BARIGOZZI GROUP - WOMAN'S COLOURS

Giancarlo Barigozzi is known for being one of Italia's top Jazz Flutists as well as in demand studio musician, producer and bandleader of his Group featuring Sergio Farina and Oscar Rocchi among others. in 1970 they recorded 'Woman's Colours' for the Fonovideo label, a highly consistent Concept Library subtitled with 'Pop Jazz-Pianoforte Elettronico Wurlitzer'. an overall first impression of the album suggests smooth, clearly played Jazzbeat, but a closer listen immediately reveals the colourness of the compositions. successfully fusing different styles like Pop Rock, African influenced Folk, Jazz Funk, Exotica & Bossa Nova to an own unique trademark sound, the Group creates a groovy loungecore kaleidoscope that's filled with heavy basslines, weird synthisizer effects, melodic flutes, wahwah lashings, bongo percussion, psychedelic moves on electric guitar / rhodes and clever keyboard lines. tracks like the laidback funky jazz groovers 'Silver Legs', 'Red Face' or 'Violet Lips' have become classic Easy Tempo Clubbers over the years and have also been released on 'The Optical Sound' compilation. very exciting instrumental music from start to finish and a perfect definition of Italian Psychobeat. (Fonovideo 1970/LP)

 

PIERO UMILIANI - LA RAGAZZA FUORI STRADA & IL CORPO

in the early 70s Piero Umiliani wrote the scores for Luigi Scattini's trilogy of soft-sexploitation movies all starring Nubian exotic beauty Zeudi Araya and of which 'La Ragazza Fuori Strada' was the first chapter. starting off with some gentle, soft vibes there's a laid back, sleazy feel omnipresent throughout the entire album. in further progress the sound gets heavier and funky instrumentation blend with psychedelic nuances into some dramatic and tense arrangements: tracks like 'Senza Tregua', 'La Rincunia', Le Ore Che Contano' or 'Cantata Per Maryam' are loaded with rolling basslines, cool wahwah effects, wordless female voices and psychy organ/electric guitar leads perfectly fusing Funk, Jazz, Exotica and orchestral music. the music of 'Il Corpo', the 3rd and last chapter, has been released in 1975 on the obscure Sound Workshop label providing an absorbing, sensual & breathy setting for some erotic extravaganza taking place somewhere on a desert island's beach at sunset. it's filled with moody basslines, outstanding conga percussion, again wordless female scat vocals, dramatic strings and hammond/keyboard effects with great depth. featuring the killer opener 'Hard Times', 'Stream' and 'Chaser'! (Liuto 1971/LP & Sound Work Shop 1975/LP)

 

 

PIERO PICCIONI - COLPO ROVENTE

Piero Piccioni's score to Pietro Zuffi's ultra-stylish drug thriller 'Colpo Rovente' (aka 'The Syndicate') from 1970 is considered as one of the holy grails on the big horizon of Italian Sonorizzazioni, not only in terms of rarity, but also because of its masterful orchestration. alternately conducted by Piccioni & Gianfranco Plenizio the spectrum ranges from loungy Jazz and Bossa tunes to driving Big Band movements filled with mad rhythm structures and some amazing hammond play by Antonello Vannucchi. first there's the main title in different variations suddenly bursting from sparse, tense illustration music into some wild Jazz Rock moments with blaring horns and a wordless choir. 'Easy Dreamer' & 'Acapulco Shake' captivate with psychy dancefloor beats, scary vocals & more hypnotic organ riffs and were used in the film as background music of the disco as well as the LSD party sequence. and finally big spot on 'Kintabu' and 'Black Flower', both piano-driven Club Groovers played in downtempo beat, in coolness and feel strongly reminding of Vladimir Cosma's 'Black Flowers'. excellent soundtrack featuring instrumental Easy Listening Jazz as it can't get more groovy and psychedelic. (RCA 1970/LP)

 

 

ENNIO MORRICONE - ESCALATION

the maestro strikes again! diggin' within Ennio Morricone's endless film music output for obscure Funkiness may be time stealing hard labour, but then again, the few tracks you come across always have something extraordinary to offer. big spot on his score for Escalation, an Italian psychological father son drama from 1968, featuring the mighty 'Dies Irae Psichedelico', a midtempo sitar-drenched Acid Pop Rock extravaganza with fanfare-like pathetic horns and hypnotic vocals in Latin. dark hallucinogenic beats very much in the vein of Colpo Rovente, and no big surprise 'Dies Irae' was used in the film's strongest sequence, a trippy LSD party showing dancing hippies in a liquid light show (a technique typical for late 60s Psychedelic Art) the original movie take was overdubbed and slightly distorted with additional screaming vocals & weird electronic effects amplifying the psychedelic impact of the composition. a real disturbing listening experience! (CAM 1968/LP)

 

 

FOURTH SENSATION - FOURTH SENSATION

'Fourth Sensation' were a mysterious italian Progressive group formed in the late 60s and only ever recorded one album on the small Ricordi label in 1970. likewise Barigozzi's 'Woman's Colours' it's some kind of concept LP dedicated to women in general with all ten tracks having women names. the overall sound is finest italian Progressive Beat in the style of the Underground Set or Blue Phantom, a very exciting instrumental fusion of Acid Rock, Jazz and Psychedelic with colourful bluesy undertones. backed by bass and fat rock drums only, electric guitar and hammond organ prevail, getting loose on several funky jams throughout the entire album. killer beats on 'Vanessa', 'Elena', 'Georgia'! this very rare LP has never recieved a reissue of any kind with original copies always changing owners for exorbitant prices. (Ricordi 1970/LP)