ALLA FIERA DELL'EST

1975 was the breakout year for Branduardi.He changed his recording house and signs a contract with Polydor in Italy as well as Ariola for the rest of the world.With great motivation he moves on to the recordings of his third studio album ''Alla fiera dell'est'' (1976).Maurizio Fabrizio and Gigi Cappellotto are again among the guest musicians, this time count also Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's Gianni Nocenzi on clarinet and piano.

This is some very good acoustic Progressive Folk record by Branduardi mixed with traditional singer/songwriter tunes, always led by Angelo's soft guitar touch, while the musicianship is always surrounded by dreamy, smooth folky orchestrations.His voice remains among the top 5 Italian singers ever: Sensitive, melancholic and crystalline.''Alla fiera dell'est'' seems like an easy-going Folk album, but things are much more different than this.The instrumental breaks contain excellent orchestrations filled with string and wind sections, often close to Chamber Music, while the arrangements are more demanding than they sound with constant light interplays between the acoustic and Classical instrumentation, reminding a bit of MANEIGE or fellow Italian natives ZEIT.The atmospheres are great as always and I cannot imagine what would happen if Branduardi was gritty enough to add a bit of electric instrumentation among this delicate acoustic material.

This is not a Progressive Rock record by any means, but ''Alla fiera dell'est'' contains certainly some demanding and trully progressive arrangements for an Acoustic Folk album, which will please all fans of Folk music (count the proggers in) as well as lovers of fantastic and dreamy musical journeys.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.