Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino - Canzoniere

The Guardian 80

(Ponderosa Records)

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino have built a deserved global following by specialising in pizzica, the hypnotic music of south-east Italy reputed to cure spider bites, with its pounding frame drums, violin, accordion, bagpipes and harmony vocals. They have always mixed traditional and contemporary influences, and here their songwriter Mauro Durante collaborates with European and US writers, including the album’s producer, Joe Mardin, who has worked with Aretha Franklin. It’s a set packed with surprises, most of them welcome. There are slinky, half-spoken vocals on the cool opening track, field recordings matched against throbbing programming, and passages of easygoing balladry. Many of the songs develop into grand choruses, with harmony vocals and full-tilt playing that show CGS at their best, as on Aiora, where they are joined by Justin Adams on guitar. They may be aiming for a wider international audience, but the pizzica still wins through.

Thu Nov 02 18:15:02 GMT 2017

The Guardian 80

(Ponderosa)

The champions of southern Italy’s pizzica tradition have become an institution, though one that shows no signs of going stale. Leader Mauro Durante co-composed the material here with assorted New York tunesmiths, including producer Joe Mardin, who brings a polished but not over-glossed sound to the hand drums and vocal harmonies. Opener Quannu te Visciu turns a Puglian chant into near hip-hop, and the church-like voices are as likely to be denouncing corruption as praising sun, moon and sea. There is fierce fiddle, jaunty squeezebox and thunderous drumming, plus guest electric guitar from Justin Adams. As the tomato sauce cover suggests, a rich harvest.

Sun Nov 05 08:00:13 GMT 2017