Enrico Crivellaro: Freewheelin

Enrico Crivellaro - Lead and rhythm guitar, Pietro Taucher - Fazioli Grand Piano, Hammond C3, Fender Rhodes, Simone Serafini - Bass, Carmine Bloisi - Drums on tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, Silvio Berger - Drums on tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 , The Templeton Five - Jam, DJ, Wally, Ya Ya & Jazmyn: Vocals on Popcorn Jack

Blackout - Crivellaro/Taucer, Super Cooker - Crivellaro/Taucer, Chulahoma - Crivellaro, Forever Free - (for Gregg & Duane) - Taucer, One For Lucy - Crivellaro, Popcorn Jack - Taucer, T-Soul - Taucer, Universal Rock - Earl Hooker, Hymn To King Solomon - Crivellaro/Taucer, Can You Dig It - Crivellaro, In A Sentimental Mood - Edward Kennedy Ellington, Mr. Willits Playboy - Crivellaro,

Being among the originators of the very concept of the Jam Band, Duane and GreGg Allman with their seminal band the Allman Brothers have had a massive impact on the course of Blues and Rock history, and surely on the way I percEIve and play music with my band. With their boundary-free extended jams they have revealed the sheer extent of freedom available to any performer while interpreting a piece of music of any genre, and their lifestyle meant liberation. Forever Free is a composition by Pietro that we have been playing live for years, and that we have finally been able to record and dedicate to the great “Skydog” and his brother, who have shown the way. Another epitome of freedom in music is the incomparable Duke Ellington, an icon of American music and in my opinion, along with Igor Stravinsky, the greatest composer of the 20th century. In A Sentimental Mood might be one of his most recorded tunes but we thought we could add a Blues touch to it, and after all I could never tire of such a soulful melody. ON AN EVENING IN MAY 1997 THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, I sat for hours in Junior Kimbrough’s white Oldsmobile in Chulahoma, Mississippi talking with Junior and absorbing his spellbinding life teachings. Chulahoma is rooted in Junior’s hypnotic “trance-Blues” music and I am heavily quoting “Nobody But You” on a couple of occasions. I hope you’ll agree that is no cheap plagiarism, I am doing so as a sign of absolute respect and admiration for Junior’s life and music. We were in the studio recording when we heard the sad news of Solomon Burke’s passing at Schiphol airport. We had a Gospel-tinged tune in the works and we immediately thought it should become a Hymn To King Solomon. Sleep well King. Speaking of Kings, one of the absolute masters of soul-dripping Blues guitar was his highness Albert King. His wild V-shaped signature guitar Lucy, has withstood decades of travel and especially of notes bent to an impossible pitch, so here is One For Lucy to honor that very special Gibson Flying-V and her man. I could write about Earl Hooker for days, but I can sum it up by just saying I love his music, his guitar and his sense of humour. This is why you’ll find here our version of Universal Rock. Listen to Pietro Taucher nailing that Johnny “Big Moose” Walker organ sound, and on Super Cooker listen to him naturally moving into Jimmy McGriff and Dr. Lonnie Smith territory and paying tribute to the exponents of the swinging Hammond combo. Such an incredible keyboard player, from Richard Tee to Les McCann to Otis Spann, from Gospel to Jazz to Blues. Pietro knows it all, yet still manages to sound like himself and no one else. He also writes some great tunes, Popcorn Jack (which gives me a chance to use a more modern L.A. guitar sound) and T-Soul being just two of them. As for Mr Willits Playboy, the title stems from one of those touring-band moments that can make the road a fun place to be. Willits, California circa 1999. My friend David Kida, who is now the drummer for Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and I got to town, and well, I will leave it like that. Ask us for more details in person and we’ll be happy to share the story. It was outright funny and memorable enough to name a song after it! Last consideration, the Blues can be played in a million different ways. It is such an exciting and articulate language. Blackout and Can You Dig It show two flavors that I like, and above all I hope they convey my love for this timeless, awesome musical genre. Whether we can call ourselves a Jam band, I don’t know, for sure we are a Freewheelin’ bunch. Thank you for listening!

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