UNTITLED

Moto Perpetuo began life in 1996 in Gallarate, a town in the province of Varese, Lombardia. They were mainly inspired by artists such as Chuck Corea, Pat Metheney, Yellowjackests or Weather Report and the name of the band refers to their ever changing attitude in mixing jazz, rock and classical music with their own creativity and sensitivity. After many years of live activity on the local scene and two self released works that went almost unnoticed, in 2023 they self-released an excellent album entitled "Untitled" with a consolidated line up featuring Alessandro Lualdi (piano, keyboards), Orazio Martino (guitars), Costantino Corbetta (bass) and Roberto Ragazzo (drums) plus the guest Matilde Lualdi (violin). According to the band, this is "a small point of arrival and restart, a book with a question mark on the cover whose content is left to the imagination of those who will listen to"...

The lively opener 'Gasoline' takes you on a ride across American deserts and open landscapes full of vitality and positive energy while the following 'Clave Surprise' is calmer and darker, with classical inspired piano passages and dreamy atmospheres preluding to unexpected changes...

'J.J. Blues' starts with the electric guitar in the forefront. There are some excellent organ passages, the rhythm is relaxed and takes you away, along a blue line for mystic miles... Then it's the turn of 'Lonely Walk' that, according to the band, would be an ideal background for a solitary walk to let off some steam...

The delicate 'Irish Lullaby' is an excellent piece that features the guest Matilde Lualdi on violin and was inspired by Irish landscapes, Mother Nature and the strength of stability of maternal feelings... Then comes 'Operation: Suitcase', a piece that could describe the feeling of nervous expectation that you can experience before taking off for a holiday on a far exotic paradise, when you have just to focus on the content of your suitcase savouring the sense of freedom that's going to come...

'Grain' has the soft, steady step of a pink panther while 'Joint Point' is a lively track whose title evokes a point of union and communion. Funky rhythms and organ parts that could recall Jimmy Smith... Next comes 'N.B.F.' whose title could be an acronym for Natural Born Fifteen or, if you prefer, Nervous Breakdown Fever. It's a track that, according to the band, was inspired by a wild, odd teenager, combative and idealistic...

'Untitled', the title track ends the album leaving to the listener the task to set his imagination free to give form to the images that notes suggest. It begins by a calm piano pattern, then goes through many changes as to evoke the different scenes of a beautiful dream...

On the whole, a very good work that it's really worth listening to.

Chops Galore

Moto Perpetuo is an instrumental fusion band from Lombardia who have been playing together since the 1990s. They've been playing live for years, and they finally released their full-length debut, Untitled, in 2023. The reason for the ambiguous album title is that they would prefer the entire experience of listening to them be in the court of the listener. They didn't want to impart any preconceived notions. "Why Untitled? Because it is an album without a real definition, just like the genre we play. Untitled, as instrumental tracks without lyrics should be." Fair enough then.

The album reminds me of many of the Italian fusion/jam albums I've come across: AIIR, Bella Band, D.F.A., Free Wave System, Kaleidon. Not being a jazz expert by any means or measure, I'll confess that fusion sometimes becomes an experience that blurs together into a similar sounding stew. I don't dislike it. On the contrary, it's pretty awesome. It's just more difficult to discuss. This is an album of technical performance prowess with a nice mix of stylistic shifts and loads of emotion coming through in the playing. For sure in the lead guitar as you'd expect, but also in every position. Some songs are more traditionally jazzy while others offer shots of chunky groove/funk or delicate classical touches. That is the part where I feel some of that lovely RPI intoxicant coming through, and that is where they win me over. There is a ton of piano playing on this album and a small bit of violin, and the beauty in these sections is undeniable. If you are into varied and impeccably performed instrumental rock, this is a release you'll not want to miss. I thoroughly enjoyed it.