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Liguori’s cinematic Italian/nu-bossa/world leanings are just as evident on Ancient Flight Text as it’s the soundtrack to the short story Peace And Righteouness by J.C.R. D’Anvers (that’s comes including in the booklet with the CD).

This album falls somewhere in the middle of a mixture of the latest album’s from Nicola Conte, John Coltrane (re-issue),Omar Rodriquez Lopez, Broadway Project and Miles Davis’ A Tribute To Jack Johnson. I think that’s why it takes a little while to get into this as from Stolen Paintings, you’re expecting something more clearly fusion (like ‘Penta’) but then, it’s still not a giant step away.

Guitarist, bassist, African piano, drum machine, electronics and musical director Liguori is joined by Kim Paterson (drums/trumpet/percussion/African piano) who appeared on Mark de Clive-Lowe’s Tides Arising album and stands out on this CD with another wonderfully emotive solo on the track called ‘Sphinx’. Modal fusion-jazz fans head straight for this one as it’s a mix of cool trumpet, mellow space-wind synth-waves with accelerating percussion.

Gianmarco’s gentle electric and acoustic guitar guides us to ‘Beat Instrumental’ like we’re in the Dolomites in the 60’s with mountain air tumbling down to the lakeside beach (remember ‘Alpine Bossa’?)

The other member of the core trio is Murray McNabb’s (keyboards, Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizer) and whilst he is in the background on ”Bronze Frog’, its a groove of funky fusion jazz-rock beats dominated by drum machine, guitar funk ‘n’ twang; perhaps that should have been called ‘Beat Instrumental’. But it’s all about the organ from 60s jazz ‘Out There’ Graham Bond/Nucleusness of ‘Under Investigation’ that’s a killer track for me with real drums of Paterson.

Miles’ influence stands out on ‘Ascending Spirals’ as Paterson’s trumpet races with dream-space travel synthesiser to the gods (but annoying fades out). And whilst I’m not sure what D’Anvers’ story is all about, “the faint twang of an arabic oud’ is interwoven in the desert dust of the title track that’s certainly nod’s to the Mulatu Of Ethiopia heritage; dig that organ baby! And talking about sand on your sandals, the loving the Afro-jazz-bossa fusion is the last track, ‘Walking Beyond’.

The soundscapes on Ancient Flight Text really do lend themselves to film (he’s really into guys like in Piero Piccioni, Ennio Morricone and Krzysztof Komeda) and really recommend you check his myspace site (see links below) to check out tracks from both albums.

Reviewed: Gianmarco Liguori - Ancient Flight Text (Sarang Bang Records) Cat. No. SBR020 Release date: February 2009
Tracklisting:
1 Ancient Flight Text (5:18)
2 Ascending Spirals with Steven Tate (percussion) & Wes Prince (synth pulse) (3:58)
3 Under Investigation (5:41)
4 Bronze Frog (5:46)
5 Deep-Sea Voyage (1:30)
6 Beat Instrumental (2:59)
7 Sphinx (5:56)
8 Walking Beyond (4:00)

Links:
www.myspace.com/gianmarcoliguori
www.myspace.com/kimpaterson
sarangbang.co.nz
www.last.fm/music/Gianmarco+Liguori
Interview with Gianmarco Liguori