Having not reviewed this album, perhaps I know something about a way to lose myself in omitting one of the very few albums from this Roman artist that I have adored since day one. Nothing like Alessandro di Benedetti coming to my rescue with a 2025 reworking of this 2018 album. Not surprisingly, seven tracks adorn this reworked release with the addition of an unplugged bonus track (Rebirth) , and longtime collaborating guitarist Federico Tetti joins Alessandro as well as singing on both Rebirth versions.
The dignity of “Free Walk” and its lingering 11 minutes puts you immediately in the right mood. The maestro handles the elegant piano like a devoted lover, a genuine companion and a fervent friend, while flailing away on the stride counting drum kit, Federico coming in later on the subtly crafted fretboard. Letting the piano roll on down the highway, the flamboyant organ comes in to present its ‘buon giorno’ to the audience , long enough to variate into jazzier realms, with discreet bass ruminations razing the pavement in complete obedience to the cause. The sultry synth flight elevates the brisk walk into a more buoyant promenade until a restful pause brings back the resourceful piano to the main road. Another lap with the wobbly synthesizer, sprinting along like vintage Pietro Mennea on an Olympic run. Back to the Hammond organ, wildly whistling like ribald sailors coming into Taranto, looking for some company . What a sprightly stroll!
Speaking of said mariners, “The Fun District” is where all the action is, the playfully exuberant organ doing most of the overt revelry, not exactly la dolce vita but definitely sensually alluring enough to elicit smiles, grins and even glances. The flirting solo piano ruffles the edges before the drums kick into a maddening shuffle that may require each listener to define what ‘fun’ really means! Alessandro does some moaning choir vocalizing that may pique the interest of the curious. The rhythmic tribulations keeps the mood properly edgy, and slightly chaotic as befits the real Italian version of ‘amore’.
Time to get serious and “Down Deep” is where the music takes us, a reflective and intense piano etude, where black and white ivories are the only cohorts for the limber fingers and the closed eyes of a musician absorbed in his craft. A profound performance that resonates into unfathomable crevasses of the soul.
“Where They Live” is the epic 13 minute+ musical amphitheater as our Roman samurai attacks with verve and consummate dedication an ever-shifting composition that ultimately encompasses the mood and skills of the entire project, rightfully showing off the talent at hand (two hands, for sure). As if that is not convincing enough, one of the finest combinations in music coalesce as one, namely a thrifty Hammond organ, a belligerent bass and some pugnacious percussive insertions. The impressionist tempo shifts into slight variances, a stupendous scenario of urban mayhem, never cacophonic but always wholly unexpected, as is the case of that screeching synth twister that threatens to dive into a momentary lapse of logic. Federico Tetti unleashes a series of deliriously strident guitar binges, occasionally displaced by a jazzier counterattack, as the bass minds its own business as if in another universe (a common bass guitar trait!). Music for the big city, any sizable cosmopolitan area could use this composition as a soundtrack, as it depicts the beauty and the beast of municipal life and its often-unending intricacies.
When the night comes, and the lounge lizards set their sights on the evening to be ,“The Breath of the Red Lights” is where all human interaction dispenses from the daily routines and obligations, the hair gets loosened, the dresses tightly stitched, and the perfumed dance takes over from the onerous chores. It’s time for enjoyment, eat, drink and party. A little flirting also keeps the mood on edge. The panorama of atmospheres reflects a less showy technical display, relying more on conveying all the sounds within the context of the arrangement and all its peaks and valleys, as well as the endless innuendo in social banter. The lead guitar seems victorious, as if a bond has finally hit the jackpot, two solitary figures may be joining as one, the mutual attraction surely a joyous feat of chemistry and physics that have ruled our universe since Eden. Forget the apple. Live, love and enjoy. Brilliant!
The morning after comes the “Rebirth” , the perennial need to reestablish normal methods of movement and thought in order to continue growth. Tetti handles the lead vocals and the awakening guitar flicks, reminding one that yesterday was yesterday, and one must face the new day. The arrangement underlines the needed resolve with the use of choral orchestrations that urge that first steps to be taken in the ongoing daily quest. The voice is appropriately drained and exhausted, expressing the trauma of starting anew, shedding both good and bad memories, forging courageously ahead. The mood is closer to symphonic electronics with gloriously played synthesizers, pianos and drum support. Federico peels off a celestial guitar rant , mellotron cascades in the background and syncopated turmoil to fish off.
“Down Deeper” could mean an abyss, but it’s just a continuation of the earlier “Down Deep” under a different packaging, with full bass, guitar and drum support. It’s a synth fest with Alessandro fleshing out all kinds of alternating tonalities to go with the piano hidden behind the shrubs, that will eventually climb into a full faced duel with the electronic keys. Its perhaps deeper but still far from gloomy of dark, quite to the contrary, remaining playful and creative throughout, especially in light of the terrific drum work from our maestro. A famed jazzman once told me that a great pianist should never have trouble on the kit, as both can be just as percussive. The final quarter of this nine minute + piece plunges into more oblique and abstract realms, a serene flute patch finding a landing at the bottom of the sea and indicating that it may be time for another rebirth. Up periscope!
The bonus “Rebirth” is unplugged, a shorter and altered version that begs the question : since when is a piano plugged in? The drums remain, the tired voice and guitars are still there, albeit now acoustic challenged, a more solemn adaptation, where mellotrons and flute patches are there to play with the bulging bass.
I have said it before many times, and I will say it again; Alessandro di Benedetti is a talent for the ages. His music is always creative , eloquent and impeccably attractive. I longingly await his next offering with impatient fervor.
4.5 manners of loss