DEDALUS

When one thinks of Italy in the seventies, one is more naturally reminded of progressive rock, than the sub-genre jazz-rock fusion, specifically. Judging by the evidence in this excellent debut recording by Dedalus, there must have been a sophisticated jazz rock scene, and this album at the top of it.

The music is completely instrumental, and is experimental in just the right way, mixing jazz with rock and almost African percussion in parts. When i first heard this music in 1989, years after it's first release in 1973, i knew i had a real winner, right from the start. Especially impressive is the drummer Enrico Grosso, whose technique is flawless, and bass player Furio di Castri, the same. Also, there is some tasty guitar, flute,sax and keys playing that is really impressive, too.

Dedalus are so good, that they rival more established fusion groups like Soft Machine, or Nucleus, even Passport, and believe me, that is saying something!

There is intelligence and complexity in this album's music, and one gets the feeling, as in Il Baricentro's Sconcerto record, that everything is done just a bit better than other groups of the time. I never tire of the Dedalus debut, and it definitely has stood the test of time. I would even say that it is a bench mark of what could be done in early seventies fusion, even though it was not as well known as some-if you want to hear fusion as best as it could get in Europe in the seventies, you need not look further! Five deserving stars, no less.