AZIMUT

This is where it all started for Perigeo, the band that would signal the times and heights of Italy's jazz- rock scene for the following years. Given the spirit of experimentation and renewal that was spreading all over the country in popular music, Perigeo took notice of that and turned from a traditional jazz-rock band to a modern jazz-fusion ensemble. For this "Azimut" the obvious main point of reference is Weather Report, mostly regarding the ethereal atmospheres and the fluid use of exotic cadences in the rhythm section. The opener 'Presto di non so Dove' kicks off on a tone of spiritual tranquility that almost seems to lay silent in wait for teh sun to rise in the horizon. The track's second half is a full- band jam that keeps things quite dreamy, spreading the initial mood and making it just a little bit more extrovetive. 'Grandangolo' initially follows in a similar vein albeit structured in a more intense mood: D'Andrea, Sydney and Fasoli really shine in their own respective leads on electric piano, guitar and alto sax. Somewhere near the end the group creates an absorbing moment of chaos, in this way setting a moment of frenzy that ultimately reaches a properly conclusive coda. This is one of the album's highlights, no doubt about it. 'Aspettando il Nuovo Giorno' returns to the more reflective mood of the opener, although its jam-friendly scheme keeps things quite groovy. It's a pity that this track only lasts less than 4 minutes, since its catchiuness should have definitely been more expanded. This kind of shyness is not repeated on the title track (another highlight). Track 4 reinstates the recurrent serene stance in the shape of a surreal travel through well-ordained yet free-developing sounds. You can tell that this band's debut shows true accomplished musicians, natural veterans so to speak. The amalgamation of piano arpeggios and bow-driven contrabass lines create a delicate limbo seasoned with percussive ornaments. When the guitar and bass guitar settle the middle section, it's time for the full ensemble to elaborate an agile motif that includes a spectacular piano solo. 'Un Respiro' is a brief interlude that serves as a moment of rest and softly breathing before the arrival of the 10- minute long '36° Parallelo', a very focused jam-oriented piece. The contrast between the sober electric piano chord progressions and the exuberant sax and chanting lines helps the band to bring out its extroverted side with more fuition than on any other colorful passage in the preceding repertoire. All musicians alternate the solo parts (including a magnificent drum venture by Bruno Biriaco). It's a pity that this tracks doesn't meet a proper climax to close down the album: hypothetically speaking, 'Grandangolo' would have made a more adequate closure, but all in all, it is a good idea that the album's final seconds are so patently uptempo. "Azimut" shows a few unpolished corners in Perigeo's sonic building, but it is also clear that the band is almost already there t meet its apex in albums such as "Abbiamo Tutti un Blues di Piangere", "Genealogia" and "La Valle dei Templi".