TRASPARENZE

After the rather dissapointing ''Chatka'',Italian guitar virtuoso Ricardo Zappa enters the Stone Castle studios in Carimate two years later in order to record his third personal album.And with a 12-string guitar on the cover you know exactly what to expect.From this point Zappa begins a short collaboration with ex-Alphataurus keyboardist Pietro Pellegrini.

From the dramatic vocals of Antonello Venditti and the first sounds from Zappa's guitar,everything showcases a return to the quality and energy on Zappa's debut.Delicate, smooth but often virtuosic and highly technical playing with evident OLDFIELD-ian hints and influences from Classical,Blues and Meditterenean Music,''Trasparenze'' becomes a beautiful journey in world music with every listening.Pellegrini's Korg synthesizer offers some spacey soundscapes in the background and a steady rhythm section adds some dynamics from time to time.Give an extra point to the long title track,which an amazing OLDFIELD-ian mix of ethnic and symphonic musicianship of the highest calibre.

It is a fact that Zappa delivers with every release a more personal sound of playing and with ''Trasparenze'' I think he got to his highest inspiration,focusing on his 12-string guitar.This album is not for everybody,but if you like trippy and intelligent music with different influences,this album is a great stop.Strongly recommended,3.5 stars.