Fabio Zuffanti's "Ghiaccio"

"The Beauty is in the Details"

Fabio Zuffanti does it again. He is quickly becoming one of the new masters of music, with his extensive range of styles and techniques in the studio. His new album "Ghiaccio" translated as Ice is a wonderful work of art. The beauty here lies in the details. This is not an album you put on and rock out to one you put on the headphones and relax to after a long hard day at work. Let the music envelop and wash over you like the smooth waters of a gentle flowing river on a warm summer’s day. Lay back and bask in the beauty of this music.

Take note of the many layers, vocal treatments, percussion, beats, and orchestrations. Zuffanti is quickly becoming the master of many styles. His band Mashera di Cera is a wonderful exploration and continuation of the rich lush Italian symphonic progressive music. It harkens back to the 70's and the golden days of Progressive Music...yet it takes off from there and continues on into the new millennium.

But we are talking about his solo work here. Ghiaccio is a beautiful work of art that starts out simple and subtle and slowly progresses through the song list. As the album works its way into your mind you really start to understand its purpose. The lyrics here all sung in Italian and I am at a loss for what he is singing about but I don't even need to know. Each song takes on a beautiful life of its own yet the entire album works together as a cohesive unit. The way each cut starts out subtle, grows and flows and decays in rhythmic beats and electronics and voicings. There are some wondrous layers to this music and more will be discovered on the 2nd and 3rd listening, this I am sure of.

His multifaceted percussive beats know when to be bold and when to be tame. In ways it is similar to Hostsonaten another one of his other band projects. There are many beautiful works in that catalog to check out. However this music here delves more into the experimental micro ambient, electronic, beat genres and yet he tosses in some orchestrations for added flavor. This reminds me of the things that some of my favorites over the years have done to keep the music sounding fresh, new and transcend genres and cultural barriers.

I have only a slight criticism as a fan who is disconnected from the creation of this work. From the outside looking into the world of Ghiaccio my only desire was to hear a little more live percussion and some tasteful guitar. That would have given it the other .25 to be a ***** 5 Star for me....but with that said I give this a solid **** 4.75 and strongly suggest adding this work to your collection.
You can purchase it here. Directly from the artist himself!

Or if you are in the USA and are concerned about overseas shipping you should get it here:

Peace and Music in 2010! Michael A. Inman

The Power & The Glory

"Of the Italian Symphonic Progressive band la Maschera di Cera."

There is something to be said for bands that play music like they did in the 70's but add a new flare. La Maschera di Cera has taken the old and mixed it up with the new and pushed it out into the cosmos with their new title: Petali di Fuoco which translated means "Petals of Fire".

For those of you who grew up in the 1970's you will really appreciate this lush music. It's nice to see bands like this emerging in the 2000's. They harken back to days of old and add in new styles for a nice progression into the new millennium.

The lyrics on this album are all in Italian and somehow I do not seem to mind a bit. In fact I think there would be a lot lost in translation. The accent, the power, and the structure of the Italian language adds a dimension to this music that would be lost if translated into English. I am glad that Alessandro Corvaglia sings the lyrics in Italian they have much more power. And this is all about the POWER and the GLORY here. How can you NOT be moved by this voice....it's so rich and full of life! If I had not seen them live this past summer in Chapel Hill, NC at Progday I would still say the same thing.

The addition of Matteo Nahum on guitar is nestled nicely in the mix of Andrea Monetti on flutes and Agostino Macor the mastermind behind the rich layers of keyboards. Matteo's playing is often reminiscent of Steve Hackett in the glory days of Genesis. Tasteful yet not so overwhelming that it overpowers the song. Macor's keyboards are beautiful as well...he even adds in a bit of Keith Emerson's Classical style to the mix.

Andrea is without a doubt one of the best flutists in music today. He has the power of Ian Anderson which adds a Tull like dimension to the sound. And on the softer side he can make you float off into oblivion with his playing.

Let us not forget the amazing mastermind behind the band, Fabio Zuffanti on bass. Fabio's precise playing combined with Maurizio di Tollo's hypnotic style of drumming fills out the bottom end of the band. They are the glue that holds it all together. Petali di Fuoco is la Maschera di Cera in their prime here.

The opening track Fino all'aurora showcases Alessandro's dynamic voice. I heard that he was once in a Genesis cover band.... but listening to him sing here, he is doing much more than covering old sounds or rehashing old vocal patterns that even Peter Gabriel doesn't sing anymore. He brings LIFE to the music! People this band is not playing oldies or doing cut and paste performances of rehashed Genesis here!

They are taking elements of classic 70's music and mixing it with their life experiences and coming up with something New Bold and Dynamic. BRAVO to Mr. Zuffanti and the gang!

I could give a track by track breakdown here but I think that you should buy it yourself, put on some headphones and get ready for the music to take you away. I love many of the older Maschera di Cera releases but there is something about this new release that takes all of that, mixes it up a bit and comes up with what I would consider to be their swansong!

Get this new release and support this band they really are amazing and should be a lot better known around the globe than they are. If you don't believe me take some time and listen for yourself. You will be glad that you did!

Peace and Music 2010 - Michael A. Inman

You can get the new album here

POEMS

First let me start by saying I never thought I was much of a poet. But through my studies in Art at UNC Charlotte I discovered a love for poetry. With it's many styles Poetry is an amazing art form. Here are a few Poems I created while attending UNCC.

"Lifeforce"

Teardrops fall
along the contoured landscape.
Wandering like a mountain stream
plummeting over the cliff
into the abyss.

Large flowing bodies
Surrounding masses,
of continental crust.
Fresh brine free origins
the scent of memories
rippling rapidly past.

A southward migration
contextual change
adds salt to the wounds
yet growth….
and then…

The healing begins
a new horizon.
A southward continental shift
and the evaporation of pain.
The cycle continues…

ahhhhhhhhh lifes sustaining force!



FREE VERSE POETRY



Definition: "Free verse is a form of poetry which refrains from meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern."

See what you get from this Free Verse poem...Please comment below:

Feelings

Sight
Smell
Touch
Taste
Hearing

Feeling – anger of our role in Iraq

A visual catharsis?
Graven image toppling--
a choreographed sham
purging of guilt.
Skewing the worldview
momentarily.

Retinas transfixed,
simulacrum of an era past.
An olfactory whiff of
burning innocence deadens
the sound of victory.

Face flushes
Reddened capillaries swell,
steam rises--
WMD?



“The Morals of Morel’s”



Pacing slowly….
Gleaning downward….
Staring intently…

The forest opens
Sun shining on the fresh
Spring dew.

Elusively blending,
hiding…
their trickery eludes me,
like 4 leaf clovers.

Step back….
Refocus, unblend, stop looking!
It appears….a solitary one.
Springing into view
the forest floor unfolds.

Alluding at first
like a relationship’s search.
When you desire you cannot see.
When you find one many more appear.

Hundreds of them lifting out of life’s fog,
Waiting for your greed to take hold.
To be devoured or cast aside?
Which one to pick?
Their stems hold the key to their truth.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

I know it's been a while since I have written anything on my blog and I am sorry for that. First I have had to upgrade my PC to a new model due to a bad logic board and several other key components. However the Tax return check came just in time for this to happen. Sure am glad for that one! I have a brand new pc I had built at this great little store in Charlotte. I found them over 6yrs ago through a friend who built my last computer. Make sure to stop by and check them out here



I am posting some of the Adobe Illustrator designs I have created over the past few years. The process is very intuitive and it only turns out to be representational as it develops. I don't start with anything specific but rather create a singular shape....add outlines,color,textures and more. Then I rotate, duplicate, twist and turn it around till I see something I like. Often I create a shape and don't use it but come back to it later and use it in another design. Combining things to make something totally unexpected.

I love doing this kind of art because it is very reactionary in a specific moment in time. Nothing is too sacred but often times very spiritual things come from it. Often I see something in what I am designing and I develop it further and the end result "IS" very representational of a common object. This is only by happenstance that this occurs. I have never started out to draw anything specific but often along the way I see something and go with the flow.

Does that make sense? Does anyone else know if there is a name for this kind of thing? If so please comment:

For now here are a few more things:
(Make sure to click each photo so you can see it in large format)

Paper Cat

The Paul Green's School of Rock Alumni do it again! Julie & Eric Slick (bass & drums) a brother and sister team who have made their claim to fame by being the glue behind the Adrian Belew Power Trio. Forge out into new territory teaming up with Eric Slick's Project Object bandmate Robbie "Seahag" Mangano for this new instrumental Power Trio known as Paper Cat. And a Powerful Trio they are......

With the Slick’s having just recorded their first album together with the elder Belew, it is evident that the rhythm section of this new trio Paper Cat, have really honed their chops. Doing so by gigging endlessly crisscrossing the United States, Canada and other assorted parts of the globe for the better part of four years now. Fresh off a recent Russian tour the Adrian Belew Power Trio has Playing in festivals and sharing the stage with the likes of Tony Levin, Eddie Jobson and his project U-Z, Umphrey's McGee and many more. As well as contributing their own precision elements of bass and drums to Belew's well orchestrated instrumental 5 part suite entitled "e".


The duo of Eric & Julie recently shared the stage with The California Guitar Trio contributing some powerful back end to their sets as well. But on to new projects ….this duo does not set idly by waiting for the next Adrian Belew Power Trio tour....they dive into studio for this new project with Robbie "Seahag" Mangano of Project Object on guitar.

Recently the new trio called Paper Cat played a live gig in the Philly area and recorded it and Julie made it available on a website called Band Camp. Julie Slick has not only toured with the Adrian Belew Power Trio for the past 4yrs but she has also completed a degree in music engineering at Drexel University (with honors I might add). Putting herself through college by part time waiting on tables at a local Philly establishment when not in school and on the road with Adrian Belew.

Eric Slick is just as busy as his sister, when not on tour with Adrian he has been doing gigs in Philadelphia, NYC and at Bonnaroo where he played drums for several grueling days and several shows a day with a belly dancing act? He also regularly sets in on live gigs with many well known musicians. He recently played NEARFest with Oblivion Sun the progressive rock band at 3pm and immediately following the NEARFest set he raced across town to do the set with sister Julie and The California Guitar Trio.



From reading various blogs on the internet I have discovered that Eric and Robbie were on an airplane and they created this hilarious version of a paper cat from the airline's vomit bag. Said Paper Cat… appears on the recent poster for their live set at the Kyber and on their new My Space Page Here

There you can catch 3 new tracks recently recorded at Studio Slick (Julie's studio) where she has also been recording and producing the music for her boyfriends band Cheers Elephant. But let's not forget the band at hand...Paper Cat. Take a listen for yourself to the 3 new tracks recently posted on the My Space page and it is evident that this new instrumental trio is maturing as we speak.

I love the sonic sounds the band has been creating in the studio. The first track titled Spider Song starts with Julie hammering out a nice bass riff......and Eric coming in on his drums....and then the attack is on Robbie comes in like a machine gun on the guitar.....and the trio is off and running on this progressive journey. Robbie's playing is very crisp and well planned...this is a band that is really thinking about what they do before laying it down in the studio. There are elements King Crimson in the mix but it's not a copy by any stretch.

Operation: Desert Storm starts out with some nice melodic guitar.....but you know there is an attack coming somewhere in the near future. The bass starts to brew up from the mix and the drums start marching in for the kill that you know is about to occur. And YES they launch into a total guns blazing attack, Robbie laying down some very sweet tones that remind me of elements of Mr. Jimi.....I bet this is a total hit in the live shows.
The dynamics of sound on the ending create the scene for this desert landscape. Slowly winding down into the sweet eternal oblivion, a place that can only be truly found in the calm after this desert storm.

Novembeard starts with Julie ripping in with some very in your face bass resembling the way that Tony Levin does in Crimson. While Robbie comes in with some sweet harmonic tones which you know are going to develop. Meanwhile Eric is not setting by doing nothing either...his sense of timekeeping is well planned out in the proper progressive instrumental fashion. But before you get too relaxed Robbie begins his guitar attack once again. This song has a nice groove to it and I really appreciate the various textures going on here. Julie is laying it on thick in the low end, her bass is constantly ripping and bubbling out of the background at times sounding very much like Tony Levin. Just as you wish this song would go on forever it is over all too soon and hopefully like me, you are left longing for more.

Well this band has certainly stirred my progressive soul and I am hoping for a whole album sometime in the very near future.

Peace & Music,


Michael A. Inman

Better Late than Never!

Power Trio – Asheville review

Where do I start here! This was an absolutely wonderful show. From the trip to Asheville, the good food, friends from far away lands, and the culmination being at the Power Trio performance.

As usual I drug my friends to the show my excessive 2hrs before door opening time. This time my good friend was visiting all the way from Sao Paulo, Brasil. Talk about perfect timing on this gig happening while he is here.

The weather was gorgeous with billowing clouds, Carolina blue skies, and tiny rain showers lasting so briefly that you hardly noticed. We arrived at the Orange Peel venue about 5:15pm for a 7pm door opening. Usually there are people who arrive at least 1.5hrs early but this time no one showed for almost 1.45mins which I found quite strange.
I was hoping that the venue would not be lacking for attendees this night.

Adrian deserves a good gathering of friends to see him perform. I think that the final turn out was better than the Stella Blue gig last year though. While we were waiting in line several people started to show up just before doors. It was nice conversing with other fans that’s one of the reasons I love to go to concerts early. I often find that I am standing in lines with several whom I have met at shows past.

One of the attendants came out to check the ticket scanner and asked to scan my ticket to make sure it was functioning. All systems were a go and at that moment I decided to check on my camera being ok to bring in. I have been to many Adrian Belew shows in the past and cameras were always allowed. The manager or show manager said it was ok as long as it was not a pro lens. (mine was) I did some fast talking and got her permission to bring in the camera provided I did not use my flash. (fine by me I like natural stage lights)

Her name was Anastasia and she went by Stashia for short. She told us of her youth and traveling with the Grateful Dead and all she knew. I mentioned that my friend here is from Sao Paulo, Brasil. She told me that I would be getting a wrist band with VIP access to the front side of the barricade.

Finally we were let inside the venue and I quickly raced up to the stage to get the optimal photographic spot for the gig. Sort of in front of Eric and looking at Adrian from the right side of the stage. (less microphone blockage that way)

The warm up band was Nerd Parade out of Atlanta and they were incredible! It took me quite a while to realize that the bassist is Rich Schmidt also a member of the Adrian Belew Tribe yahoo discussion group. The drummer was great he was very cool to see playing. He seemed to love those Surf beats and the guitar had many styles. They were a great act for an opener and were most gracious to Adrian for allowing them stage space to play. I would like to see them perform sometime when they were a headliner.
Now enter….The Power Trio……seasoned by yet another year of playing on the road.
WOW what can I say here they were stellar! Eric’s drums were in perfect view of me from where I was. He was in a great spot to get a lot of good photos of him. Usually the drummer is behind his drums and is hard to get a shot. His kit was positioned side view for us on the right side.

Julie was playing her usual subtle stage presence but a monster of style and tone. Barefoot again and playing the hell outta her bass. I was able to get several decent shots of her over the course of the evening. I got to go in front of the barricade to take some shots which was extra special for me.

Adrian was in rare form as usual his playing was spot on that night! He is one of the most underrated guitar masters of this century. Such a joy to watch and so fun to hear him playing. I think he has finally found a guitar that he will use for the rest of his career as a musician. That Parker Fly Adrian Belew Model is one in a million with it’s wild interfaces build for the Line6 amps. He comments on how he never breaks strings anymore and how no matter how hard he uses the whammy bar it never goes out of tune.
After all he IS the Twang Bar King!

The Trio played several off the new album “e” and I can consciously say they played a,b,c, and e for sure and who knows but possibly they played d as well. The new cd is a 5 part song cd. a-e and e seems to be the culmination of the parts a-d. A very progressive instrumental jam it is starting out with a mellow acoustic sounding “a part 1” and building to the song e where all of the parts seem to gel together for a monstrous conclusion.

I do remember him playing The Lone Rhinoceros which he said has not been played before or in a long time anyway. I also remember Three of a Perfect Pair as well. The audience singing along at the top of our lungs. What a joy it was and such a treat for my buddy who came from Sao Paulo Brasil to visit.

After the show I was talking with Robin at the Merchandise table and Djalma came over in a frantic state saying come quickly! Stashia wants us to come backstage! How cool was that… we got to go backstage and visit with Adrian, Julie & Eric a bit before they came out front to sign things. Adrian was so gracious as always and he thanked Dj for coming from such a long way. He took time to pose for a photo of the two of them. This is something that will go down as one of the best times of Dj’s life I am sure. Not too often do you get the chance in Brasil to see people like Adrian Belew play so this was an extra special treat.

We also got to give Julie some jewelry that Dj brought from Brasil. There were a few bracelets and necklaces made from seeds by South American Indigenous people. She was most gracious about this and shared with her mother at a later time. In the excitement of it all I forgot to get my photo taken with Adrian so during the signing I asked him for the preverbal photo op. He said that it is not too often that the photographer gets to have HIS photo taken. What a great guy he is as he always takes time to make each fan feel like they were appreciated individually.
This was truly the best Adrian Belew show I have seen to date as they keep improving with age like a fine wine. If you have not yet had the opportunity to go see them play live please treat yourself to this experience. You deserve it!
Here are some photos I took at the show.

Peace,

Mike

"e" is to the Power Trio what Fahrvergnugen is to Volkswagen

"driving pleasure"

Adrian single handedly introduces us to “e” with “a” which is a rather captivating coming attraction, that not only inspires us to listen through to the end, but captures our desire to do so, by the tail.

This is the first studio album that Adrian uses his band mates Julie Slick on bass and Eric Slick on drums. As we get our first glimpse of this trio together in the second track it harkens back to sounds reminiscent of Neurotica. Not enough to be pastiche but just enough to gather King Crimson fans together for a thorough listening of Adrian’s favorite new project.

A personal favorite of mine is the way that Eric makes use of the most simple drum kit yet together with Julie on bass they drive this trio like the force of a thousand elephants storming across the African plain. There is something animalistic about this group they seem to capture my attention at every twist and turn of this journey called “e”.

This studio recording of Adrian’s really captures the spirit of the live shows. The way Eric rattles around on the edges of his kit and Julie fills out the bottom end of this with her fierce definitive style of bass. It really gives one a sense of just how cosmically talented the other two thirds of this trio are.

Eric often enters into the layers of Adrian’s guitar with a bombastic drum riff and out of the blue Julie soars onto the scene from the bottom end of the spectrum. The true talent of this lineup of The Adrian Belew Power trio is heard for the first time in a studio recording and what a recording it is.

Sometimes the music has a very cerebral quality and cannot be properly put into words. It is for those moments that I will leave it up to your brains to decipher. At times the entire band is going completely off the wall with its organic fractalizations and just when your mind feels it cannot escape the madness, Adrian goes off into some very beautiful Soundscapes. This completes the equation which puts your weary mind at ease.

There are moments in this journey that have a very chime like quality and touch just a bit on the 80’s King Crimson. He also seems to pull out some of his old tricks here with sounds that remind me of the songs of whales in the deep blue sea. Only this time I think they are being analyzed by some alien beings from outer space. Check it out…..

In interviews I have heard Adrian talking about this being an entire cohesive piece arranged around “e”. I love these rather up and down scale like themes it has a sense of adventure about it and piques my curiosity as to what will come next! Meanwhile Julie and Eric are creating the glue that keeps this entire piece welded firmly together. This is probably why for me; this is the most interesting of Adrian’s project oriented albums. He obviously let them work out their own parts and share the limelight with him and boy do they ever!

Adrian’s playing has always been monumental in my book but he has finally found the other two pieces of the puzzle. With Adrian as a base and Julie and Eric as the other two sides of the triangle Adrian has found a Synergy in this band, which means that the sum of the whole is greater than its individual parts.

I love the way he uses the scales to build up a theme and then all of a sudden all chaos breaks loose with the rest of the band. There are so many intricate themes going on here and Julie is really playing some amazing things on this release. The trios’ interconnectivity is stellar; the changes in this are beyond amazing! Eric is crackling around like fireworks on the fourth of July on the rims of his drums. Adrian is pulling out all the stops with his solos in latter parts of this album. This album is definitely about the journey and the destination is “e” and boy oh boy what a destination “e” is.

This final track “e” is the culmination of everything on this album coming together to create the final composition. The percussion is crisp and the bass is ferocious! There is a power that only this Trio could show you. If you have not gotten this album yet please do you will thank me!

You can get your copy over at Adrian's website and even get it signed by the trio!
www.adrianbelew.net

Peace,


Mike