Dino Fiore is the bassist of Italian progressive rock band Il Castello di Atlante, and his brand new solo excursion into jazz-fusion is titled Fleur Folia on Electromantic Music. For this studio recording, he's brought along with him present and former bandmades Mattia Garimanno (drums) and Luigi Ranghino (piano), as well as keyboard player Beppe Crovella, and guests Andrea Buffa (sax), Jacopo Garimanno (guitar), and Arti & Mesteiri vocalist Iano Nicolo.
Those familiar with Fiore's work in his main band Il Castello di Atlante will see the bassist veering away from the prog sounds of that band into more fusiony, often times electronic territory here on Fleur Folia. With a style that's like a combination of vintage Weather Report with perhaps Soft Machine Legacy, Fiore's nimble & melodic bass work is the centerpiece for songs that at times have a jazzy feel, but also drift into atmospheric and spacey electronic soundscapes. "A Tower in the Sea" features plenty of Jaco Pastorius inspired lead bass lines jabbing through a wash of intergalactic synth patterns, while the bouncy "Walking In Nagoya" and "Voice Without Time" both contain plenty of groove and really remind of late '70s/early '80s Weather Report. "The Long Red Train" is a great workout for the classy piano melodies of Ranghino, while the rumbling "Sahara Coffee" features plenty of sultry organ & haunting Mellotron courtesy of Crovella while Fiore and Garimanno dig deep with some tricky rhythms. Interspersed between a few of the songs are the brief "BASSFOLIA" lead bass soundscape pieces, which feature Fiore conjuring up a host of sounds, and Buffa makes a lasting impression with some intriguing sax melodies on "Rituale".
Overall, Fleur Folia is pretty entertaining with some tasty playing from all involved. My one complaint is that much of the album seems stuck in second gear and a little one-note, as I was waiting for the players to really rip it up a bit in spots and deliver some high energy performances, which never really happens. Despite that, this is a good mix of light jazz and ambient/electronic sounds from a prog bassist who is showing he's got a few tricks up his sleeve.
Track Listing
1 Crepuscolo Mediorientale 2:15
2 Walking In Nagoya 6:26
3 Tower In the Sea 3:40
4 Voice Without Time 5:03
5 BASSFOLIA n.1 1:58
6 The Long Red Train 6:56
7 BASSFOLIA n.2 1:47
8 Sahara Coffee 7:59
9 BASSFOLIA n.3 1:23
10 Moonless Land 5:52
11 Nuages 8:09
12 BASSFOLIA n.4 2:48
13 Rituale 6:29
14 BASSFOLIA n.5 3:04
15 Il Mondo Di Giovanni Faga 6:54
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