A LIVE

Italian ensemble PICCHIO DAL POZZO (PDP hereinafter) can trace its roots back to the early 70's. The main members started working together in 1973 and didn't actually choose a band name until an album's worth of material had been recorded in 1976 and their label at the time needed a band name to publish it under. Since then PDP has released a further four productions, of which "A_Live" from 2010 is the most recent.

Those who have a general appreciation for avant-garde progressive rock that doesn't adhere to the aggressive, in?your-face approach, but instead opts to explore features of a gentler and more subtle nature should find this live CD by these Italian veterans to be a real treat: well-performed and well-captured live footage, featuring a rich myriad of sounds and details, delivered by the nine-man-strong ensemble on stage. A general appreciation of jazz-inspired efforts will be essential to derive full enjoyment from this production, which might limit the target audience slightly. Overall, this is a very good live album from two sophisticated avant-garde bands collaborating to showcase works by one of them in the best manner possible.