Ben Harper - Lifeline

I have seen a very interesting clip on Ben Harper. During a live show he was asking to the audience about how they have known his music. On TV? No one. On the radio? No one. Thanks to the advice of a friend? An explosion! Anyone has known him thanks to the word of mouth. Such a primitive marketing tool!

I had the same experience. Magical. Half drunk, late at night. During a party with many friends I have suddenly heard the rhythm of a bongo coming out from the stereo. Then a fine acoustic guitar riff. And finally his voice. He put a spell on me. It was Ben Harper's one. He was singing "Burn One Down". I was hypnotized. Since then I have started to hear all of his music. Up to his simply wonderful cover of "Strawberry Fields". Stunning.

Due to the primitive marketing tool of the word of mouth I have started to be a genuine Harperoholic! Anytime a new release is announced I start to fell a strong interior conflict. On one side the happiness related to the good news of some more music from Ben Harper. On the other side the fear. Ben is not from Mars. Sooner or later he will fail. His artistic inspiration must disappear.

Anytime he releases a new album Ben Harper declares that it is his best one. The most complete. Actually I have never been disappointed by him. Anytime the fear for the flop is strongly kicked out by the beautyfulness of his music and by the very deep lyrics. It's incredible but time after time Ben Harper looks like a perfect guy who never fails. For sure, some albums are better than others. But anyone is surprising. Just one example: "There will be a light". Very far from the previous works. Ben Harper was able to renew his music without betray his soul. He was able to bring the Blind Boys of Alabama back to music. He made a real masterpiece.

It's clear enough that when I heard about the new album from Ben Harper I have started to feel a little anxious state of mind. I have to be honest. Truly. This time I had a strong feeling about a possible failure. After a double album arisen from the angry generated by Katrina hurricane. A shout in favor of all the (black) homeless not considered by the administration. After months of tour all around the world. After a week of work in Paris relegated in a studio with his innocent criminals he has created another masterpiece.

It's a black music album. Soul. It sounds like a record from the '70s. But it also sounds modern. Since from the very first listening I had the proof that Ben was right once again. It's not important to write about each of the 11 tracks. It's enough one that could represent the whole album: "Put it on". Like the Marley tune. But inspired from the golden era of Black Music. Amazing. Makes your heart beat faster. It makes you scream while singing following its rhythm with the body.

Maybe sometimes Ben Harper will record a bad album. I don’t know. For sure today he is more from Mars than from Planet Earth.

Giovanni Allevi and Stefano Bollani

In my opinion Jimi Hendrix has been one of the greatest musical genius ever. His feeling is absolutely unique. Nobody has ever been steps ahead like him. Nowadays a lot of guitar heros could play hundreds of notes per second. But without sentiment. Pure technical power. So boring! Even when I think about instrumental albums, like a solo piano album, I just pair it with this bad feeling. Boring. Boring. Boring!

As sometimes happens then arrives something that makes me change my mind. Probably something strange. Unique. I don't know. I just know that this time the thing that made me change my mind is related to a couple of Italian artists (piano players). The names are Stefano Bollani and Giovanni Allevi.

The first time I have seen Stefano Bollani was on an MTV's broadcast. He was playing live some solo tunes. Brilliant, no doubt. But then he did an experiment. He has asked to the audience to write on a piece of paper a tune he should play. No limits at all to the requests. 5 or 6 have been chosen randomly: Smoke on the water, like a virgin, Summertime and others. Very hard job for Stefano. But just after a few seconds he has played a great medley of all this songs. Absolutely incredible. Unbelievable. Ok. Quite easy. It was a TV show. For sure everything has been carefully prepared before. Or not?

Just to have some kind of proof I have been at his live show some days after. I was really curious. Incredible. At the end of the show he did the same experiment. The audience was shouting the name of the songs for the encore. He wrote more or less 10 titles. And after a few seconds he started a wonderful medley. I was there and I can witness this extraordinary experience. But what has really impressed me is the wild and creative attitude he has playing the piano. And the audience too has impressed me much. Complete silence during the performance. Explosion of noise, claps and whatever just after the last note of each tune! Amazing.

As a consequence of this nice experience I felt ready for testing another Italian piano player. Giovanni Allevi. He is a very shy guy with a great sensibility. His last album (piano solo!!!), Joy, put a spell on me! Since from the very first listening I had a positive feeling with it. I have found myself listening the whole CD for 3 or 4 times in a row. After that I did feel a little bit strange. Confused. Never in my life I thought possible for me to like so much instrumental music. And without any guitar too! But the truth is that Giovanni Allevi is simply magic. Any of his note could transfer real emotions.

An hazardous comparison could be between Giovanni Allevi and Jimi Hendrix. More than all in a couple of tunes. The first one, Downtown, reminds me the experiment made by Jimi Hendrix to reproduce the noise of the traffic with his own guitar. The second one, Jazzmatic, is a crescendo where rhythm and the dynamic of the player are simply unbelievable. And powerful. As only Jimi's guitar was.

Sometimes is really nice to be wrong and change mind. Thank you Giovanni. Thank you Stefano.

Gigi Cifarelli's talking guitar

Talking about music is not so easy. There are many chances to use stereotypes. Brazilian has the rhythm in their blood! Any Brazilian? Cubans dance like gods! Any Cuban? Could it be possible? Only (Afro)Americans can play the Blues! Yeah, the Blues. But also Jazz music. It's chilling to think about a Norwegian playing Jazz music. But in the cold Scandinavia is possible to find some of the finest modern Jazz players.

And what about Italians? Think about Italy means to think about Pizza & Mandolino? Are we so sure? I'm not! Probably stereotypes, like any legend, have some truth inside. I'm quite sure that it's something related to attitude. Capacity. For sure a Jamaican is much more confident with Reggae music than with winter sports. But if I'm not wrong there was a Jamaican team riding a bobsled at the Winter Olympics! Probably an Italian is more confident with soccer playing (or at least talking) than playing Jazz music. But there are many examples of great Italian Jazzman & Bluesman. Could be crazy. Could sound impossible. I don't know. What I know is the existence of the proof.

And the proof has a name. The name is Cifarelli. Gigi Cifarelli. He is really incredible. In the Milan city area he is one of the most famous and appreciated musicians. But ha has lot of fans all over Italy and Europe. Probably his name is known also in the USA. For sure in USA he has lot of friends. Mike Stern is one of them. Many times they shared the same stage for a gig. Also a real Jazz Master like the (sadly) gone Tony Scott was a fan of Gigi. He has played with many stars. It's enough to take a look at the gallery of his own web site to check it.

Gigi has an incredible feeling with music. He doesn't play the guitar. He makes the guitar talk to the audience. The instrument is the media to drive all the emotions. And Gigi drives many emotions to the audience. He has incredible technical skills. But really seldom he uses it. He prefers to use the heart, to have fun and to provide fun to the others. He is for sure one of the greatest Jazz players in Italy. And not only. He plays the Blues like few others can. But the crazy thing is that music to him is not a job. He whisper to his friends that his real job is to ride the bicycle. For real. He wins many competition every year. Guitar is just an hobby. It's a way to lower everyday stress. It's just fun. Not a job.

On 6th July he has played in Nice with one of the biggest American guitar players: Mr Al Di Meola. Yes, typical American name...just look at the cover photos of Friday Night In San Francisco! Despite of its Pizza & Mandolino attitude Gigi has played great Blues & Jazz. Also Mr Di Meola has been shocked by him. Probably Gigi will receive some proposal for a tour abroad (maybe in the USA) but I'm not sure he will accept. How can he left his bike for such a long time???

The Beatles & Sgt. Pepper's 40 years after.

I have read that more or less 1.000.000 books on the Beatles have been written. It's correct to think that almost everything and much more has been yet written on them. A post about the Beatles has, for sure, some ridiculous taste. It's useless, maybe. But there are coincidencies. Celebrations. Historical dates. Unique events. The 1st of June 1967, exactly 40 years ago, was released the album that according to many is the real Fab Four's masterpiece: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There are albums that are boring just after the third time you have played them. Others become really legendary. And, as in this case, after few decades they could be named "best album ever". Check out Rolling Stone in 2004.

It's incredible to still talk about this recording after 4 decades. I have listened to discuss about it for all my life. I feel like this record is even part of my own life. But the very strange thing is that I have never listened this album! Until some days ago. Obviously during my life I have heard some tunes from it here and there. I would be a liar to tell that I have never listened Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The real truth is that I have heard and read so much about Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to be sure to know it without even listen it.

At the end I have decided to do like St. Thomas did and verify with my own ears if this album is really so important or not. I can't tell if this is the "best album ever" or not but for sure this one is really incredible. It's not about the fact that this is one of the first concept album. It's not about the fact that it justify in some way the (ab)use of drugs (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds or fixing a hole). I'm just talking about the music. Only the music. And the words. It's crazy. It's a modern sounding album even today. It sounds new and extremely powerful. It sounds at the same time so familiar and as something never heard before. But, above all, it completly sweeps away the idea of the "good boys" Beatles. Only a healthy madness mixed up with a deep sense of rebellion (and a good amount of drugs) can help an artist to produce such a masterpiece.

I'm quite sure I have listened the album 5 times in a row before putting down the earphones. I can't find the words to describe the strange chill felt just after having realized that this music is 40 years old !!! I understand how brave is anyone who has published any kind of music after this date: 1 June of 1967. To have such a benchmark could be really scaring and demotivating for any musician.