SARABANDA

'Sarabanda' is the 2nd Venegoni & Co. album but if you think you can get your hands on an album in Arti+ (&) Mestieri style you are outside of the road... Of a twisted road. In my humble opinion Venegoni & Co. is a band more close to RPI that a pure Jazz Rock band. If this is not a problem, you considering also that Venegono & Co. is an Italian ensemble.

In this innermost revealing what I wrote (and not wanting to create false illusions) I have to write that 'Sarabanda' is an excellent example of Jazz Rock, really massive and Mediterranean. Certainly more fluid respect to Mahavishnu Orchestra but not latin as Santana. a right mix is the correct description of this musical proposal.

It goes without saying that if you look at Perigeo in Venegoni & Co. you are really stupid, because it would go to try to say that a cow and a finch are the same thing! And this without offense to anyone. In fact Vnegoni & Co. was (and is) more close to Lanzetti's PFM that close to Perigeo. Jazz Rock period of Tony Esposito or Baricentro was more approchable to Venegoni & Co. (as Arti+ [&] Mestieri).

'Sarabanda' is not a masterpiece. For me is only a light album with great songs, in the way of European Jazz Rock but with more mediterranean flavor. In 'Live... Somewhere In Seventies' the only song of 'Sarabanda' that is not present is 'Opa'. And I prefer these versions because aged well. The studio version appear to me as normal songs with good arrangements. Also if normal in this case is equal to great song (i'm repetitive, I know).

I think that 'Sarabanda' is a good album also because these songs have a hard writing and light production with a bad recording process. If this mix is a great defect I don't know because in this case this mix is perfect for this music.

So if for you italy is not only maccheroni or pizza, Napoli, Rome or Venice... And since Turin is one of the European capital of Jazz... Venegoni & Co. is another band that not disfigure in your Italian Prog collection.

Sarabanda is an often used album title by Italian bands. I have yet to find out what it means although my online translator says "slow dance". OK..... that does explain/that does not expain a lot about this album.

Sarabanda is a crossover album between jazz, folk rock and RPI. It is mostly RPI though, but not in the PFM mould. The music is very playful and the vocals is used as an instrument. Tangents though is the main instrument. That and the rhythm section who really know how to fill the dance floors with this album. This album is very funky and a sure winner on the dance floor. In particular when it utilize old folk music songs and add a rampant bass and keyboard to the mix. Very infectious indeed and this reviewer has showed off some dance routines on the way between the coffee maker and the computer during the writing of this review. See Youtube video.

Frivolities aside, Sarabanda is a great album with the title track as a superb song. All nineteen minutes of it. Maybe this album is a bit too slick and cheesy. It has certainly taken on board a lot of influences from the disco scene. But the combination of folk music, funk and jazz is really great here and something the new bands in the RPI scene should have a look into. We very much want albums like this.

4 stars