Symphonic Rock, Prog Rock, Pop Rock, Romantic)

La Bottega dell'Arte - Solo Grandi Successi (2007)

La Bottega dell'Arte - Essential (2004 - Remaster)


_______________________________________________________________________

Braen's Machine (Rock Progressivo Italiano)

o Piero Umiliani (guitar, studio effects, drums, composer)
o Alessandro Alessandron (guitar, studio effects, drums, composer)

Braen's Machine are a mysterious studio group whose two albums, released in the early seventies for the Liuto label, founded by well-known film soundtrack composer Piero Umiliani, are incredibly sought-after and reach high prices. Their style is rather similar to that of other 'ghost-groups' of the same period - instrumental music that could be used as a film soundtrack, with fuzz guitar and keyboards to the fore, and rather influenced by psychedelia.

It is quite certain that the name Braen's Machine concealed the identities of Umiliani himself and Alessandro Alessandroni, another soundtrack composer and frequent collaborator of Ennio Morricone. They appear as the authors of both albums' tracks with their stage names, Braen and Gisteri. Umiliani and Alessandroni also feature on the two singles released in 1971 and 1972 by another 'ghost-group', Pawnshop.
Raffaella Berry (Raff)

¤¤¤Braen's Machine - Underground (1971, Psychedelic Rock) 2.95¤

¤¤¤Braen's Machine - Temi ritmici e dinamici (1973, Prog Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop) 2.88¤

The Braen's Machine - Quarta Pagina (Poliziesco) (2015, Jazz, Rock, Stage & Screen, Soundtrack)

_______________________________________________________________________

Angelo Branduardi (born 12.2.1950, folk/folk rock singer-songwriter, Rock Progressivo Italiano)

A very popular artist still in the 2000's, Angelo Branduardi can be somehow considered a progressive artist due to his great love for folk and classical music, that have always inspired his music. During his long career he's always been very coherent with his style and never fell into commercial productions.

The eponymous first album, from 1974, can be the most appealing for prog fans, but the great success came with Alla fiera dell'est, his first on Polydor, in 1976. Both the single and the LP were top hits in Italy, and also gave the artist a great notoriety in other european countries, like in Germany and France where most of his albums have been issued, often in different versions than the originals, and Branduardi constantly toured.

Combining traditional folk tunes (often from northern Europe) with classical music, Branduardi, a trained violinist, has created a distinctive style that's still very popular nowadays.

He has worked with many other Italian artists during the years, and his collaboration with Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is noteworthy for prog fans, with Branduardi playing violin on Come in un'ultima cena and translating the lyrics for the English-sung version of that album, As in a last supper, and Banco's members playing with him on the live Concerto 3-LP box set.

Discography until 1981:
Angelo Branduardi - Angelo Branduardi (1974, Folk Rock, Folk) 3.53¤

Angelo Branduardi - Angelo Branduardi (1974, English version, rel. 1979, Folk Rock, Folk)

Angelo Branduardi - La luna (1975, Classical, Acoustic, Medieval, Prog Rock) 3.44¤

Angelo Branduardi - Alla fiera dell'est (1976, Chanson, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, Ballad) 3.18¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxdhhs6LT4FCcXeAsm3KKk9rm51RR5ia (albums 'A la foire de l'est' 1978, ' Alla fiera dell'est' 1976 & 'Highdown Fair' 1978)

Angelo Branduardi - La pulce d'acqua (1977, Folk Rock, Chanson + English version 'Fables and Fantasies' 1979) 3.83¤

Angelo Branduardi - Fables and Fantasies (1979, Folk Rock, Chanson, English version of 'La pulce d'acqua' 1977) 3.83¤

Angelo Branduardi - A la foire de l'est (1978, French version of 1976 'Alla fiera dell'est', Chanson, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, Ballad) 3.80¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxdhhs6LT4FCcXeAsm3KKk9rm51RR5ia (albums 'A la foire de l'est' 1978, ' Alla fiera dell'est' 1976 & 'Highdown Fair' 1978)

Angelo Branduardi - Highdown Fair (1978, English version of 1976 ' Alla fiera dell'est', Chanson, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, Ballad)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxdhhs6LT4FCcXeAsm3KKk9rm51RR5ia (albums 'A la foire de l'est' 1978, ' Alla fiera dell'est' 1976 & 'Highdown Fair' 1978)

Angelo Branduardi - Live @ Radio Bremen, Musikladen, Germany (1978, video)

Angelo Branduardi - La Demoiselle (1979, Chanson, Folk) 2.80¤

Angelo Branduardi - Cogli la prima mela (1979, Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Ballad, + French version 'Va où le vent te mène' & English version 'Life Is the Only Teacher') 3.36¤

Angelo Branduardi - 'Life Is the Only Teacher (1979, Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Ballad, English version of 'Cogli la prima mela') 3.36¤

Angelo Branduardi - Cogli la prima mela / Concerto RAI (1979, video)

Angelo Branduardi - Live 1979 @ Villa Pamphili, Roma, Italy (video)

Angelo Branduardi - Concerto (1980, live 1978-79, 3xLP, 2CD, Folk) 3.17¤

Angelo Branduardi - Gulliver, la luna e altri disegni (1980, contains re-recorded material from 1975's 'La Luna', Folk Rock, Art Rock, Prog Rock) 3.97¤

Angelo Branduardi - Va où le vent te mène (1980, Pop, Chanson) 3.25¤

Angelo Branduardi - Angelo Branduardi (Branduardi '81) (1981, Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Vocal) 3.23¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxdhhs6LT4F6YmZucXYjbNdnMkP9KGhK Confesiones de un Malandrin (1993, Spanish), Branduardi '81 (Italian) & Branduardi '81 (French)

Angelo Branduardi - Angelo Branduardi (Branduardi '81, French version) (1981, Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Vocal) 3.23¤

Angelo Branduardi - ...e festa si farà (live tour promozionale dell'album 'Branduardi 81')

Angelo Branduardi - Live 1982

Angelo Branduardi - Live: Les fêtes d' Angelo

Angelo Branduardi - Cercando l'oro (1983, Pop, Folk, Soft Rock, Vocal) 3.91¤

Angelo Branduardi - Tout l'or du monde (1983, 'Cercando l'oro' sung in French, Classical, Folk) 3.91¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live 1983 @ Teatro Sistina, Rome, Italy ('Cercando l'oro' tour)

Angelo Branduardi - State buoni se potete (1983, soundtrack for the movie with the same name, Pop, Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen ) 2.95¤

Angelo Branduardi - Michael Ende's Momo (1986, soundtrack,) 2.91¤

Angelo Branduardi - Branduardi canta Yeats: Dieci ballate su liriche di William Butler Yeats (1986, Pop, Folk, Ballad) 3.94¤

Angelo Branduardi & Various Artists - Poets in New York (Poetas en Nueva York) (contributor, Federico García Lorca tribute album, 1986, Folk Rock)

Angelo Branduardi - Secondo Ponzio Pilato: Colonna Sonora Originale (1988, soundtrack) 3.82¤

Angelo Branduardi - Pane e rose (1988, Folk Rock, Pop Rock) 2.31¤

Angelo Branduardi - Du pain et des roses (1988 - French edition of 'Pane e rose' 1988, Folk Rock, Pop Rock)

Angelo Branduardi - Il ladro (1990, Folk Rock, Acoustic, Medieval, Ballad) 2.31¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live 1991 in Germany during 'Il ladro' tour

Angelo Branduardi - Si può fare (1992, Soft Rock, Pop Rock) 2.73¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live 'Si può fare' 1992 @ Rock Cafè

Angelo Branduardi - Ça se fait (1992 - French edition of 'Si può fare' 1992, Soft Rock, Pop Rock) 2.73¤

Angelo Branduardi - Domenica e lunedì (1994, Soft Rock, Ballad) 2.29¤

Angelo Branduardi - La menace (1995 - French edition of ' Domenica e lunedì' 1994) 2.29¤

Angelo Branduardi - Camminando camminando (1996, live CD/DVD during the 'Domenica e lunedì' Tour, Pop, Folk, Chanson) 2.17¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live 1996 @ Theatre de Bastia, Corsica, France

Angelo Branduardi e Chominciamento di gioia - Futuro antico I: (1996, Classical, Folk Rock, Medieval) 3.24¤
https://open.spotify.com/album/07FWjnELEXFFF0kRDaqJBs (Futuro Antico I - II - III Collection)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi - Il dito e la luna (1998, lyrics by Giorgio Faletti, Folk) 2.27¤

Angelo Branduardi e Finistrerrae - Futuro antico II (1999, Folk) 3.63¤
https://open.spotify.com/album/07FWjnELEXFFF0kRDaqJBs (Futuro Antico I - II - III Collection)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi e Finistrerrae - Live Futuro Antico II (2009, video)

Angelo Branduardi - L'infinitamente piccolo (2000, Pop, Folk, Ballad) 4.85¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live L'Infinitamente Piccolo (European Tour, 2000)

Angelo Branduardi e Ensemble Scintille di Musica - Futuro antico III, Mantova: La musica alla corte dei Gonzaga (2002, Classical) 2.63¤
https://open.spotify.com/album/07FWjnELEXFFF0kRDaqJBs (Futuro Antico I - II - III Collection)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi e Ensemble Scintille di Musica - Live Futuro antico III 2002-10-29 @ Mantova, Lombardia, Italy (2002, video, Classical)

Angelo Branduardi - Altro ed altrove (2003, Pop) 2.18¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live Altro ed Altrove 2003-04-15 @ teatro Smeraldo di Milano, Italy (2003, video, Pop)

Angelo Branduardi e Ensemble Scintille di Musica - Futuro antico IV: Venezia e il Carnevale (2007, Classical, Folk) 2.63¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi - Live 2008-05-26 @ Varese, Lombardia, Italy (video)

Angelo Branduardi - Live 2008-12-20 Lauda di Francesco vers. Oratorio @ Brescia, Lombardia, Italy (video)

Angelo Branduardi e Ensemble Scintille di Musica - Futuro antico V: Musica della serenissima (2008, Classical, Folk, World, & Country, Renaissance) 2.09¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi e Ensemble Scintille di Musica - Live Futuro antico V 2009-01-29 @ Teatro Malibran, Venezia, Italy (2009, video)

Angelo Branduardi - Senza Spina (2009, tracks 4-14 live 1986 @ Olympia, Paris, France, Pop, Folk, Chanson) 3.35¤

Angelo Branduardi - Futuro antico VI: Roma e la Festa di San Giovanni (2009, Classical, Folk) 3.00¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi - Futuro antico VII: Il Carnevale Romano (2010, Classical, Folk) 3.00¤
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi - Così è se mi pare (2011, Pop) 3.00¤

Angelo Branduardi - Live 2011-08-16 @ Atri, Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy

Angelo Branduardi - Il rovo e la rosa - Ballate d'amore e morte (2013, Pop, Folk, Celtic, Ballad)

Angelo Branduardi - Futuro antico VIII - Trentino - Musica alla corte dei Principi Vescovi (2014, Classical, Folk)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Expphdq6eox3h2INm0DyWPRg8ufEUgT (Albums Futuro antico I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII & VIII)

Angelo Branduardi - Live Futuro antico VIII - Trentino 2014-05-29 (live video)

Angelo Branduardi - Camminando Camminando in Tre (2015, Pop, Classical, Folk, Classical, Celtic)

Angelo Brandaurdi - Camminando Camminando Europe Live Tour 2012 @ Narni, Umbria, Terni, Italy (video)

Angelo Branduardi - Live 2015 @ Olympia (video)

Angelo Branduardi - Live 2015-04-05 @ Casino Barrières de Bordeaux, France (video)

Angelo Branduardi - Da Francesco a Francesco (2016, )

Angelo Branduardi & Maurizio Fabrizio - Live 2017-10-27 @ Cattedrale di Sorrento, Napoli, Campania, Italy
____________

Compilations:

Angelo Branduardi - Confession d'un Malandrin (1981, compilation, sung in French, Pop, Chanson)

Angelo Branduardi - Confessioni di un Malandrino (1991, compilation, Pop, Chanson)

Angelo Branduardi - Best of (1992, compilation, Folk Rock, Folk)

Angelo Branduardi - Best of (1992, compilation, French version)

Angelo Branduardi - Musiche da film (1992, soundtrack compilation from 'State Buoni Se Potete' 1983, 'Secondo Ponzio Pilato' 1988 & 'Momo' 1986)

Angelo Branduardi - Confesiones de un Malandrin (1993, compilation 'Confessioni di un Malandrino' 1991 sung in Spanish)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxdhhs6LT4F6YmZucXYjbNdnMkP9KGhK Confesiones de un Malandrin (1993, Spanish), Branduardi '81 (Italian) & Branduardi '81 (French)

Angelo Branduardi - Studio Collection (1998, collection)

Angelo Branduardi - The Platinum Collection (2005, collection) 2.17¤

Angelo Branduardi - D.O.C (D.O.C. Series) (2006, compilation) 3.00¤

Angelo Branduardi - Album Originali (2009, 5CD collection of original 1970's albums) 3.00¤

Angelo Branduardi - Best of (2011, compilation)

_______________________________________________________________________

Francesco Buccheri (born 1954, Progressive Electronic)

A composer from Bologna whose only vinyl LP is particularly sought after by Italian obscurities collectors, as it only had a very limited private pressing. He had previously formed a group called Ex Aequo, with which he played for four years.

Though the original album was credited on the label to "Complesso F.B.M.R." from the initials of the four musicians involved, all the tracks were composed by Buccheri himself and the CD reissue only carries his name.

The full line-up included Francesco Buccheri on keyboards, guitars and vocals, keyboardists Roberto Mingozzi and Danilo Forni (also on violin), and drummer Marco Raimondi.

As it's easy to guess the LP Journey (1979) is based on keyboards and much closer to late 70's krautrock than to the typical sound of most prog albums from Italy, the drums with a 4/4 rhythm often giving the music a commercial feeling. The initial 20-minute long ”Journey” suite is rather fragmented and can be boring at first listen, and the overall sound can be compared with Sangiuliano's Take Off.

Unreleased works by Buccheri have been included on the CD reissue of the album (1983 solo keyboards recordings) and on a separate CD called Hand Made, but these can be only interesting to completists.

Francesco Buccheri has kept recording his music, releasing four interesting self-produced CD's from 1995 to 2005, the last of which is The Call.

Francesco Buccheri - Journey (1979, Electronic, Prog Rock) 3.76¤

Francesco Buccheri - Hand Made (1984-89 unreleased recordings, rel. 1995) 3.00¤

Francesco Buccheri - Journey / Second Journey (rec. 1979/1983, rel. 1992, Electronic, Prog Rock) 3.50¤

Francesco Buccheri - La Via (1995, Electronic, New Age)

Francesco Buccheri - The Call (1998, Electronic, New Age, Prog Rock)

Francesco Buccheri - The Mirror (2001, Electronic, New Age, Prog Rock)

Francesco Buccheri - The View (2002, Electronic, New Age, Prog Rock)

Francesco Buccheri - Moments (2014)

_______________________________________________________________________

Buon Vecchio Charlie (1970-72, Rock Progressivo Italiano) / Bauhaus (1972-74, Jazz Rock/Fusion)

Buon Vecchio Charlie (1970-72):
o Richard Benson (vocals, guitar)
o Luigi Calabrò (guitar, vocals)
o Sandro Cesaroni (sax, flute)
o Sandro Centofanti (keyboards)
o Paolo Damiani (bass)
o Rino Sangiorgio (drums)

Bauhaus (1972-74):
o Calabrò (guitar)
o Claudio Giusti (sax)
o Alberto Festa (keyboards)
o Paolo Damiani (bass)
o Rino Sangiorgio (drums)

One of the bands mentioned here that had no records released during their lifespan, Buon Vecchio Charlie had an album, Buon Vecchio Charlie (rec. 1972, rel. 1999), ready, but it was only recently unearthed, first on CD then on LP, and it's a very good one, well worth buying, even because of its availability at low prices!

The band was formed in Rome in 1970 with a five-piece line-up featuring, along with Calabrò, Centofanti and Sangiorgio, bass player Walter Bernardi and percussionist Carlo Visca.

After some first demos they could record with the new six-piece line-up the tracks for an album, Stairway to Escher (rec. 1974, rel. 2013), in Suono label's (of Opus Avantra fame) recording studio near Venice in 1972, with the help of Venetian Power guitarist Claes Cornelius, also an important session man at the time. Despite the good quality, and the interest shown for the band by many producers, the album never saw the light and was shelved until its first CD release in 1990 in a limited pressing.

The LP is very well made, and with a better production it could have been a classic in its style. Dominated by the flute, with strong classical influences, like in the opening ”Venite giù al fiume” it's still an original work, with very interesting moments.

The band split after the recording, probably disillusioned by the lack of chances connected to their album release. Almost all the musicians kept playing: guitarist Benson released some solo albums and is still active and popular in the Rome area, keyboardist Centofanti followed his career with singer-songwriter Claudio Baglioni and in Libra, while three of the others, Calabrò, Sangiorgio and Damiani, formed with two other musicians a jazz-rock group called Bauhaus.

This group, that received the Best Italian Band prize at the Rome Villa Pamphili festival in 1974, was strongly influenced by Miles Davis' jazz-rock fusion experiments, and only produced a 7-track recording that was issued by Akarma for the very first time in 2003 only. With a very good quality the instrumental-only group has much in common with Perigeo and similar Italian bands, but very little traces left of their progressive rock past.

Buon Vecchio Charlie - Buon Vecchio Charlie (rec. 1972, rel. 1990, Prog Rock) 3.73¤

Bauhaus - Stairway to Escher (rec. 1974, rel. 2013, Jazz Rock Fusion) 3.23¤


_______________________________________________________________________
klo

Ei kommentteja:

Lähetä kommentti

Tilaa: Lähetä kommentteja (Atom)

Italian Progressive Rock – Web Links

Italian Prog: http://www.italianprog.com ( an accompaniement to Augusto Croce's book ''Italian Prog - The Comprehensive Guide ...