Even in the 21st century, there are still some acoustic snobs who believe that the term "electric free jazz" is an oxymoron. They insist that free-form improvisation loses its power and its intimacy the minute rock influences and electric instruments enter the picture. But as , , and so many others have demonstrated, electric instruments and rock elements (and funk elements as well) can enhance the free jazz experience -- which is precisely what happens on . This 2008 session finds Italian vocalist forming a duo with American guitarist , and together they remind listeners how compelling electric free jazz can be. With on vocals and live electronics (no overdubs are used) and on electric guitar, electronics, and the occasional sax, has plenty of rock muscle. But for all its intensity and aggression, also offers a lot of nuance. It should be noted that doesn't perform any actual lyrics on ; all of his singing is wordless, and shows himself to be an expressive scat singer on abstract, stream-of-consciousness offerings such as and Clearly, doesn't need lyrics to express himself emotionally; he gets along without them just fine. And even though many jazz enthusiasts associate scat singing primarily with bop, swing, and Dixieland, 's performances demonstrate that scatting can also be relevant to electric avant-garde jazz-rock (or "free rock" if you prefer). are very much in sync throughout the consistently absorbing . ~ Alex Henderson