AZIMUT

If UK was the original habitat for Prog, then USA was the same for fusion. But just as with Prog there were many acts all over the world that absorbed the pioneering influence made it into their own. Germany was probably the leader of the pack, but also Italy spawned a couple of interesting acts, Area is the obvious spotlight, but also lesser known acts such as this Perigeo have made wonderful albums.

In true Italian fashion, Perigeo concentrated on creating beauty and harmony. In fact they took the magical dreamy mood of early Weather Report and removed the roughest edges of that band's experimentation without becoming too polished or cheesy. With a concentrated interplay between the members they eschewed virtuoso heroics and put all their money on composition and atmosphere. A wise choice that pays off wonderfully on the debut. Also the occasional vocals add greatly to the atmosphere.

With 6 moving fusion tracks of consistent quality that I appreciate this album as much as the early Weather Report period. It's probably not been as ground-breaking or inspiring but it's simply a great listen.