The
genesis of this album is a story of friendship and respect between artists.
Paola Tagliaferro met Greg Lake and his wife, Regina, late in 2012. Strong ties
were forged between the couple and Paola, which continued with Regina after the
sad death of Greg Lake in late 2016. In 2017, Paola decided to create a musical
tribute to Greg Lake called "Art in Progress Event in Memory of Greg
Lake". To carry out this project, she asked high level musicians to join
her. The formation thus constituted took the name of La Compagnia dell'Es. This
band includes guitarist and sound engineer Pier Gonella (also member of Vanexa,
Mastercastle and Necrodeath), the duo Enten Hitti, which is specialized in the
use of old instruments and has its own musical career (and which even had the
honor of a short review in this blog!), as well as the harpist Vincenzo Zitello
considered as a reference in the matter and having collaborated extensively in
the early eighties with our Breton bard Alan Stivell. Paola Tagliaferro is a
complete artist who has worked in dance, painting and music including
experimental music. She has many musical collaborations (recently with Max
Marchini, Bernardo Lanzetti but also with Peter Sinfield, the former lyricist
of King Crimson) and has four recent albums to her credit : Linee dell'Anima
in 2007, Chrysalis in 2009, Milioni di Lune in 2012 and Fabulae
in 2018. Besides being a very beautiful woman (I still have the right to say
it!), she has a musical path more than respectable. All these reasons to let
you know these musicians better but also to understand that we are not with
amateurs. After several performances by Paola and La Compagnia dell'Es honoring
Greg Lake through the "Art in Progress Event Tour in Memory of Greg
Lake", Regina Lake asked Paola to record an album featuring part of the
songs performed on stage. Of course, Paola’s voice, really very beautiful and
powerful when necessary (cf. "Epitaph"), cannot compete with the deep
and enveloping voice of Greg Lake. It is therefore on another ground that we
must go to gauge this album. It’s probably the reason why Regina Lake wanted to
provide advices on the spirit in which each track could be played respecting
Greg’s intentions. And it’s really the points of interest of these covers.
Their interpretation reveals a form of purity and stringency that related to a
collection of "Greg Lake'songs naked". The other highlight of this
album is to give a unity of tone to these ten (eleven) songs linked together by
what seems a sort of evidence, resulting in a pleasant listening homogeneity.
The proof? All the Greg Lake’s best songs are gathered here and yet no one
stands out more than any other. From then, everything is a matter of
sensitivity and in this mood, I admit to having a strong inclination for
"Lucky man" simply for the accuracy of the Paola’s interpretation and
for the accompaniment really fine of the band which gives a real “plus” to this
touching song, for "Promenade 2" on which Paola hangs her voice to an
invisible thread in a nice balancing act, for "Moonchild" because
that version further exacerbates, if possible, the infinite delicacy of this
song, and finally for "Epitaph/Battlefield" from which there emerges
a sadness and a nostalgia that fits wonderfully with this end of the album, La Compagnia
dell'Es surpassing itself here to recreate an arrangement that carries and
highlights the emphatic (originally) "Epitaph". I admit that I had
some apprehension about Paola’s accent and especially about how she would
interpret these songs respecting the attacks, phrasing and nuances of Greg. But
again, perhaps with Regina’s advices, everything is perfect and right. The last
skeptics wondering where the prog is in all this, will listen to "Take a
Pebble" and the central performance of Andrea Zanzottera on the piano and
then make a jump to tracks 9 and 10 ("Moonchild" and
"Epitaph"), which should definitely reassure them.
This
record confirms, if needed, the talent of Greg Lake as songwriter. Talent that
has never been properly recognized, his time with King Crimson having been too
short to allow him to impose over time his qualities as a melodist, and his
association in ELP having regularly turned to the advantage of Emerson’s sonic
exploits to the detriment of his songs which too often passed for mere
interludes. As for his solo career, it must be admitted that Greg passed by
anyway, which did not allow him to shine his songs unlike a much more opportunistic
John Wetton. The aim of this album is therefore achieved: to pay tribute to
Greg Lake by highlighting the essence of his compositions. The exercise was not
easy, and not won in advance, because when you face to monuments like
"Still you turn me on", "Lucky man", "Take a
pebble" "Moonchild" or "Epitaph", you must be at your
best and not be content to do in the rough. Of course, you will have
understood, Paola and La Compagnia dell'Es are at the rendezvous. May they be
thanked on behalf of all those who once enjoyed hearing Greg Lake perform one
of these beautiful and unforgettable songs. C'est la vie !
by
Louis de Ny (https://rockprogressifitalien.blogspot.com/)
Tracklist :
- From The Beginning
- Still You Turn Me
- Lucky Man
- C’est La Vie
- Promenade 2
- The Sage
- Take A Pebble
- Believe In Father Christmas
- Moonchild
- Epitaph/Battlefield
Musician (La Compagnia dell'Es)
: Paola Tagliaferro (vocals), Pier Gonella (guitars), Giulia Ermirio (violin),
Andrea Zanzottera (piano), Pierangelo Pandiscia & Gino Ape aka Enten Hitti
(oboe, xylophon, luth, bells), U.T.Gandhi (percussions), Vincenzo Zitello
(harp)
Links :
Paola Tagliaferro, click here
Buy the CD, click here
