Search - Gianmaria Testa :: Montgolfieres

Gianmaria Testa's delivery is so low-key, it might take a few spins before these quietly elegant songs start to click. But click they do, opening up into lovely blue-sky vistas built around acoustic instruments and Testa's smoky voice. Joseph and Jacques de Montgolfier first pioneered hot-air balloon flight in 1783, and that leisurely, lofty means of travel finds the smoothest corollary in the lightly orchestrated cabaret-style performances here. A touch of tango accordion enlivens "Habanera." Catch the classical music and folk dance references in "Come le Onde del Mare," as accordion backing expands to a brightly colored horn section. "L'Automobile" has a suitably jazzy charge with tasty trap drumming, a bubbling organ, and a sax solo that feels like a ride in a convertible. While the poetic nuances of Testa's lyrics may be lost on listeners who don't speak Italian, the romantic, slightly melancholy atmosphere will appeal to fans of Cesaria Evora, Nino Rota, and even Paolo Conte. --Bob Tarte