Francesca/Galasso/Miranda – Telegraph
(Leo Records CD LR 611. CD Review by Chris Parker)

While eschewing both the relatively straightforward jazz–rock fusion of, say, Mike Stern, or Luxembourg’s David Laborier, and the freer approach of label mate Mark O’Leary, the Italian trio of Giovanni Francesca (guitar, electronics), Aldo Galasso (drums, percussion) and Dario Miranda (bass, electronics) none the less effectively straddle these areas.

They leaven their often heavily electronically modified sound with the odd excursion into what, in Bill Frisell’s musical universe, would be termed Americana: gentle country-blues-influenced musings, the acoustic feel of which provides an extremely effective contrast to the spacey screaming, multi-textured scrabbling and soaring that characterise the trio’s more full-on moments.

Textural variety and the ultimate relief of slow-building tension are at least as important as rhythm on Telegraph: Francesca’s blazing outbursts of psychedelic rock-based energy, set against a fascinating backdrop of layered electronic sound and heavy bass, are what immediately draw the ear to this highly original album, but it is the trio’s skilful handling of the music’s quieter moments that genuinely impresses.

A continually surprising but consistently absorbing album.

Leorecords.com