Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

NAPOLI CENTRALE

Jazz Rock/Fusion • Italy


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Napoli Centrale picture
Napoli Centrale biography
NAPOLI CENTRALE were formed by James Senese (saxophone, flute, vocals) and Franco DEL PRETE (keyboards), although initially with two foreign members (american keyboardist Mark HARRIS and english bass player Tony WALMSLEY). The sound veered toward a jazz-rock in the typical mid-Seventies manner, with dominating saxophone, electric piano, and a few vocals. Similar to CHICAGO, BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS, BRAND X and NOVA.

The first debut album convincingly combined Jazz and progressive rock. The second release was in the same style as the first one. Third album came in 1977, with the founding duo helped other musicians, and was more jazz-oriented than their previous works. The new release "Zitte! Sta arrivanne 'o mammone" is their comeback rock album. I would highly recommend their second album to any progressive rock fan who likes the Cantebury or jazz prog side of this genre.

NAPOLI CENTRALE Videos (YouTube and more)


Showing only random 3 | Show all NAPOLI CENTRALE videos (1) | Search and add more videos to NAPOLI CENTRALE

Buy NAPOLI CENTRALE Music


NAPOLI CENTRALE discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

NAPOLI CENTRALE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.70 | 60 ratings
Napoli Centrale
1975
3.43 | 28 ratings
Mattanza
1976
3.85 | 13 ratings
Qualcosa ca nu mmore
1977
4.20 | 5 ratings
Jesceallah
1992
3.33 | 6 ratings
'Nagazzate Nire
1994
3.96 | 4 ratings
Zitte! Sta arrivanne 'o mammone
2001
5.00 | 1 ratings
Pajsà
2007
3.09 | 3 ratings
'O Sanghe
2016

NAPOLI CENTRALE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

NAPOLI CENTRALE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

NAPOLI CENTRALE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

NAPOLI CENTRALE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 2 ratings
Campagna
1975

NAPOLI CENTRALE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 'O Sanghe by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.09 | 3 ratings

BUY
'O Sanghe
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

3 stars Before speaking of the album I want to spend some words about the guitarist and vocalist Enzo Gragnaniello. He is known mainly for his neo-melodic songs and neapolitan traditionals; something I usually can't stand with. But he is also a skilled artist and he's able to cross the genres apart from singing: I have never heard him singing in a language different from neapolitan.

In the recent years he has released various collaborations with James Senese, the mastermind of Napoli Centrale.

This album is labeled "JNC" which means "James' Napoli Centrale". Effectively the original band doesn't exist anymore and after releasing several album as solo artist, Senese wanted to revive the Napoli Centrale brand, but in terms of composition this can be considered another Senese album.

Respect to the music published in the 70s which was more fusion oriented, this is still jazzy but highly contaminated by the influence of Pino Daniele, former bassist of Napoli Centrale, excellent guitarist and vocalist converted to artsy pop.

I have to say that this could even be a Pino Daniele's album, also because Senese played his sax in several albums of Daniele. Also let's consider that Pino Daniele passed away few months before the release of this album and even if he doesn't feature here, his death has surely left something in Senese.

Now, is it good? Luckily it's less pop oriented than Pino Daniele's stuff. No mellow tracks, not much "sugar" and a funky vibe throughout the whole thing. I guess that with a better distribution, the title track could have been a hit.

Let's go track by track...

"Bon Voyage" is a slow song driven by the Rhodes. It reminds to some Pat Metheny of period of "This is not America". The sax, not only in this song, united with the black deep voice of Senese has a bit of Osibisa.

"Addo' Se Va (Where are we going)" is a funky-blues with lightly political lyrics about the religion wars with a progression based on minor and suspended chords.

"Ch' Jurnata (What A Day)" Is more pop oriented in Pino Daniele's style I'd say. I guess the lead vocalist is Gragnaniello. Not a masterpiece and not exactly my pot but it's well played and produced. There's an evident contamination between the already contaminated "mediterranean funky" and the traditional music.

"Il Mondo Cambiera' (The Wrold Will Change)" starts with a sax riff and is again leaning toward pop, but the Rhodes and the percussion make it sound similar to Osibisa. I'm quite sure that the similarities are occasional, but it has something of Sunshine Day.

"Mille Poesie" is pure funky. A single suspended chord, bass, persussion and some rhodes, then a melodic chorus. For fans of 70s Motown.

I have already mentioned the title track: "O' Sanghe (The Blood)", the album's best in my opinion. The lyrics are a sort of prayer against war and violence. It says "Lord, how can I pray you if you don't save me first?"

"Povero Munno (Poor World)" is a sort of follow-up but musically sounds like a Gragnaniello's song. Not my pot, really but I can't say that's a mess. To my ears it's a sort of ska with neo-melodic vocals. Even if it's not my pot, it's that kind of song that resounds in your head for hours after you have listened to it. Maybe because it's a very simple thing.

"Portame Cu'tte (Bring Me With You)" has strange percussion, fretless bass and vocals. Can it be called world music? I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound badly to my prog receptors. Not a masterpiece but interesting.

"Tutto E Niente (All And Nothing)" is opened by sax and ruined by a disco-like sequencer. The musical repetitivity contributes in fixing it in the listener's mind. great job by Gigi De Rienzo.

"Addo' Vaje (Where Do You Go)" closes the album with the most funky track of the album.

Disclaimer: this is not Italian language. Understanding it is not easy for me, even if I can. Consider that I live less than 200 km far from Naples and I really struggle to understand Neapolitan unless they speak slow and sometimes translate some words.

The album? A good one for who likes fusion. I find it pleasant enough, good for car driving.

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

4 stars During the first half of the 70s, the musical scene in Naples has taken a very interesting path: the fusion between jazz, rock and traditional music has been a trademark of many bands, but Napoli Centrale is the peak of that movement. James Senese is son of an American soldier. It was very common at the end of WWII. But most of all is an excellent saxophonist, vocalist and composer. Mark Harris is also known in Italy as sessionman and for having toured with Giorgio Gaber in his theathrical performances.

Usually there is a clash between Naples and Milan, but I personally hear a strong connection between Napoli Centrale and AREA, both familiar with jazz, both with left-winged political themes in their lyrics. The main difference is that Area are more "intellectual and experimental" while Napoli Centrale hits your stomach before your brain. Even if the music is complex they are more "immediate", their writing style is closer to the people. The use of neapolitan dialect witnesses the popular roots of the founders, Senese and Del Prete.

This debut album is known mainly for the opener "Campagna (Countryside)" which actually had a good number of radio passages and obtained a discrete commercial succes despite the genre not very easy and the language that even I struggle to understand even living only about 200kms far from Naples. The album is dark, about the struggles of the poor people to work, to survive the economical issues in a city that's a symbol of the decadence that the South of Italy has suffered after having been conquered by the North. The most emblematic track is "Vecchie, Mugliere, Muorte E Criature (Old women, Brides, Deads and Children)", where Senese leads with a repetitive sax part over the rhythmic section and is backed by the Rhodes of Mark Harris. It's so dark and repetitive that it's not too distant from ZEUHL (I can't understand Kobaian, too).

Another similarity that can be heard is with SOFT MACHINE even if Neaples doesn't share anything with Canterbury. A great debut album for a band that while I'm writing (summer 2022) is officially still active.

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Dobermensch
Prog Reviewer

3 stars There's some real ugly saxophone at the start of this one. Damn! - I hate saxophones almost as much as bagpipes - and I'm from Scotland!

Thankfully things turn out quite nicely on this non remarkable album from Italy, sounding like incidental music from 'Kojak' or 'Starsky and Hutch' from the mid Seventies.

Pretty much like a poor man's version of Weather Report from the same era. It's nice enough, but shows nothing new whatsoever in the grand scheme of things. There is however some very good keyboard playing by some guy called Franco Del Prete and those saxophones do seem to fit seamlessly into the album the more it progresses. Not bad at all, but nothing too adventurous. One for fans of 70's Cop shows I think.

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by andrea
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Napoli Centrale were formed in Naples in 1974 on the initiative of James Senese (sax, vocals) and Franco Del Prete (drums) after their experience in another band called the Showmen 2. They joined forces with American keyboardist Mark Harris and British bassist Tony Walmsley and in 1975 released an eponymous debut album blending in an original way Mediterranean roots and jazz rock. James Senese's father was an American soldier who had been working in the base of Naples and his mother was a Neapolitan girl, perhaps that's why the fusion between Afro-American music and Neapolitan folklore sounds so natural and authentic in the band's output. Franco Del Prete committed lyrics in Neapolitan dialect add a touch of colour contributing to express what's an almost a tribal rage. They perfectly fit the music composed by James Senese where you can find influences ranging from Weather Report and Miles Davis to Osanna.

The opener "Campagna" (Countryside) begins softly with a short intro featuring shy flutes notes... Then the rhythm section starts pulsing while vocals describe in a caustic way how "beautiful" is the countryside. Lyrics depicts the miserable life of the farm labourers, exploited by their greedy employers... "Countryside / How beautiful is the country... But it is more beautiful for the landlord!". The rhythm is full of energy and James Senese's draws fiery sax passages under a midday sun. This track was released also as a single and was quite successful in Italy. An absolutely unexpected result for such kind of song!

"'A gente 'e Bucciano" (The people from Bucciano) is a long track featuring jazz and funky influences and obstinate drum patterns. Bucciano is a village in the province of Caserta and the song is about the workers that had to emigrate from the countryside of South Italy to the industrial cities of the North. "Hunger is stronger than the love for the countryside... And now the people of Bucciano live in the North and work in the factories / Where they throw away blood and health...Why? Why? Why?". Well, the answer is rather venomous and caustic... "Because the Pope is not the King!".

The instrumental "Pensione Floridiana" (Guest-house Floridiana) is the shortest track on the album. It's more relaxed, almost dreamy. It leads to evocative "Viecchie, mugliere, muorte e criaturi" (Old women, wives, dead and little children), another excellent long track dealing with the issue of emigration. Music and lyrics depicts a village where all the men are gone to work elsewhere, far away. What's left is a desolated place where you can't find no one but old women, wives, dead, little children, crippled men or skinny and hungry dogs. The atmosphere is dark and the rhythm almost hypnotic but the result is intense and dramatic. The instrumental "Vico Primo Parise n. 8" is lighter. It features a powerful jazz rock veined of funky where keyboards and sax perfectly interact with the rhythm section. Vocals here are used as an instrument adding touches of colour all along the way. According to some sources, the title is the address of the house where Napoli Centrale's leader James Senese was born, in the district of Miano in Naples .

The last track "'O lupo s'ha mangiato 'a pecurella" (The wolf has eaten the little sheep) features a strong folkloric flavour. It seems to have been conceived as the soundtrack of a film. It begins softly, you have to shut your eyes and try to guess what's going on... Narrow streets, shadows moving along the walls... Then you can hear someone who is laughing, some other sarcastically comments that the wolf has eaten the little sheep... Many voices of men and women, the sounds of a market... "Don't worry / Take it easy and sleep in peace...".

This album has been extremely influential on the music scene of Naples and should be considered as essential in an Italianprog collection. It is usually considered the cornerstone of a whole new music subgenre very popular during the eighties and called "Neapolitan Power", featuring artists like Pino Daniele, Tullio De Piscopo, Enzo Avitabile and others. A kind of world music mixing blues and Mediterranean roots...

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Drummer Franco Del Prete and sax player James Senese both from Napoli, Italy had played together in a band previous to this playing Pop music. They decided to go in a completely different direction (Jazz) in 1975 adding Americam keyboardist Mike Harris and British bass player Toni Walmsley. I think WEATHER REPORT would be the closest reference but there is a definite Italian flavour here. I have to thank Todd for the recommendation.This took longer to get into then I thought it would, but now i'm hooked big time. I can just imagine sitting in a bar in Napoli, Italy watching these guys play in the mid seventies with Todd, Jim and Thomas. The place would be hazy with smoke and the smell of spilled beer as NAPOLI CENTRALE offer up there own special blend of fun, experimental and mind blowing Jazz. It would have been too much fun.

"Campagna" was actually a minor hit for the band in their home country of Italy. It's led by electric piano and sax early (some flute too) while the drumming is very intricate and presice. Spoken words a minute in and then the tempo picks up. Vocals come in as piano, drums and sax stand out. We're grooving now, just jamming away. The instrumental work is fantastic ! "A Gente E Bucciano" opens with sax but settles quickly and i'm thinking WEATHER REPORT. Some atmosphere in this one. Vocals start to lead the way then piano, drums and bass support. Sax comes in when the vocals stop. Love the piano / drum section that follows. Sax is back ! This is great ! Vocals return late. Great tune. "Pensione Floridiana" is led by smooth sax, prominant bass and electric piano. The drums are light until about 2 minutes in when they dominate trading off with the sax.

"Viecchie, Mugliere, Muorte E Criaturi" has this cool intro that's a little dissonant then it becomes catchy with sax and vocals sharing the spotlight. This is my favourite track on here. Drums and piano lead 2 1/2 minutes in then the sax comes in ripping it up then the vocalist takes a turn.10 minutes of hypnotic bliss. Thomas rushes up to the bar for another round (he speaks Italian). "Vico Primo Parise N.8" has an excellent uptempo soundscape of sax, drums, bass and e-piano. So much going on with all these intricate sounds coming and going and intertwining. Some crazy sax and vocals late. "O Lupo S'ha Mangiato 'a Pecurella" is laid back with outbursts of sax and electric piano ealy. It turns a little melancholic as the sax takes a more prominant role. The last section sounds like a party with laughing and yelling. Or is that just Todd and Jim. No it's actually the band having too much fun. It does end with music though. I'm just sad it ends.

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars NAPOLI CENTRALE were born after a melodic soft prog/beat group named ''Showmen'' split with founder members James Senese (saxes,flutes,vocals) and Franco Del Prete (drums,percussion) carrying on to form this very good jazz/fusion act.Joined by American keyboardist Mark Harris and English bassist Tony Walmsley NAPOLI CENTRALE released firstly a single (''Campagna/Vico promo parise n.8'') and soon after their eponymous debut on Ricordi Label.

Not far from the sound established by RETURN TO FOREVER and WEATHER REPORT and followed by their compatriots NOVA,the band created a nice jazz rock album sung entirely by Senese in the neapolitan dialect with the typical elements met in good jazz musicians.A very complex rhythm section supports the alternating smooth/heavy playing of Senese mainly on saxes with a slight dose of flutes here and there.Mark Harris prooves to be excellent keyboard player with his Fender electric piano dominating the compositions with rich and well-arranged passages,often accompanied by Senese's saxes.There are also some AREA-related parts with very improvisational vocal performance and intense musicianship to close the band's trully strong profile.Dealing with social issues,a famous subject of discussion in mid-70's Italy,NAPOLI CENTRALE were both talented musicians and sceptic citizens and their debut is good introduction to their skillful sound. Recommended,especially for jazz/fusion lovers!

 Zitte! Sta arrivanne 'o mammone by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.96 | 4 ratings

BUY
Zitte! Sta arrivanne 'o mammone
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Alucard
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars 'Zitte! Sta arrivanne 'o Mammone' is a very interesting record... but it is not Prog! Since their last releases in the 70's founder members James Senese and Franco Del Prete have listened obviously to 'Massive Attack', 'Portishead' and 'Björk' and integrated these influences into a mixture of Trip Hop,Rap and Jazz-Rock textures.The typical Napoli Centrale sound was always based on Senese's vocals in Napolitan dialect(socially engaged lyrics), which is difficult to understand even for native Italians. Senese's vocals have a very melodic quailty even if he slows down to pure recital in rap-fashion. All tracks are based on basic rhythm tracks, which serve as a background for Senese's story-telling. There are no longer instrumental passages or solos, only some short melodic textures mainly played by Senese on tenor or soprano sax which gives the whole a 'Jazz flavour'. The whole record is very groovy' my favourite track is 'Ecce Home'.

Excellent addition to any... music collection

 Mattanza by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.43 | 28 ratings

BUY
Mattanza
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by loserboy
Prog Reviewer

3 stars One listen to this album and you will simply not believe that it was recorded back in 1976! NAPOLI CENTRALE are now just being re-discovered by today's exploration of listeners into fusion-jazz. What is hard to believe is that they were doing this kind of modern sounding stuff back then. On this second album released - "Mattanzo", NAPOLI CENTRALE expanded their soundscape by adding more instrumentation and took another big step towards that fusion jazz prog perfection. Band leader James Senese (sax, vocals and woodwinds) made some lineup changes adding Giuseppe Guarnera on fender piano, Kelvin Bullen on bass and Agostino Marangolo on drums and in doing so has offered a different angle to their music. I must admit that this album took a lot longer for me to get into and deeply appreciate as did their debut album but in many ways now I do prefer this album to it. Best way I could describe their music would be to take a handful of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (minus the trumpet) , blend in a few cups of (early 70's) Herbie Hancock and then a litre of Frank ZAPPA.

 Napoli Centrale by NAPOLI CENTRALE album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.70 | 60 ratings

BUY
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by loserboy
Prog Reviewer

3 stars After playing in the Italian art pop band "Showmen 2", James Senese and Franco Del Prete formed what would become one of the most intriguing and unique bands of the early 70's. Centered around a fusion rock core, NAPOLI CENTRALE's debut album convincingly combined Jazz and progressive rock. Once again this album defies simple categorization, but the music is highly exploratory and very progressive in approach. Kind of a mix of NATIONAL HEALTH with GENTLE GIANT, Herbie Hancock and a good dose of WEATHER REPORT. Instrumentally these guys love to groove with lots of sax, fender electric piano, bass and drums. Vocals are not central but are well done and sung in native Italian... kind of a nice full soulful voice. I know that today their music back catalogue is in demand as folk are re-discovering this band's early creativity. I would highly recommend this album to any progressive rock fan who likes the Cantebury or jazz prog side of this genre.
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition.

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.