GRAN DISORDINE SOTTO IL CIELO

This was a large ensembe from North Italy with 8 musicians involved, which released one album for the Ultima Spiaggia label.Oboist Mario Arcari later played with Ensemble Havadià and singer/percussionist Umberto Calice was already a member of Yu Kung.Other members were bassist/guitarist Raul Scacchi, basoonist Dino Mariani, guitarist Maurizio Martelli, pianist Alberto Mompellio and singer/guitarist Francoise Godard.The album was titled ''Gran disordine sotto il cielo'', released in 1977.

This was one of the sporadic attempts from Italy on artistic Prog Folk with elements of Jazz and Chamber Music thrown in, highly acoustic, still with plenty of interesting moments and a good instrumental depth.It sounds like Italian Poetry mixed with soft Progressive Rock, offering subtle orchestrations with little rock content but with a nice generosity on varied instrumental themes with the display of oboe, violin and bassoon leading to some R.I.O.-flavored, emphatic and complex themes.I love the discreet bass work on this one along with Mompellio's great piano parts and atmospheric background organ.When the female vocals lead the music, the album has a slight Pop vibe, still keeping the artistic attitude quite high.Some sort of STORMY SIX meet PICCHIO DAL POZZO (yes, there is even a slight Canterbury aura on this one) meet PANGEA album.Am I the only one to hear some vibraphone on this one?Whatever, the music is extremely elegant, even if the lack of electric moments make it sound pretty delicate as a whole, but there is some serious beauty on this one, after the Mediterrenean atmosphere comes to meet the Chamber Jazz principles.Vocal tones and narrations are quite charming as well and parts of the album could have been easily used as soundtrack for a vintage Italian movie.

An honest and sincere attempt on a different king of Prog Folk.Quirky, intricate, poetic and theatrical music, largely based on acoustic and wind instruments.Nice stuff.