SERA, MATTINA

Gianni Dall'Aglio from Mantua (born 1945) has seen it all as regards the Italian music scene. As a songwriter and drummer he has collaborated with an amazing list of people dating back to his teenage years of the early 60s. Besides being in the beat group Ribelli (as was Demetrio Stratos!) and being the drummer for Il Volo, he has collaborated with Lucio Battisti, Ricky Gianco, Mogol, Alberto Radius, Ivano Fossati, and Oscar Prudente to name a few.

In 1972 he released his lone Dallaglio album entitled 'Sera, Mattina' (Evening, Morning) on Love Records (it would be reissued on CD in 1993 by Mellow Records.) The album mixes the singer/songwriter Ital-pop sound with the progressive rock style of the RPI classic period. Gianni plays drums of course, but also piano, and he is the album's vocalist. While not among the genre's best of course he is a very decent singer. He is joined here on keyboards by Gaetano Leandro who was briefly in Area. I was unable to find the album's other credits.

The tracks of 'Sera, Mattina' bear the romantic influence of Battisti to my ear, as well as some leftover beat sound, and all are in the four minute range. Warm and pleasing, most have the irresistible component of quality Ital-pop along with the progressive stamp. While not complex and certainly not wild or crazy, the arrangements move beyond the traditional and attempt to sound fresh. From there, the album's strength is the good melodic writing and warm sound. Gianni's easy voice leads the songs and he accompanies himself frequently on wonderful piano. There is a strong bass guitar presence in several tracks, but only intermittent spurts of guitar and rock drums. Somehow this relative lack of constant typical rock combined with a bit of a punchy sound give the album a unique feel, which is then dressed very nicely with Leandro's Mellotron and organ. The bass is sometimes pushed way to the front as a lead instrument, such as on 'L'Altro Me Stesso.' This track features some dramatic, sweeping, emotional simulated-string sections, very effective. A mix of organ and layered harmony vocals cover 'Padre Nostro.' The closer 'Per Amore' begins with the piano intro again but then becomes feistier alternating bass and guitar licks with the ever present soft 'tron background.

The album's biggest weakness is that the tracks abruptly fade out before they get into any extended or risky territory. It's an album that only toys with prog, unable or unwilling to take the full plunge. And yet, the material is good enough that it may still please RPI fans, while no doubt being very welcome to Ital-pop fans. If you like Battisti's mix of pop, rock, and prog, you should enjoy Dallaglio. I would not recommend casual RPI fans bother with this until they have already amassed more crucial titles, unless you really dig the singer/songwriter albums.

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