Radical Raptors

Roberto Zanisi is a well-known virtuoso on a variety of Eastern Mediterranean string instruments, like the bouzouki and cümbüş, with a wide experience in different musical areas. For this album he pairs up with electric bassist William Nicastro, whose brilliant playing has already been featured in several Felmay releases with a contemporary jazz-rock flavour. The unique duo play a series of original compositions referencing different genres, from fado to rebetika and waltz to jazz.

The ten shortish compositions of this album create evocative impressions of the different traditions, while musicians take turns accompanying and soloing. Everything is extremely well played but in the end not particularly striking, like a soundtrack in search of its visuals. Not radical enough perhaps, because when they abandon the close referencing for a more modern sound, as in ‘Saturday the 13th’, the project shows more personality and conviction in itself.