DUELLO MADRE

The album begins deceptively with "Aquile Blu," the only vocal track. A mysterious intro not unlike E.A. Poe segues to the vocal passage, which picks up again at the coda. In between, Callero puts down a thick and dirty repeating bass line, almost with reckless abandon until the entire band stops on a dime. Despite the lack of live activity, it is clear Duello Madre had some symbiotic, extrasensory musicianship going on; the arrangement is focused, yet has an improvised quality few bands are able to achieve. My favorite track "Momento" showcases this perfectly, as again Callero sets the tone and everyone else just follows effortlessly. Zoccheddu is a chameleon. His guitar playing reminds me a lot of Corrado Rustici's in its fluidity, but with the formal restraint of Steve Cropper. One minute you hear a smooth Wes Montgomery lick, and a freewheeling Joe Walsh the next. Zoccheddu is a treat and one of the primary reasons to seek out the album.

"Otto" is where things start to set into a groove and stagnate a bit. The album isn't necessarily stale, but does not reward the attentive, critical listener. Duello Madre is a good album to have on while life happens in the background. Its floaty, repetitive nature allows the audience to daydream a bit which I appreciate at times. That being said, "Madre" is the longest and most demanding of all compositions herein. This one will force your ears to perk up and take notice. Elements of Zappa's '72 group can be heard, and even slight Canterbury influences start to creep in. The ensemble work here is a joy to behold, and jazz nuts will find a lot to like. This penultimate track ends softly, and the dissonant "Duello" ends the disc. "Duello" sounds like a cross between a King Crimson instrumental and Mahavishnu Orchestra, yet far less obtrusive than either. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic album cover.

The part of the projection that often happened in the flow of the music fluidly repeated as the first half of the 70's various bands' in Italy being taking an active part and at that time exhausted good music and the band. Set that is called Duello Madre. Or, if the time that is called 1973 is considered, the music character that Duello Madre that contained the part of the set that should be called a unit did might be able to be caught as a street point with the flow mainly composed of one Jazz Rock exactly.

To make the music character and the attempt an embodiment in Genova of Italy, Duello Madre might surely have contained one establishment and directionality. It would have been a result of groping and directionality by the member of the band.

One peculiar existence in the band in all existing Italy in this album in the 70's exactly though this band disappeared naturally after announcing only one album. the Music character to be able to listenEspecially, it might be one result of catching Jazz Rock from the angle besides the band with the music character mainly composed of Jazz Rock such as Dedalus and Bella Band and the expression and be a history.

Familiar, work about Nuova Idea and Osage Tribe deep Marco Zoccheddu takes charge of the guitar and the song. Similarly, Bob Callero active with Nuova Idea takes charge of Bass. And, Dede Lo Previte known on business of Circus 2000 takes charge of the drum. And, Duello Madre that wind instrument player's Pippo Trentin joined announced this album in 1973 by Produttori Associati that exhausted Maxophone.

However, a natural collapse was done through necessity as for the activity of the member of the band because it contributed to the participation of the character and the all directions band without staying in this band as a result. Bob Callero is known well as a shift to Il Volo. Dede Lo Previte also participated in Nova after the activity of this band. There might be a part where the music character that contains various elements further is had both from the part caught as simple Jazz Rock as a music character that they think about though Duello Madre left only this album as a result. The element of Jazz that Italy digested might be exactly expressed well with the culture.

The song that occurs from the start with a fantastic flow good atmosphere of Prog Rock of Italy twines round "Aquile Blu". If the age is considered, the atmosphere of the performance and the song might be reminiscent of the atmosphere such as Dedalus and Bella Band. The band produces Jazz Rock in union. The line where Bass is especially good pulls the tune. Solo of Sax might also contribute to the tune well. A part advanced as the parts of a few Spacey are created is splendid. The tension continues.

"Momento" might be reminiscent of elements of a few Canterbury. The production of a melody that Sax continues and an aggressive guitar produces a good tension. Fantasy and anacatesthesia of acoustic guitar that flows quietly. Or, the melody of the flute to get on the flow. It is likely to listen to the width of the band that doesn't fight only by power and the technology. The composition accompanies the progress of Chord the dash feeling is gradually regained and with the tension.

The line of Bass pulls the tune to "Otto". Rhythm that produces rhythm of eight complexly. Sax in close relation to the line. Contribution of percussion instrument by Mario Lamberti that participates by guest. The element that looks like a few Miles Davis is reminiscent, too. Sound of decoration in close relation to line of steady Bass. Atmosphere continues.

"Madre" starts due to the explosion of a complete band. This start is perfect. The tune flows in one space while reminiscent of the element of Soft Machine. The keyboard of Gian Piero Reverberi in which it participates by the guest also contributes to the tune. It advances while continuing a good anacatesthesia. One cosmogony flows quietly. The composition in which the Spacey part is produced might be offering the width of the music character of this band. The performance of Soft Machine at middle term and latter term is reminiscent. However, the originality of the band appears.

The rhythm with a rhythm of fast 6 is from a line of Bass with the tension to the feature in "Duello". The sound of a obbligati of Sax and a heavy guitar produces good atmosphere. Ensemble that the band produces in union exactly continues a good tension. The performance of the band explodes as a complex melody twining. Part of shift to heavy melody. And, the dash feeling that appears again. The flow with a music character original though Jazz Rock is assumed to be a subject produces good atmosphere.

The music character that this band had tried as a page of one music might have been expressed as a good chemical reaction.

"Aquile Blu" is spacey, almost haunting to open before reserved vocals arrive after a minute as the sound changes. Nice bass here too. Great sound 2 minutes in as the tempo picks up. It settles again as bass throbs. Love Finnforest's line about the bass playing here: "...he likes to lay down a fat lead riff and just drive it into the sunset". So true. Sax comes in after 3 1/2 minutes and leads the way. Just incredible playing here by the whole band. Vocals are back 6 1/2 minutes to end it. "Momento" continues with the same vibe as the first track as the bass throbs while drums, sax and keys impress. A change before 2 minutes as it calms right down and returns with gentle acoustic guitar. Flute joins in and then it kicks back into gear after 4 minutes. Nice guitar !

"Otto" opens with drums while bass and sax follow. Intricate sounds with some great interplay here. Guitar 3 minutes in starts to make some noise as the sax retreats. The sax is back ! I really like the drumming 4 1/2 minutes in and the guitar that follows. Excellent bass 6 minutes in. "Madre" is the longest track at 10 1/2 minutes. A little flair to open before it settles with smooth sax and keys. A calm 3 minutes in as the sound changes (great section) then it kicks back in after 4 1/2 minutes. Love the guitar 7 1/2 minutes in and then the sax takes the lead but it's brief as the guitar lights it up. More sax as the battle it out. It turns pastoral 9 minutes in to the end. "Duello" is my favourite although each track is a highlight for me. I really like how dark the intro is here as it builds. It gets even darker after 3 1/2 minutes. Amazing sound ! Guitar and bass take over before 6 minutes. Nice. Drums and sax end it.

Another gem for my treasure box (collection).

What's this? An Italian one-shot with an album from 1973. That pretty much guarantees a great experience, as there was no time/place in the prog universe that ever delivered better sounds than 1972-74 Italy. This time around we have a jazz-fusion band from Genova. To research the album I pulled out some of the Italian fusion that I own and some English stuff as well. What becomes notable about Duello Madre is the lack of window dressing that so many of their peers embraced-DM chose to play it straight instead. Arti & Mestieri and Esagono were more refined and elegant, the former showcasing Chirico's insane drumming. Cincinnato (a weird favourite of mine) was looser and a bit spacey made for smokers in basements with low ceilings. Rocky's Filj, Samadhi, and Officina Meccanica were much more flamboyant with symphonic or other elements. Area was Area. English bands like Nucleus had more humor and funk. Many fusion bands brought extra things to the table in the attempt to be outrageous or embrace the experimental moods of the time. Duello Madre is jazz fusion for those who want fewer side dishes. Their reissue liner notes say DM were trying to "escape from the decadence of the Italian progressive panorama." What was left was some hot and interesting playing, a fine production, and a very respectable album. DM featured two former members of the classic heavy band Osage Tribe along with the drummer from Circus 2000. While they attempt to incorporate some English and American jazz influences into their Mediterranean rock without getting over the top like some peer bands, some critics found the results too square or traditional against the backdrop of the crazy avant-garde scene. That opinion is being countered by fusion lovers rediscovering this rather obscure album whose emphasis on quality playing and songwriting over "side dish" elements makes it almost refreshing to purists. While borderline fusion lovers may find DM a bit dry I believe they will appeal to the true believers. As mentioned the DM album features one of the great producers of their time, Gian Piero Reverberi, who gives the album a wonderful focus and actually contributes a few keyboards as well. Besides his playing, this album is without keys and builds its sound on guitars, bass, and sax attacks.

The opening of the first track is one of the few atypical spots on the album. It starts out kind of spacey and with vocals for a minute or two. After that opening they fire up the grooves and rarely slow down. The album is almost completely instrumental with just a few low key vocals. Aside from a gentle acoustic interlude in "Momento" which features some flute and a "distant" mourning sound, the vast majority of DM is electric and high energy. The anchor of their sound is the driving and often riff-oriented bass style of Bob Callero, he likes to lay down a fat lead riff and just drive it into the sunset. The beneficiaries of Callero's aggressive bass are Marco Zoccheddu and Pippo Trentin, whose electric leads and saxophone respectively spend the bulk of this 35 minutes wailing back and forth to each other. They play with ferocity often but also possess the ability for gentle nuances, especially in the longer tracks on side 2. The second side is the highlight in my book, particularly the 10-minute "Madre", where the band opens up and gets a bit exploratory but never strays too far from their fusion rock strength. They are very good players and you can expect some wonderful jamming, especially from Trenton's sax. Critic Daniele Caroli states in the liner notes that DM are "exciting at times, but they lose vivacity and become monotonous too often." I really don't agree, I think they remain at a pretty consistently interesting pace throughout-but then there was so much great music during this period that great albums appear average. A feather in the cap of prog's most quality period. One gentlemen from RYM (linguafabio) calls it "the best Jazz Rock work from Seventies Italian music." I'm not sure I would go that far but I agree with what he said next: "Give attention to the articulate harmonizing and cat and mouse things between Bass and Guitar." True, there is great interplay. He goes on to say he saw the band live and they were amazing, but that in Italy at the time people preferred songs they could "whistle to" over intellectual music. In other words, little has changed. Actually I like it when bands accomplish both! Last, Gnosis2000's Sjef Oellers says "it is great jazz rock all the way. Soft Machine influences are evident on the first track. At other times elements of Nucleus, Isotope, or even Frank Zappa can be heard. Duello Madre have a dark, brooding sound at times."

Duello Madre is another sweet gatefold mini from BTF/VM and I'm just addicted to these things. It features good sound and a booklet with a reasonable, short Bio in English and Italian. Highly recommend to fans of jazz-fusion and sax freaks. For symphonic fans a modest recommendation though as I mentioned early, this one doesn't have as much cross pollination as the bands I mention early in the review.

Then why dont you check out this excellent record! Maybe when we hear the sentence "Italian Jazz Rock or Fusion band" , Area, Perigeo or Deus ex Machina could be the bands that we think about, those are excellents and better known bands, but let me tell you that in the early 70´s a one-record band (sadly one of that huge amount of bands that released a record and then dissappeared) called DUELLO MADRE, released one self-titled album, showing us that Italian Jazz was alive and very prolific in that era.

What we can listen in this album, is besides the always classic sound of RPI movement (only in some moments) a strong influence of Europeand bands, mostly British, with a superb sax playing and that magnific and sublime bass sound of Bob Callero, yes, the same who played for Il Volo, so let me point out that Duello Madre was a band whose members played in other Italian bands of the 70´s, so we cannot doubt about the quality of the musicians.

This album features 5 songs and more than 35 minutes of excellent music, since the very first song we can notice the direction of the album, their influences and the jazz oriented style, believe me that i was caught by the sound of the bass, the guitar is also delicious. "Momento" is a very nice song, with greta bass, and suddenly a change to a softer style with acoustic guitars and flute, to then finishing with a faster passage. In the next song we will listen a repetitive bass sound during the whole song, but that doesnt matter actually that is what caught me at first, this song has a kind of free jazz experimentation and is pretty good, not the best for sure. "madre2 is the longest and the best song here, i could say the mother song, in some moments reminding me to Mahavishnu and in others a Canterburesque sound, a slow song but very progressive, drums are great and the sax superb, with some nice guitar riifs. The last song is named "Duello" and as well as the other ones, is excellent and the bass very hypnotizing.

This album is not superb, though believe me it is excellent, another obscure gem from the 70´s scene in Italy, fans of Area or Perigeo should check this band.

Since i like it and enjoy it so much, i will give it 4 stars, it would be an excellent addition to any prog fan.

The only album by this Italian group is jazz oriented hard rock style progressive. They were probably influenced by the English groups of the time but the sound is still rather Italian. The music features sax playing throughout the album and it increases the jazziness factor. Keyboards are featured only in two tracks and are minimal even in those ones. As it often is typical for the jazz oriented groups the rhythm section occasionally steals the show in the case Duello Madre as well. The good rhythm section, especially bassist Bob Callero, indeed is perhaps the strongest part of this group.

Saxophonist/flautist Pippo Trentin and guitarist Marco Zoccheddu have composed the music. The first track "Aquile Blu" is the only one featuring vocals and it clearly is one of the strongest tracks. The other tracks are good as well although in the second half of the album, in tracks "Madre" and "Duello", it at times feels that the playing results in aimless meandering but overall these tracks are good too.

Conclusion: This is a very good Italian jazz-prog album.