* contemporaryfusionreviews FabriziolaPiana beautiful guitar * Fabrizio La Piana – Almond and Coffee

* contemporaryfusionreviews FabriziolaPiana beautiful guitar * Fabrizio La Piana – ALMOND AND COFFEE:  Way back in the day, I spent some very pleasurable weeks (that turned into months) in Amsterdam, where Fabrizio is now based.  There is an urge to “compare” his work with other guitarists, but as I listen to the superbly crafted and totally unique “Forte“, I realize that he is totally his own player, and you’ll hear that too as soon as you spin this excellent song.  You can get an even better feel for how appealing it is by scoping out this fantastic live-performance video from YouTube:

Fabrizio started playing early (at age 11, in Italy, where he’s originally from), with his father Vittorio teaching him the basics that would be the foundation for playing professionally, attending University (Lizard School of Music) and ultimately teaching.  As he expanded his horizons with performances all across Europe and developing the fascinating electric guitar style you will witness on the grand closer, “Rokin“… though his style is quite laid-back (in a certain respect), his playing and composition are packed with the kind of energy that forms new sonic universes and brings hope to any who listen to it… simple, yet full of wonderment!

The one critique I have to offer up is that the album only clocks in at just over 35 minutes (35:55, to be precise)… it would be nice if his next release expands to 40 minutes or more…  that is only a minor thing, though, because tunes like the DOW-un opener, “Funky Song” (think Johnny Guitar Watson, perhaps), will have you hitting the “replay” button over & over again… there is real POWER in this piece, and that’s exactly the kind of energy that guarantees a review in these pages.

The highly syncopated percussion on “Pulice” forms an enchanting weave with Fabrizio’s guitar, and will have you wrapped into the tune by the 4th bar; the keywords here are “swirling movement”, and I predict, in fact, that you will be hearing much more from him… visit his CD Baby site for the release to listen to samples, etc.

I always pick a personal favorite when reviewing an album, and the clear winner is the title track, “Almond and Coffee“; this tune is actually what convinced me that I had to review Fabrizio’s work in the first place… it’s easy to hear just how talented and dedicated he is to performing his magic on this one!  I give Fabrizio a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.98 for this fine sonic journey.  Get more information, watch videos, etc., on Fabrizio’s website.     Rotcod Zzaj

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