Andrea Orlando - Dalla Vita Autentica - 2017
“... a little gem full of skillfully played music and passionate sung vocals ...”
intro
Hear you thinking who is Andrea Orlando, but I am sure all of you possess one or several progressive rock albums on which this guy is drumming. Shall I do some name dropping? What about La Coscienza Di Zeno, La Maschera Di Cera, Hostonaten and Finisterre. And this is only a part of a long list. Yes, we have your full attention now. “Dalla Vita Autentica” is his first solo album. And this is not a standard drummers album with the help of some friends. No, Andrea is playing besides the drums and percussion also all kinds of keyboards and he is responsible for all the compositions, arrangements and the pre-production. Let yourself be surprised with this wonderful album. The album has been released on the Italian AMS Records label.
line-up
Agostino Macor - piano, electric piano, Moog; Marcella Arganese - electric guitar; Rossano Villa -programming and effects; Paolo Priolo - bass; Andrea Orlando - synthesizers, drums, percussion , organ, Mellotron, vibraphone; Alessandro Corvaglia - vocals; Stefano Marelli - electric and acoustic guitars; Melissa Del Lucchese - cello; Alessandro Paolini - contrabass; Laura Marsano - electric, classical and acoustic guitars; Simona Angioloni - vocals; Marco Callegari - trumpet; Roberta Tumminello - violin, viola
review
The album opens with an instrumental track entitled “Le Forme Della Distanza”. It is a delicious piece with delicate electric piano and modest percussion and drum programming. Very nice opener, a piece with a beautiful atmosphere. The electric guitar is played by Marcella Arganese who we know from her band Ubi Major and her touring with the Marillion tribute act Mr. Punch.
Then follows a typical RPI (Rock Progressivo Italiano) piece with the characteristically voice of singer Alessandro Corvaglia. The man is well know by the lovers of RPI. It seems that he is present on every important RPI album. You can find melodic guitar parts and lush keyboard orchestrations. The orchestration in the end section is very beautiful. Andrea plays besides the drums and percussion also organ and Mellotron on this track. Melissa Del Lucchese plays the cello and Alessandro Paolini contrabass.
The third track “Cinque Giorni D’autunno” starts with an uptempo part that after two minute abruptly stops to make room for a delicate sung vocal part. As always Alessandro performs with a lot of passion. The beautiful orchestrations and delicate piano part that follows are blissful. In the last part of of this song the tension of the music is building up and you can enjoy lovely synth parts and fine drumming. For me, this song develops into the first personal highlight.
“Cadi Con Me” is a short ballad like song with vocals of Simona Angioloni. A beautiful song with passionate vocals and a trumpet part played by Marco Callegari. The next instrumental song “Il Giardino Di Maya” is more uptempo and has some jazzy (piano) and classical influences. The combination of the Moog of Agostino Macor and the violin of Roberta Tumminello is wonderful. A fine tune with lovely melodies in the vein of PFM.
The two last songs are for me definitely the highlights of the album. “Fragile” has a blissful instrumental and classical opening with an amazing orchestration. After this, the delicate and passionate sung vocals of Alessandro Corvaglia will transport you into Prog Heaven. What a beautiful song! The album closes with the longest (16:52) track of the album. It is the title track “Dalla Vita Autentica”. Everything comes together in this final piece. Lovely piano, guitar and organ parts. Passionate vocals, great drumming and classical elements of the violin and the cello. The music slowly becomes more intense and the orchestrations are out of this world. It is a wonderful piece of music with a great diversity. I just love the classical elements in the music of Andrea Orlando. The soaring guitar solo in the end brings goosebumps and is a worthy ending of a remarkable album.
conclusion
“Dalla Vita Autentica”, the first solo album of Andrea Orlando is a little gem full of skillfully played music and passionate sung vocals. The orchestrations on this album are very beautiful. I am impressed by the compositional skills of Andrea Orlando and many of the melodies on this album are pure bliss. I like the classical elements in the music of Orlando. It is an album that will grow after every spin in your CD player. Bit by bit the album is revealing it’s real beauty. Dalla Vita Autentica is highly recommended by progVisions.