RITRATTO LIBERO

It's been quite a while that something real good has come from Italy , a usual hotbed of Prog. I had been forewarned by my trusted prog store owner in Montreal that a new band from the "Boot" should be coming out with an alleged stunner. Always heeding his good advice, I had no hesitation in picking up this Florentine band's debut CD as soon as it arrived on the shelves. The last good stuff from Italy was a delightful Zaal album, a new Finisterre, a third Moongarden, a tantalizing Floating State and that's about it. So what does "Chiave Di Volta" (Replacement Key in Italian) do for the average progger soul? Well, firstly, they ingratiate themselves with an exquisite lead vocalist who smartly keeps to his native tongue and really displays a great set of pipes. Secondly, an Italian prog recording must include invariably some masterful flute playing if its to be true to the tradition and here the same lungs apply. Wow! Signore Villi is dazzling! Also very noteworthy is the stellar bass work throughout the recording provided by Donato Masci , who combines faultlessly with drummer Mattia Garifoli in a slightly jazzier setting. Gabriele Pasquali's keys are conducted by a constant and judicious use of piano , with some breezy synth passages that tease the mind and set the table for some original soloing by our pal Nicola Torpei , especially on the absorbing 15 minute title track , a true monument to modern Italian prog. This is a deviously delicious masterpiece , displaying uncanny fluidity within the cleanest production you could hope for. Loads of adroit ideas and vivid impressions abound as this album did not hit me straight away. I needed to give it some respect on the third go through, as my previous attempts were half hearted and I was immediatly rewarded . This is most definitely a keeper that will keep on growing on you until you succumb to its numerous charms. Bravo, ragazzi! 5 ferraris

Really equal parts jazz and Italian symphonic, "Ritratto Libero" does not dwell long enough in one place to make much impact of any type, let alone as a unified or integrated work. If anything is consistent, it is the airy production and spacious atmosphere, which easily elevates my rating out of the basement. There just isn't much that is memorable or distinctive, and the longer tracks suffer more from the neither fish nor fowl syndrome. Probably the highlight is "Dietro le Mura" that is more squarely in the progressive camp. Some of the flute and piano playing that surfaces on occasion serves to brighten the mood, but it is eventually engulfed by the band's other interests. No denying this is a talented group, but, like many a prog album, it is brought down by compositional deficit and eclecticism surfeit.

There are poor people, big middle class (goal for a lot of people) and there are rich ones. Now try to move this scale to prog music. You'll get middle class (not low, or even lowest[3- star]), but still, it's not poor music. It can be even worse than poor (2-star), it can be evil (1- star). It's not so far from rich category, which equals roughly to (5-stars)

With this system, I concluded that this would probably be

4(-). Jazz, RPI and nice solos. Harmony of sounds, but also weaker parts, which are unfortunately long. After all, everything here is long, even short songs. Perhaps some kind of trait of this album. And is it just me wondering, but how it comes that they released just one studio album and two live ones ? There should be explanation (and it for sure is somewhere).

Another one of those Florence-based bands (along with Nuova Era and Il Trono dei Ricordi) flirting with old Italian Prog.They were found in early 2001 from the ashes of the band Campanile 18,led by singer/flutist Vieri Villi and keyboardist Gabriele Pasquali,who had previously played together in a short-lived band with the same name.The band released a live called ''Live estate'' in 2001,featuring both original compositions and cover songs from famous prog bands.In 2004 Chiave di Volta release their debut ''Ritratto Libero'' on the Italian label Lizard.

Complex Symphonic Prog with tons of interplays and mixed with KING CRIMSON-esque Fusion is the style of the album,containing six mainly long compositions at over 50 minutes.All of them are well-arranged and dangerously balanced between soft melodic moments and complicated, almost chaotic interplays.Vieri Villi is a great vocalist,performing both in romantic and dramatic veins.The calm moments of the album are characterized by Villi's warm vocal lines and soft flute playing and Pasquali's dominant piano and synths,close to the style of RANDONE.The most energetic parts of the album are way more complicated,ranging from flute-driven and keyboard-based symphonic interludes to complex Fusion with ROBERT FRIPP-ian arhythmical guitars,supported by obscure synth work.The rhythm section delivery is as well powerful and complex.The result is an album of good quality,filled with dramatic changes and trully progressive.

Unfortunately facts indicate that the band had quit from recording and performing,as no news around them are available after this release.''Ritratto Libero'' will please most fans of Symphonic Rock,Classic Italian Prog and complex Progressive Rock and comes strongly recommended,especially for those into these specific styles...3.5 stars.