Customer Reviews

Canzone Della Strada

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...loving the music - that's the feeling I get from this wonderful recording, that the players her are honoring a musical style that has touched their hearts and souls, one that they love and respect. As far as I can tell from their website, Quadro Nuevo are an Austrian band with multinational influences and passions - everything from near-eastern to tango to music of the Balkans to North Africa to Italy. It is the music of Italy - the pop songs of the 1950s and 60s - that are featured on this disc. Many of these songs have almost, sadly, been in effect lost to those who love them - they are simply not played much any more. Quadro Nuevo did tours of Italy on which they not only researched and learned this music, but played it to the people, on the streets. The experiences moved them deeply - and you can feel it in the performances they turn in on this disc.

The basic quartet - Mulo Francel (assorted saxophones and clarinets), Robert Wolf (guitar), D. D. Lowka (acoustic bass, percussion) and Andreas Hinterseher (accordion) - is joined by a number of guests, including a very tasteful string quartet. Of the thirteen tracks appearing here, only one includes a vocal - but the instrumentals this band performs sing with a voice of their own. The music here evokes the streets of Italy beautifully - and the emotions of the people who fill them. Many of the melodies here will resonate within your memory - there are several that we have all heard, if only in passing or in the background of a film (for those of us who haven't been fortunate enough to travel to the source).

The arrangements lie gently in a jazz vein, but never abandon their popular melodic foundations to over-the-top improvisation - it just wouldn't fit the mood, and the band recognizes that. They handle these tunes with respect and love, at times approaching awe at the beauty of the melodies and sentiments they carry. Each member plays an important role in the overall group sound - no one tries to steal the show, everyone working together to make the whole much greater than the sum of the parts.

This album is thoroughly enjoyable - a real find. I stumbled upon it by accident, seeing a display in a local store that the international buyer had set up. He added a note with his comments, calling it `...one of the top ten international albums of the year' - I'd have to wholeheartedly agree. It's a delight - pass it up at your peril.

Already was onto Astor Piazzolla, yet all day tango tires me out... Richard Galliano's "French Touch" is fine jazz accordion but have been hit and miss with his other recordings. Have always enjoyed old and new gypsy (django, Bireli Lagrene, romane) and recently musette, old and new. Perchance picked up Canzone Della Strada and it grew on me, more and more and then heavy rotation and now one of my favorite cd's. Have since collected all of their cd's and these cats can really blow! Their theme concepts work fine. CinéPassion is movie themes and Buongiorno Tristezza (neither available in US, bought directly from QN) really showcases the jazz chops these guys can bring. Andreas Hinterseher has a touch on the accordion that places him at the top. Any of these guys can hold their own in any "cutting contest" this side of New Orleans. This may not be for everybody, but I'll never tire of this music. Looking forward to many more years of good music from these players!

It is easy to take this recording for high-class wallpaper music. It is elegant, hip, and relaxed. What one may miss behind that shimmering surface with its appeal to the tunes of the past, is the ambition and daring of these musicians. The saxophonist/clarinetist, Mulo Francel, mostly conceals an impressive virtuousity in the service of more interesting effects. He brings sounds of astonishing timbres out of the six horns he plays. The instrumentation of horn, accordian, guitar, and percussion/bass lends itself to a wide range of effects. The arrangements of the tunes show a creativity equivalent to that of new compositions (as indeed four are credited to band members). At present the band's other recordings appear to be available principally at their own web site. I myself plan to head for them soon....

voici un disque à savourer du début à la fin. des airs souvent entraînants, une musicalité fort intéressante et surtout diversifiée et une variété d'instruments à l'honneur.

Listen to this all the time in the car!...It is just classic Italian cafe style music.(accordion?).Don't listen to it too much or it will play and replay in your head! catchy happy tunes.......It will pick you up and set you down right in a piazza with a cup of espresso or glass of limoncello on your table

Let me make this short and sweet: if you're interested in this CD based on the sample track sold in Starbucks as part of their "Italian Cafe" sampler ("Tu Vuo' Fa' l'Americano"), caveat emptor. That beautiful, upbeat, instrumental track is absolutely NOTHING like any of the others on this CD. All others are sleepy, uninspired, fifties-style vocals.