Acqua Foco E Vento

Tuscan melodeon player Tesi has always been interested in the roots music of the region, and he continues to explore it, with material based on traditional songs, ranging from protest rants to lullabies, and everything in between. An accomplished player and composer, he puts focus on the songs themselves here, with pride of place to vocals by Anna Granata and Maurizio Geri, who also plays guitar and helps with the arrangements for the relatively large ensemble. It's a marvelously balanced collection, from the silky romance of "Pan Pentito" to the majesty of "Maggio Di Maresca." Although he's working in traditional forms, Tesi can be a relentless experimenter, and shows it on "Tonio Romito." It's not an easy album, with its rich arrangements and heavy ensemble playing and singing -- quite different from much of Tesi's work -- but there's a beauty to it all, and sometimes, especially on the children's songs, a kind of raggedness that works perfectly. If you want good Italian roots music, this is a fine place to hear it. ~ Chris Nickson|