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Swingin' Hanoi
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| The follow-up to Istanbul Rap, Swingin' Hanoi feels a little bit like "more of the same," especially when compared to Garibaldi, the Actis Band CD released in the meantime. This album is still very convincing, thanks mostly to the tested-and-true relationship between the four musicians, but the performances lack the extra effort that made the tunes on Istanbul Rap literally come to life. "Perestroïka" kicks things off with a high-octane mock-Russian new jazz anthem — first-rate Dato. "Compañero" is moodier and adds a Latin flavor. "Cocodì" is the weak piece of the set; overlong at ten minutes, it gets lost in its own meandering themes. "Joséphine Baker" comes back to a more succinct, punchier format and delivers a knockout highlight that is fatal to "My Lai," all but going unnoticed after such a coup. "Saharawi" is the other standout tune, this one slightly Moroccan in style. "La Montagne Pélèe" [sic] features some uncredited acoustic guitar, the only sidestep from the group's usual instrumentation (unless you decide to consider the pig grunts in "Tarfaya" to be unusual). Piero Ponzo gets an impressive feature in "Compañero," while Carlo Actis Dato squeezes in a couple of his trademark savage baritone sax outbreaks elsewhere. Most of the melodies display the quirky charm that defines Dato's approach and the album offers a highly pleasurable listen overall. It just isn't as compelling as its predecessor. And, if the music has nothing Asian about it, it does swing — and it tangos too. |
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ARTISTS
Carlo Actis Dato (tenor and baritone sax, bass clarinet); Piero Ponzo (alto sax, piccolo, soprano clarinet); Enrico Fazio (acoustic bass); Fiorenzo Sordini (drums, percussion) |
| See all titles featuring Carlo Actis Dato |
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