Tiziano Tononi & Southbound **** 4 STARS!
Trouble No More…All Men Are Brothers
Long Song
Just when some of us thought the whole “tribute
album” thing had run its course, part two: In the early
‘70s, one of the paramount American outfits was The Allman Brothers Band, a Southern blues-rock combo with a
flair for extended improvisations and one of the genre’s
best guitarists, Duane Allman. This Italian combo, led by
drummer Tiziano Tononi, pays tribute to the Brothers by
taking some of their best-known songs and harnesses
them as points of departure for some (occasionally extreme) jazz improvisation. Does it sound like the Allmans?
Except for the tunes themselves—“Whippin’ Post,” “Midnight Rider,” “Les Brers in A Minor”—not at all. Do they
capture the feverish intensity of the Allmans at their peak?
Yes, but in a wild jazz context, evocative of Charles Mingus
(no stranger to the blues himself), Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
and Frank Zappa’s jazz-oriented orchestrations for large
ensembles (The Grand Wazoo, for instance). Highlights
include Emanuele Parrini’s mercurial, scorching violin
(moments of aching guitar-like wails), Marta Raviglia’s
slightly sultry, clear vocals (on “Whippin’ Post” and a few
others), and the expressive, fiery saxophones of Emanuele
Passerini and Piero B. Bon. “You Don’t Love Me” becomes
a powerful swinger—Rat Pac-era Vegas meets South Side
Chicago blues club—worthy of both Count Basie and
Carla Bley. If you are a fan of blues, early ‘70s guitar rock,
and edgy-but-mightily-rhythmic jazz, Duane and Coltrane
(dig the solo on “Post”), seek and cloud 9.5 is your next
stop. (14 tracks, 79 min.) www.longsongrecords.com