Italian folk
guitarist
Beppe Gambetta
has fleet fingers, and he shows them off on this largely instrumental solo album, beginning with the flashy
"On the Road with Mama,"
on which he plays both six- and 12-string acoustic guitars. Rapid flatpicking is mixed with a collection of effects to provide a display of technical brilliance and style that sets up the rest of the record. In comparison, the second track,
"Fandango per la Bionda,"
which also has some fast passages, seems nearly casual.
Gambetta
risks singing English in his Italian accent on
Norman Blake
's
"Church Street Blues,"
which is one of the few tracks to feature many other musicians, guests including
Dan Crary
and
Gene Parsons
. He is more at home singing in his native language on
"Nova Gelosia/Serenata,"
but he is most comfortable just playing those amazing runs on guitar and bouzouki.
Blu di Genova
is a wonderful acoustic
folk
record that will be appreciated best by fans of textured and speedy guitar work. ~ William Ruhlmann