TILT - IMMAGINI PER UN ORECCHIO

Like Area and Perigeo, Arti e Mestieri blended jazz rock and fusion elements with traditional symphonic flair. Tilt may be the best representation of this movement, and along with the debut albums by Etna and Il Volo, one of my favorite fusion albums of all time. Anyone familiar with Mahavishu Orchestra will have a frame of reference here, but Arti e Mestieri takes the concept one step further by not just integrating jazz music with rock instrumentation, but also western classical and Mediterranean influences as well. A near-perfect listen from start to finish, a masterpiece of the genre, and necessity for any Prog collection.

"Gravita 9, 81" starts the album off with an attention-grabbing motif that fades quickly to a deceptively melancholy intro...the combination of clarinet, violin and synth here is celestial. Then after the electric piano kicks in and sets the tempo, the world is introduced to Furio Chirico. Italian prog stalwarts will recognize the drummer from The Trip, but to the uninitiated, hearing Furio play drums the first time is like your first kiss - a little scary at first, somewhat sloppy, and WAY TOO FAST. But then you get that feeling; that warm buzz in your stomach like hot chocolate on a winter day. It courses through your veins and fills your entire nervous system with dopamine. That's what Furio Chirico's drumming is like. Bill Bruford will always have a special place in my heart, but if I had to pick one drummer as the "best," it would be Chirico.

Nowhere is his mastery of the drum kit more evident than in "Strips." An absolute monster beat, so carefully and thoughfully composed to accentuate (not overstate) the arrangement. "Corrosione" gives us our first taste of Mellotron, and again the woodwinds playing against violin is a combination of sheer brilliance. Nothing groundbreaking, but usually intonation suffers between these two particular instruments - not here. Giovanni Vigliar and Arturo Vitale play in perfect unision, often switching instruments not just mid-song but mid-phrase! A real show of virtuosity but also restraint. We then segue into Positivo/Negativo, another amazing showcase for what the band has to offer. "In Cammino" solemnly rounds out the first side.

"Fahrenheit/Articolazioni" is one of those songs that, once you hear it, is like a part of you. I will seriously just be sitting in traffic and it pops into my head, and get goose bumps every time. The first two-thirds of the suite is structured much like the rest of the album, but the third act is where the symphonic influences really take over...an orchestral feast for the ears that tugs at your heart strings and doesn't let go. I always get a little sad at this point because I know the album is almost over. A case for quality over quantity if there ever was one. Arti e Mestieri would go on to record many albums, but none as fine as this one.