| Jazz |
What we know about this album: Germano Zenga, born in Milan in 1971, despite a busy professional career, has not released many records as a leader. However, each one is the result of a project developed over time and never by chance. Many years after ‘Tide of Dreams’ and ‘Changin’ Balance,’ ‘Gato!’ is now released, also recorded as a quartet, his favorite formation.
Some of you may certainly know Gato Barbieri. If this album is a dazzling tribute to this great artist, as you know, we appreciate the arrangements that make it a true reinterpretation of his works. Germano Zenga, being one of the greatest Italian artists himself, playing each track on this album with his unique sound and numerous musical intentions and influences, makes it a rather elitist album but artistically successful.
It is not a coincidence that Germano Zenga focused particularly on the works of Gato Barbieri from the 60s and 70s. From my point of view, it is in this period that we find the most beautiful compositions of this musician. We appreciate that Germano Zenga has preserved an acoustic aspect, making this album timeless in its form and likely to interest many young artists worldwide who are interested in various musical influences and how to appropriate them without betraying the work. One must sublimate the work, and in this game, Germano Zenga is a master, dare I say, an emperor!
Enrico Rava made a valuable contribution to the success of the project. The famous trumpeter, playing flugelhorn on three tracks of this album, played with Gato both in the second half of the 60s and in more recent years. Indeed, one can perfectly feel the complicity between the two musicians, which acts as a form of dialogue above the initial musical dialogue.
We find fabulous musicians within this lineup: Germano Zenga (tenor sax), Luca Gusella (vibes, percussion), Danilo Gallo (double bass, bass balalaika, flute), Ferdinando Faraò (drums, percussion), special guest: Enrico Rava (flugelhorn) on tracks 2/4/10.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered between March and April 2023 by Vins De Leo at Crossroad Recording Studio, Cologno Monzese (Milan), Italy.
Who would have imagined Gato Barbieri’s work elevated to a work of art? Probably not many, but Germano Zenga has done it, and we are so happy and satisfied that the editorial teams of Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-Move consider this album “essential.”
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, December 14th 2023
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Tracklisting:
1. Mercenditas 08:31
2. Antonio Das Mortes 06:19
3. Hamba Khale 04:30
4. Lost Tango 06:56
5. Sombra De Gato 09:34
6. El Gato 06:28
7. Mimi’s Dream 04:51
8. El Pampero 07:31
9. Tupac Amaru 07:24
10. La Musica No Se Puede Explicar 01:00