BELLA BAND

An Italian band from Firenza that uses sophisticated, multi-part compositions with all of the bells and wihstles that the late 70s offers in terms of electronic gear and effects; drummer Mauro Sarti used to be in popular RPI band CAMPI DI MARTE.

1. "Fairadiesis" (6:45) the very tight, well-disciplined rhythm section sounds a lot like that of JEAN-LUC PONTY around this time. The whole song is based upon a very catchy melodic hook--one that sounds quite familiar from the world of pop music or cinema. Excellent! (13.75/15)

2. "Promenade" (10:45) a slow, almost B-movie cinematic start with Fender Rhodes chords and saxophone gives way to ANT PHILLIPS-like arpeggiated electric guitar chords at the end of the first minute. This guitar-dominated motif continues for while the Fender Rhodes, gentle cymbal play, and saxophone make subtle contributions in the background. Then, at the 2:15 mark everybody kicks into a melodic two chord motif with chunky bass and full drums jumping into the fore. This is kind of NOVA Vimana-like. At the end of the fifth minute the music suddenly switches into a more Latin/Caribbean-flavored movement with lots of fast moving staccato parts. The music almost enters the area of rock/rockabilly before finally slowing down to create a new, more somber and rich keyboard and sax-filled theme in which bass and guitar have some solo exposure. The final two minutes, then, show the band backing off into just Fender Rhodes for a bit before restarting a variation on the arpeggiated guitar-with-saxophone motif from the beginning. Interesting and very pleasant song to experience. (17.875/20)

3. "Porotopostrippa Sul Pero" (8:50) fast opening with sax, bass, guitar and keys all jumping in full volume before settling back into a jerky groove in support of keyboardist Riccardo Cioni's keyboard play--and I do mean play! The dude jumps around from keyboard to keyboard for a it before settling on an unusual synth sound for a good minute. Then the full band jumps back into a whole-band pastiche with guitars and saxes (multiple tracks, each) competing for lead until finally a clarinet is left to occupy the spotlight. Very interesting solo over some nice funk. (The bass and drums are definitely in The Zone!) Guitar and bass take the next leads, in tandem for the bit in which the guitarist takes to establish himself. Then there is another lull while Luigi Fiorentino preps himself mentally for an extended electric guitar solo--here using a heavily-processed sound for his axemanship. It's a very nice rock solo in the vein of Hiram Bullock or David Sancious. (17.75/20)

4. "Cipresso Violento" (5:20) Fender Rhodes and sax interplay on this spacious, slow-to-develop-and-define-itself Smooth Jazz song. At times it has a very distinctive STEELY DAN Aja ("Aja") sound and feel. After over two minutes of feeling their way around, the band finally settles into a very RTF "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant"-like motif with heavy bass chords and repetition of a two chord form. The heavy speeding down the highway only lasts a minute or so before the song regresses to its patchy, pastoral exploratory style of the opening two minutes and then eventually closes. All in all, it's a nice song, with lots of very rich, pleasant, and engaging sounds, I just wish it would/could have established a little more structure and rhythm for a longer portion of its five-and-a-half minutes. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 31:40

A very interesting and engaging display of creativity and skill coupled with the melodic sensibilities and influx of electronic effects and sounds of the late 70s.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of sophisticated Jazz-Rock Fusion that is definitely serving to help usher in the Smooth Jazz era.

Material is not so abundant in Japan where I live this album announced from CRAMPS. The sensibility of Soft Machine and Alti E Mestieri might be able to be tasted a little as the taste though the taste of Jazz/Fusion is being consistently carried out by this band announced in 1978. It might be able to be said that this Bella Band is the one though a lot of bands touched off exist in the music of Jazz and Canterbury also as for Jazz/Prog Rock of Italy. The sound in which it feels it ..sweet sound.. has finished to the last minute consistently the Mediterranean sea that seems to be exactly Italy though the form of the Jazz combo is taken. The flow of "Promenade" ..flow exactly reminded of Alti E Mestieri.. has finished. Interplay on the way is indeed splendid. As for the sound that SAX player's Roberto Buoni began to spin, I felt the impression that an indeed soft impression was given and the sound like Wayne Shorter has mixed with Elton Dean only a little. "Porotopostrippa Sul Pero" that recalls AREA only a little because each member mixes the humour leads to easing the album. This band also feels that one property to which Italy gave birth and one treasure that splendidly digests the frame of Jazz and develops it. "Cipresso Violento" is a tune where Rhodes of the melody and Riccardo Cioni that Buoni is sweet sounds gently. It is ..tune with the anacatesthesia to feel Alti.. finished here. These Music will take off and I take off the hat the band in Italy that buries a lot. I also wish other people to enjoy these sounds.

Out of Florence, Tuscany, came out this quintet that produced one sole album, released in 78 on the Cramps label (Area, A+M, Venegoni and CdL), so you'll have guessed by now that they were into jazz-rock. Indeed they were into late 70's instrumental funky jazz-rock and the group, a classic prog quartet fronted by wind-blower Roberto Buoni was made upon mostly previously-unknown musicians with only the drummer Sarti having played in Campo Di Marte. The humorous artwork is depicting maybe what they would be for a band today in 09.

Just four "long" tracks over the vinyl, two aside, clocking between almost 6-mins and almost 11-mins, the group develops a JR/F that sounds a bit Nucleus and Soft Machine-like, but less so than Perigeo. At times they seem to sound more international like WR, MO or RTF, but it's clear that they're not up to that virtuoso level, and wisely choose not to over-extend themselves. My fave track is the longest Promenade, but the preceding Fadadiesis is also an excellent opening track. BTW, the flipside is very short, just clocking around 13 minutes and also a little inferior (IMHO), because it seems neither tracks can seem to find its interior fire. But this is not to say that the funk bass-driven Porotopostripa is not good, it shares itself between Buoni's sax, Cioni's Rhodes and Fiorentino's searing guitar lines. Only the slow-developing Cipresso is less interesting, because it seems that after one slow intro, it starts a second intro, albeit more energetic, but only to die out and restart in yat another would-be intro.

This album has received at least twice a Cd release, but while I like it a lot, I'm not sure it's worth tracking it down that much. It's not like it is essential or anything of the sort, but it's an enjoyable artefact for those that want to dig deep in Italian JR/F of the 70's. Quite good but not essential, yet for completionists only.

It was Finnforest who first brought this band to my attention, then Todd told me I had to check these guys out. I think that happened before only with ROCK'YS FILJ. Anyway as Jim says, if your into Jazz / Rock this is a sure thing. At first I thought the band on the cover was BELLA BAND and i'm thinking they look a little old. Haha. No it's not them. The music here is so good with amazing guitar work to go along with the fantastic keys and winds. Oh, and the drummer who previously played with CAMPO DI MARTE is very impressive. This is the kind of instrumental music I just get lost in, even if it's less than 32 minutes in length.

"Faidadiesis" opens with lone electric clarinet sounds before the whole band joins in.Fantastic ! It settles in at 1 1/2 minutes. Great sound as sax plays over top of the bass, drums and other sounds including piano. Nice bass before 3 minutes followed by some great guitar that goes on and on. A crazy keyboard solo follows. Excellent opener. "Promenade" is laid back and beautiful for 2 1/2 minutes then it kicks into a higher gear. Very intricate guitar and bass before 4 1/2 minutes then the horns kick back in. It settles after 6 minutes with piano and atmosphere. Horns are back before 7 minutes,piano follows as it settles again. Amazing ! It kicks back in with horns before 10 minutes.

"Porotopostrippa Sul Pero" is uptempo but it settles quickly with prominant bass, keys and other sounds that come and go. Guitar comes in after 2 1/2 minutes. Horns start to dominate after 3 minutes. Love the bass and drumming though. Terrific guitar 6 1/2 minutes in as bass and drums continue. This is incredible ! "Cipresso Violento" opens with electric piano before drums, guitar and horns join in.The tempo and mood will continue to change on this one. A full sound 3 1/2 minutes in. An almost dead calm after 4 minutes before it kicks back in with some great electric piano.

Highly recommended to all you Jazz / Fusion fans out there.

Beautifully executed and full-flavored fusion

While the Italian symphonic scene of the '70s gets most of the attention it is becoming clearer to me how fertile the fusion/jazz-rock was as well. I'm beginning to discover the likes of Bella Band, Esagono, Etna, Kaleidon, Duello Madre, Rocky's Filj, etc, in addition to the obvious bands like Arti Mestieri. The short-lived Bella Band were from Florence and released but one album on the Cramps label in 1978 before they disappeared. Their drummer Mauro Sarti used to be in the popular RPI gem Campo di Marte and most of the members would continue on with music after the break-up of Bella Band. It's a shame they split so quickly because this album is very good and it is reported that they had plenty of live activity as well.

Musically, Bella Band really snuck up on me in a hurry. Generally speaking I'm not the biggest fan of dryer fusion-I like a bit of colorful influx from other genres to spice it up a bit. Bella Band at first seemed pretty dry and doesn't deviate all that much from the task at hand (no big operatic vocals or backwards cello loops busting through the door) but within short order the pure joy of the obvious musical mastery was grabbing me. Bella Band features only 4 extended pieces over this short album but they cover a wide range of colors, with monster musicianship all around. With my thus-far fairly limited jazz knowledge I might say they are close to Duello Madre in pacing and energy, but with a bit of the added color of Esagono in the flute and clarinet, and occasionally some of the funkiness of Nucleus in the sax and bass playing. The use of horns is excellent and well integrated, alternatively classy or funky depending on the section. Guitarist Luigi Fiorentini is a jaw-dropping player and deserves to be on the list of great fusion guitarists. Yes he possesses the ability for rapid-fire notes but also there is a wonderful sense of control and melody that is never lost in a speed-fest. "Promenade" has sections that slow and blend a bit of a Carpe Diem style "refined spaciness" into the jazz, never getting too weird but allowing the listener to breath a bit from the constant intensity that can make some fusion albums a blur. It is almost a place for reflection that reloads the listener for the next frenzy. Very nice touch. Other than that excursion they remain mostly in the realm of clear jazz-rock, their badge being simply how beautifully they execute. It's just such an enjoyable listen from start to finish and that is not something to take lightly.

Bella Band is the definition of "lost, underappreciated gem" of the 1970s. How this band has not received more love by prog-fusion fans is beyond my comprehension. It is imaginative, musical as the day is long, and beautifully paced and constructed. While perhaps not groundbreaking the Bella Band will be worth the time of any jazz-rock fan-a sure thing if there ever was.

Bella Band (questionable name - isn't it?) was good one-record jazzrock outfit from Firenze (Florence), Italy. On this only item we can hear four longish tracks with dignified arrangements. Can't prefer anything of these compositions but... correct and dense music here - with colourful soundspectrum (they used clavinet, el. piano, synths, flute, sax, clarinet + guitar, bass, drums). Pleasurable listening!

Edited 09/26/05!

This Italian guys were playing a really awesome jazz fusion on their one and only album. Excellent musicianship with lots of brass and a fantastic guitar playing. All tracks on this unfortunately rather short album (well it has still been in the vinyl era!) are just brilliant. There is not any weak one present.

The album opens with Fairadiesis which is a quite up-tempo and bit funky song with awesome soprano sax, clarinet, keyboards and guitar playing. Really hard for me to recall any band that sounded like this. Regarding musicianship it's absolutely on par with bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra or National Health although they don't sound like any of them. Promenade is a more quiet and the longest one of the four tracks. It starts with very soft and smooth keyboards and brass and one could almost think this one is a bit boring one, but wait a moment until it's developing into a magnificent and interesting song. After about three minutes there is a section with awesome guitar and bass play combined with brass and in its further course the song is filled with tempo and mood shifts before it finally returns to the initial theme. Really a fantastic and versatile track and anything else than boring. Porotopostrippa Sul Pero sounds completely different from the previous two and I've got the impression that here they are showing their full talents. It's a rather weird one but still very well accessible and pleasant to listen, starting with fantastic a bit spacy keys, then guitar and brass at their very best, an awesome sax solo and a great almost Hendrix-alike guitar solo. After 8 minutes one thinks there is a sudden ending, but the music still continues after. This one is the absolute highlight of the album. Last track of the original vinyl release Cipresso Violento is actually not weaker than the previous ones. Starting rather quietly like smooth Jazz it develops soon to a very vivid fusion one as well, again with great performance of all musicians. On the CD re-issue (unfortunately only on expensive Japanese label) there is one extra track called Mattutina which is as well a very nice one.

SUMMARY

This completely unknown Italian band with a name, from that you wouldn't expect anything interesting created with their only album a really excellent one I'd like to recommend to anyone liking jazz and intricate but accessible jazz-fusion with an awesome musicianship! This little lost gem is absolutely worth 4,5 stars!