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Avion Travel & Paolo Conte's Happy Marriage

George De Stefano | Long Island City, NY | 03/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Danson Metropoli unites northern Italian "cantautore" (singer/songwriter) Paolo Conte with Avion Travel, a well-established and much-loved southern Italian group (from Caserta, near Naples), and this marriage of north and south is an entirely happy one. Their cultural differences notwithstanding, Conte and Avion have compatible sensibilities -- witty, urbane, ironic yet soulful. And Avion in a sense has "colonized" the music, translating some of Conte's lyics into napoletano and in general bringing a southern warmth to the material. This is gorgeous music, beautiflly arranged (by Avion's guitarist Fausto Mesolella)and performed. Avion's inimitable singer, Peppe Servillo, is in fine form, even doing Conte better than Conte. And Mesolella's guitar work is extraordinary. If you've seen Avion live, you know he's great, capable of playing just about anything, inclduing Hendrix. He gets to solo here more than on Avion's other albums, as well as provide color and texture. There's not a weak track on the album, but my favorites include the title song, "Cosa Sai di Me?," "Max," "Spassiunatamente," "Sijmadicandhapjiee," "Elisir" and "Un Vecchio Errore." This is an exceptionally fine album, and I recommend it wholeheatedly."