File under avantgarde, free-spirited, and creative music from the Italian Progressive scene
See all* 600 copies, numbered edition. Remastered edition, Orange vinyl *. Napoli Centrale were formed in Naples in 1974 on the initiative of James Senese (sax, vocals) and Franco Del Prete (drums) after their experience in another band called the Showmen 2. They joined forces with American keyboardist Mark Harris and British bassist Tony Walmsley and in 1975 released an eponymous debut album blending in an original way Mediterranean roots and jazz rock. James Senese’s father was an American soldier who had been working in the base of Naples and his mother was a Neapolitan girl, perhaps that’s why the fusion between Afro-American music and Neapolitan folklore sounds so natural and authentic in the band’s output. Franco Del Prete committed lyrics in Neapolitan dialect add a touch of colour contributing to express what’s an almost a tribal rage. They perfectly fit the music composed by James Senese where you can find influences ranging from Miles Davis to Osanna.
In this second album released - Napoli Centraleexpanded their soundscape by adding more instrumentation and took another big step towards that fusion jazz prog perfection. Band leader James Senese (sax, vocals and woodwinds) made some lineup changes adding Giuseppe Guarnera on fender piano, Kelvin Bullen on bass and Agostino Marangolo (Goblin) on drums and in doing so has offered a different angle to their music.