01	Gravita 9,81						04:06
	02	Strips						04:38
	03	Corrosione						01:27
	04	Positivo/Negativo						03:34
	05	In Cammino						05:31
	06	Farenheit						01:15
	07	Articolazioni						13:41
	08	Tilt						02:29

1974 Cramps - under license EMI Music Italy S.p.A.
Italy
Full title "Tilt: Immagini per un orecchio"

Tilt
Cramps (7243 8 57434 2 9)
Italy 1974

Furio Chirico, drums and percussion;
Beppe Crovella, acoustic and electric pianos, synths, Mellotron, Hammond;
Maco Gallesi, bass;
Gigi Venegoni, guitar, synths;
Giovanni Vigliar, violin, vocals, percussion;
Arturo Vitale, soprano and baritone saxes, clarinets, vibraphone

Tracklist:
1. Gravitа 9,81 - 4:05
2. Strips - 4:39
3. Corrosione - 1:37
4. Positivo/Negativo - 3:29
5. In Cammino - 5:36
6. Farenheit - 1:15
7. Articolazioni - 13:24
8. Tilt - 2:29

total time 36:44


sean

This is the first release from Italian fusion monsters Arti e Mestieri. The star of the show here is drummer/percussionist Furio Chirico, who I'm convinced has a couple of extra arms. Other members of the band get their turn in the spotlight as well, of course. For example, the first song is led mainly by violinist Giovani Vigliar, while the second has more band interplay including some solid bass work, a lovely Mellotron background and a bit of flashy guitar. The infrequent vocals on this release are in Italian, and are pleasant and unobtrusive. Many tracks here flow into each other, giving the album a feel of continuity and "concept". Highlights of this release include the first two tracks ("Gravitа 9,81" / "Strips") and the thirteen-minute "Articolazioni" ("Articulations").
This band is reminiscent mainly of The Mahavishnu Orchestra. If one prefers comparisons to other Italian bands, I would look to Il Volo's Essere O Non Essere for a similar example of a band using the fusion sound not just to display chops, but also to pack an intense emotional wallop. Another band with a similar style, albeit not quite in the same league, is the still-competent Perigeo.

One of the top releases from Italy, surely, and a special treat for fusion fans who ever wondered if any quality music of this type was ever produced outside the Americas.


joe

Winsome, breezy Italian fusion. The compositions are well-executed. I especially like the opening instrumental, "Gravita 9,81." The occasional vocals are actually non-operatic, soothing and mellow (a definite departure from much of Italian prog). A general comparison for Arti e Mestieri as they sound here might be King Crimson circa Starless and Bible Black, if they were less heavy and also less reliant on spontaneous improvisation. The addition of a saxophonist also recalls Van der Graaf Generator circa Pawn Hearts in certain sections. Tilt was co-produced by Area's guitarist, Paolo Tofani, but this is a different ballgame altogether from Area's brand of out-there jazz-rock. A pretty decent purchase.


brandon

Almost all the reviews I've read of this Italian jazz-rock fusion album have been rave reviews. All of them, invariably, spend a lot of time describing Furio Chirico's incredible drumming, with his amazingly fast playing, his rolls, fills, "nonstop action", and extremely complex rhythms. I, unfortunately, am not so wholehearted in love with this album. There's a lot to like here, but I don't think I've quite found it yet. Chirico's drumming is indeed extremely impressive, and the violin playing is at times gorgeous. The playing, in keeping with Chirico's lightspeed drumming, is fast and furious, with lots of synth and guitar interplay; for the most part, the saxes and violin accentuate rather than carry the melodies. Of special note is the bass playing, which manages to be both audible and interesting underneath the furious weavings of the lead instruments. Other than that, I don't really know how to describe the sound - someone has said "Think Mahavishnu Orchestra, only without the burning guitar sound". Sounds good to me; not being particularly knowledgeable about jazz-rock fusion, I can't make any comment on that comparison. Overall, for fusion fans, this is a wonderful purchase - I certainly do enjoy it, just not as much as I thought I might. (Note: one might think that from Joe's comparisons of Arti to bands like King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator that this is an emotionally intense release, but that would be very incorrect - the music is upbeat and light.)




Arti & Mestieri - Tilt-Immagini Per Un Orecchio (Images For An Ear)

Released: 1974/2001
Label: Akarma
Cat. No.: AK-1024
Total Time: 35:14

Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, February 2003
Compared to their Italian progressive rock contemporaries PFM and American based groups like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Arti & Mestieri were an excellent but overlooked band. These Italian purveyors of prog-rock deserve further consideration as Tilt proves to be an archetypal interpretation of a sound that was still in the developmental stages at the time.

In very small-italicized print underneath the album's bold title are the words "Immagini per un orecchio", translated it means "Images For An Ear." I find that very insightful as I am always saying how good instrumental music has the ability to create images inside my head, thus eliminating the need for vocals.

This was the group's first release in 1974. For a maiden voyage into the world of recorded music, they faired quite well. Although they use vocals sparingly, they really did not need them at all. Their music was very visually stimulating. By using all of their talents to their fullest capacity, a pleasing mixture of keyboards, guitars, bass, percussion, violins, saxophone, clarinet, and vibraphone became part of their final creation. Because they used so many different instruments, their music gradually pushed itself to another level of complexity, in so doing it transformed their compositions into progressive quests that were a captivating treat for your ears and mind.

As per usual, the 180-Gram vinyl LP format never lacks for sound and quality.

Rating: 4/5

More about Tilt-Immagini Per Un Orecchio (Images For An Ear):

Track Listing: Side One: Gravita 9.81 (4:05) / Strips (4:39) / Corrosione (Corrsion) (1:37) / Positivo Negativo (3:29) / In Cammino (5:36)

Side Two: Farenheit (1:15) / Articolazioni (Articulations (13:24) / Tilt (2:29)

Musicians:
Furio Chirico - Drums, percussion
Beppe Crovella - Acoustic and electric pianos, synths, Mellotron, Hammond
Maco Gallesi - Bass
Gigi Venegoni - Guitar, synths
Giovanni Vigliar - Violin, vocals, percussion
Arturo Vitale - Soprano and baritone saxes, clarinets, vibraphone

Discography

Tilt (19742001)
Giro Di Valzer Per Domani (1975/2001)
Quinto Stato (1979)
Acquario (1983)
Children's Blues (1985)
Live (1990) (OOP)
Murales (2001)
Articollezione (2001)





Arti & Mestieri
Tilt
Cramps
1974


Possibly the most exciting recent addition to my record collection is this magnificent album by Arti & Mestieri. This album is the first and most well-known of the band's five or so albums. It won't be the only one I ever own though!
This mostly instrumental album finds this Italian band playing a fusion of ripping jazz-rock a la Mahavishnu Orchestra and Italian symphonic progressive rock not unlike early PFM. I have had some recent discussions with an internet friend about this album. He finds it to be "fusion by numbers." This band is indeed very influenced by jazz fusion, but the added romance of Italian progressive rock melodies and composition elements is what makes this album so different. Hammond organ Mellotron and A.R.P. synths help provide the textures familiar to progressive rock, but violin, saxophone and occasionally even vibraphones add the jazz flair. Not to be overlooked also, is the drumming of Furio Chirico, who plays some of the fastest, most busy and technical jazz rock drumming I have ever heard. He is easily on par with people like Billy Cobham and Bill Bruford in this respect. He could be accused of over playing, but I think he keeps things relatively tasteful, as he is never heavy handed or overbearing. Besides, all of the other musicians shred too, so he is never out of place!
The first four tracks on this album, "Gravita 9,81/Strips/Corrosione/Positivo Negativo" all form a suite of continuous music with common melodic themes. The suite ranges from ripping jazz rock to mellow vocal melodies which would have been at home on PFM's Photos of Ghosts or Per Un Amico. This is the best part of the album. Following that are a couple of shorter, jazzier pieces and then an excellent 13-minute track similar to the first suite.
The last track, "Tilt," is quite a departure from the style of the rest of the album. It sounds very similar to some of the synth blip and noise weirdness fellow Italians and Cramps label mates Area occasionally indulged in. This is certainly not fusion by numbers! It's pretty weird, but fun stuff if you like that sort of thing. I especially like the demented violin reprise of the melody from the first track on the album.
Only two songs on this album feature vocals, all of which are in Italian. This is a rare case where I would like to hear more vocals. Giovani Vigliar is quite a good singer. He has a mellow voice which, once again, points to the more well-known Italian progressive rock influences of bands like PFM.
Tilt is an essential element to any "Ita-prog" fan's record collection. Even if Italian prog does not usually do much for you, try this album out.