Italiano
As in Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller Vertigo, Hammond Express pushes bossanova and easy listening to dizzy
levels with its vintage sounds mixed in an orchestral score writing environment. After all this is the core
style of the project led by italian keyboardist and composer Francesco Gazzara since debut album RendezVous
(2003) and the soul tinged follow-up Another Steppin’ Soul (2011). The Hammond organ – B3 model
with Leslie 760, both build in 1958 too – is certainly primadonna here but with no imitation of any great
jazz/funk organist of the past. Vertigo Bossa is indeed an album of cinematographic sensations more than a collection of stereotyped solos and riffs. A visionary opening (“Harvest Lounge”) leads us to Henry
Mancini symphonic 70’s, while the title-track explores latin and psychedeliac grounds. The modern soul
groove of “Chrysalis” prepares the elegant lounge of “Jazz And Charisma” before the urban and glamourous
– Sex And The City style – “Esoterico” steps in. The Hammond sounds fiddle between jazz and folk/prog settings – in each album’s track there’s a title reference to some glorious ‘70’s british record labels – while all acoustic guitars, Fender Rhodes, percussion and electric bass (Massimo Sanna) paint a different picture lightly influenced by brasilian artists like Azymuth and Sergio Mendes. All on board, Hammond Express convoy is ready to depart on platform groovy-lounge!
Listen here.