It's not that I'm a huge fan, but every once in a while I dig out from the old stuff a few albums by an overlooked artist that really does deserve to be listed among the Prog-worthy. He may not be to everyone's taste, but if you listen to the right tracks, you will find some symphonic-prog genius. I'm talking about Gino Vannelli. Now wait, don't cringe! I know he's a crooner, he's hyper-romantic, he's pompous, he produced a lot of pop trash, AND he's Canadian (j/k), but let him who is without sin cast the first bubblegum wrapper. Gino was born in Montreal in 1952. He released his first album in '73 in collaboration with his brother Joe. You can find more of those details online if you're interested. The important thing here is to know what to listen to. The pieces I recommend are from his three albums released between '76 and '78. His best work can be found on the album Gist of the Gemini - the War Suite. Another track you will not want to miss is the third movement of his orchestral piece A Pauper in Paradise. If those intrigue you, try sampling the album Brother to Brother. This album is more pop-commercial, but definitely delivers on quality and complexity. I've sampled a few of his other albums but all of them made me throw up in my mouth a little and left me just shaking my head over the wasted talent. Start with this instrumental interlude from Pauper, 3rd movement: https://youtu.be/jX37gFkxPUM If you like that, check out the War Suite from Gist: https://youtu.be/ZJVMXsPLltI" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/ZJVMXsPLltI https://youtu.be/a0p1HWEFhFY" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/a0p1HWEFhFY Again, it's not for everybody. Though he has incredible range, you may be turned off by Gino's often schmaltzy vocals, or you may not like the over-dependence on electronic instrumentation in Gist. But the guy is definitely talented. If you're digging for a new gem from the mined-out bygone prog era, this is a shiny object you will not want to overlook. I haven't really researched him or anything, but if you want to read more, you can start at: http://www.ginov.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.ginov.com/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino_Vannelli" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino_Vannelli Let me know what you think. < Bellerephon
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