20 Nov 2006 // A review by Miss_Jukebox
Like adding a dash of chilli spice to a meal, Gianmarco Liguori trickles into his debut solo album a unique 21st century twist to traditional guitar weaving. Better recognised as the guitarist of the endowed Salon Kingsadore, Liguori takes a leap into the deeper dimensions of music with this project. This album has an unexpectedly refreshing and diverse sound, demonstrated miscellaneously from one song to the next.

The album’s title track, Stolen Paintings is a teasingly sweet piece to set the mood. It is welcoming with a flirtatious manner which is entirely appropriate for the blooming season. The stripped down Trapdoor is an awakening contrast to the introduction. It is a slice of a native environment taken in its purest form. With a subtle, yet eerie feel, Alpine Bossa takes the album deeper with a pleasant jazz pace.

Liguori demonstrates his diversity as an artist, and with the work of additional instrumentalists they create an exploring album. The perfect example of this is the appositely titled The Wardrobe which mysteriously personifies the voice of, none other than a wardrobe. A step away from that are Insect Beat and Penta that have a new-age icing. One the most intriguing tracks on the album is Kattorna. The song itself is a journey, with a nomadic moral. It slips from one style of resonance to the next with ease.

Entertaining and blissful, Jobim’s Cigar is a sweet and up-tempo track that is the antithesis of the following track, Don’t Open The Window. Intelligently muddled, an agoraphobic echo encircles the song, and Liguori has been able to capture a scoped sound. To complete the album, Mouth In The Desert slips back to the enticing impression that was initial in the album.

The distinguishable point about Stolen Paintings is the crafting of the album which is assorted though fitting for a hazy mixture of dispositions. The skill and inventiveness of the artists on the album is evident throughout. Liguori has created an accurate balance of up-tempo and more resolute tracks and indulgently searches for unique methods to present the music. Impressively, the fact that the album is instrumental is almost forgotten as the voice of the music itself communicates a narrative that can be interpreted, depending on character.

Stolen Paintings has enough variety to appeal to a wide audience, with certain tracks being appreciated more than others. With the headstrong amalgamation of genres in this generation of music, Gianmarco Liguori takes simple jazz to new heights.

~ Janise Kumar

'Stolen Paintings' is the weird and wonderful debut “solo” album from Salon Kingsadore guitarist Gianmarco Liguori. Working with some of Australasia’s finest jazz musicians, Liguori has come up with a world of sound that blurs the gaps between psychedelic rock, free jazz, lounge and world music.

“I’m not a jazz musician” explains Liguori. “But I’m really influenced by jazz. When I was writing the music for the album I was definitely writing with these guys in mind. I tried to stay in the background as much as possible as far as playing was concerned. I kind of just set up musical situations and gave them minimal instructions. I asked these guys to play on the album because I knew they could come up with what I was looking for without having to talk too much about it”.

Liguori teamed up with his friend and former trumpet tutor, Kim Paterson for the project, and through him got involved with the other musicians who perform here. The veteran musicians who contributed to the album have had decades of recording and performance between them since the early 1960s, in the United States, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia, performing with some pretty huge names in jazz. The composer himself can’t read a note of music, so what was it like working with musicians who have recorded and played at such a high level?

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Gianmarco Liguori

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