Search - Gerardo Frisina :: Ad Lib

What Took me So Long?

bordersj2 | Boston | 11/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. Collecting cd's by Soulstance, S-Tone Inc, Nicola Conte and the entire Break & Bossa CD eventually led me to this, which is perhaps one of the most if not the most influential artist on the label. So I asked myself that question - what took me so long?Finding it for starters. But to review the music - this is a terrific release. A vinyl junkee and obviously a music fan, Frisina's Ad Lib is a cd that takes you through Italian jazz styles and bossa beats. It starts out with the familiar vocal version of "mas eu quer ser" as herad on Break & Bossa vol 5. Afterwards the songs are a mixture of tropical sounds, bossa beats, a few breaks here and there and musical solos throug-out. There are a few similarities between this and Jet Sounds by Nicola Conte - but not much. I think this CD definitely has more of a jazzy feel - as in slow mixing with the gentle saxaphone and accompaniment in the background. However true to schema and the bossa form, you do get a sense of the sixties and seventies lounge with a modern twinge to it (brascubas). I highly recommend this CD. It's fantastic. And if you're a Bossa Brava fan, you definitely will love track 11: Fiera. ON the new Bossa Brava, Conte remixed Mo Horizon's Foto Viva and the majority of the sample was from the guitar background on this track - but mind you, the original is much much better IMO. Also - if you ar a Soulstance fan, you should know that they contributed heavily in this recording (Lo Greco bros). Can't wait for their new CD to come out!Enjoy!"

New Bossa is taking off...

Sander Kessels | amsterdam, nh Netherlands | 08/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gerardo Frisina comes from one of the hottest labels of the moment, Schema, which holds names like Nicola Conte and Soulstance and is best known for it's Break 'n Bossa series. If you think this small label can't have all the hottest latin jazz/ new bossa artists, think again. Gerardo Frisina's album takes of with 'mas eu quer ser', a uptempo, catchy song that will shake every bone in your body. On the whole, the album remains in the same tempo, with some easytune exceptions like the last track 'open up your mind'. It's a album very suitable for cocktailparties to get everyone in the right mood. The only bad side of this cd is the poor package (just one piece of paper.) You don't dress Brigitte Bardot with a bag. In that respect, Schema could learn a lot from a label like Basta records."