Jumbo - DNA (1972) [2004, BTF/Vinyl Magic, VMCD 082]

Jumbo's second album was recorded very soon after their debut and its release happened the same year. Still on the Phillips label, but offering a rather controversial gatefold artwork (with as well as an equally debate-sparking title, musically speaking, there is a world of difference between their debut and DNA, almost a genetically modified change, if you will. With an unchanged line-up, this is a very impressive change showing how quickly they matured. Don't be driven off by Alvaro Fella's reputation of having a difficult voice, this is completely inaccurate as he is in the average of Italian prog singers, no more, no less!
The album opens on the startling three-part sidelong suite Per Il Sig K, which is meant to be Kafka and refers to his Metamorphosis book about changing of life form (thanks to Andrea Cortese for this hint) and its 21 minutes. Right from the opening piano lines and the superb chilling flute solo following it, your mind immediately perks up: you're about to witness something special. The wild fuzzed-out guitar finally lead you in the first movement (8-min+) proper, which is rather hard-rocking even if the guitar solo suddenly takes a bluesy-jazz twist before almost losing itself, but the band comes in timely to rescue and revive the song, this time with a harmonica instead of the flute. Starting on another flute solo (not as successful as the first) and segueing into a duo with a guitar Ed Ora Corri (roughly 9-min) is the better of the three movement, often reminding of Tull's more eccentric moods, but plunging into a superb (again) bluesy solo session (guitar-harmonica-flute-guitar-manic laughs-organ & much more) which proves to be the centerpiece section of this suite. As this lengthy instrumental passage fades out, Dio E (a rework from their first album) ends this album on a more classical note. No doubt this Sig K suite is one of their best works, certainly equaling anything they've done for the next Vietato album.

The flipside opens on the Miss Rand, which at first I wrongly thought was about the "fascist-leaning" writer Ayn Rand, and I will add "unfortunately not" as this character happens to burn in her house. While starting with a very proggy riff, the middle section develops into a clunky piano ragtime piece, before reprising the opening riff but slower and more dramatically. The following track depicts the damages of time on the human body and psych, and is generally calmer and more plaintive, pastoral where Fella's voice can either disturb or rejoice the listener, but will not leave him cold. Not an immediate pleaser, this track will slowly unravel its charms to you with repeated listenings. The closing Hai Visto starts a bit confusingly until an Emersonian organ takes over, plunges the group into a classical (almost modern) theme superposed on a jazzy rhythm (could be found on Tull's Time Was) before the song finally kicks in, Fella's verse being interrupted by short wailing guitar solos or wild organ/flute duos.

One of the big debates about Jumbo fans is whether DNA is better or not than their defining Vietato album, and there are many pros on both sides, that I prefer not to choose, both being absolutely fantastic. Easily the best Italian pair of album, even surpassing my other fave Quella Vieccha Locanda's pair.

~ Sean Trane, Progarchives

Jumbo:

A very important band that would have deserved much more success than they really had at the time, Jumbo were formed in Milan at the end of 1969 around singer-songwriter Alvaro "Jumbo" Fella.

Their debut came with two pop singles in 1970 on Numero Uno, sharing the same B-side and containing two cover versions, with Montego Bay and an italian version of In the summertime called In estate.

First LP arrived in 1972 (but recorded earlier) on Philips, rather thin, conceived as an Alvaro Fella solo album (his nickname then became the name of the group) and mostly based on acoustic guitar compositions with little space for electric group parts. There are some good moments like Amore sono qua and Dio è (re-recorded on second album), but the result is not impressive and on a lesser level than their following works.

Later that year came their second album, DNA, an incredibly mature work, and especially when compared with the previous one this is their real first album as a group.

It's composed of four extended tracks, with the long Suite per il Signor K taking the whole of side one. The beginning is in the same style as on the first album, based on acoustic instruments (guitar, flute, piano) but suddenly a distorted electric guitar introduces a much more aggressive sound, led by Fella's harsh voice and strong lyrics. One of the best italian prog albums for sure!

Last album in 1973, after a drummer change with Tullio Granatello replacing the original member Vito Balzano. Vietato ai minori di 18 anni? is their most ambitious work, containing strong lyrics and fragments of avantgarde-inspired music, with the help of Franco Battiato. Come vorrei essere uguale a te and Specchio deal with difficult subjects as homosexuality and social alienation and the result is intriguing and rewarding even if less immediate than DNA. The strong contents of the lyrics caused the band being banned by radio programs.

The band was very popular live and kept playing for some years, in 1975 they released a last commercial single, playing at Milan Parco Lambro festivals in 1975 and 1976 (this time with Roberto Biancone on sax and Valter Frazzi on keyboards, replacing Guidotti and Conte).

Flutist Dario Guidotti was briefly involved as singer with the supergroup Track in 1974, along with former members of Nuova Idea and I Giganti for their sole album Track rock.

After a not successful reunion attempt in 1983, documented on the I violini d'autunno CD, the band reunited again in late 1989 with original members bar Sergio Conte (replaced by Paolo Dolfini) for a one-off concert in Paris with IQ and Magma, organized by a french fan of theirs, and the very nice evening is documented on the brilliant Live in Paris CD.

2001 has seen the release of another CD, called Passing by, containing 1991-2001 recordings by guitarist Daniele Bianchini (always the driving force behind the reunion attempts) aided by some of the band original members, like Alvaro Fella, Dario Guidotti and Tullio Granatello, more new age oriented and mainly instrumental, but containing some very good moments.

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"Джамбо", выдающаяся группа, заслуживающая гораздо большего признания, чем она реально имеет, сформировалась в Милане в конце 1969 года в тусовке певца и композитора Альваро "Джамбо" Фелла.
Первый LP, вышедший в 1972 году (но записанный ранее) на студии Philips, фактически представлял собой сольник Альваро Фелла (прозвище которого стало впоследствии названием группы) и состоял в основном из акустических композиций с небольшим вкраплением электроинструментов. Несмотря на то, что на диске были интересные моменты - "Amore sono" qua и "Dio è", перезаписанные на втором диске, альбом получился не очень впечатляющим и ниже уровнем, чем последующие записи группы.
Позже в том же году был записан второй альбом, "DNA", великолепная зрелая работа, ставшая по-настоящему первой записью группы.
Пластинка состояла из четырёх длинных композиций, причём первая сторона представляла собой один трэк - "Suite per il Signor K". Начинаясь, как и первый диск, с акустики (гитара, флейта, пианино), мелодия внезапно взрывалась вибрирующим звуком электрогитары и хриплым голосом Феллы. Этот альбом до сих пор является одним из лучших альбомов итальянского прога.
Последний альбом вышел в 1973 году после смены ударника Vito Balzano на Tullio Granatello. Этот альбом, "Vietato ai minori di 18 anni?", был их самой амбициозной работой, с великолепной лирикой и фрагментами авангарда, записанной с участием другой звезды итальянского прога Franco Battiato. Лирика альбома была достаточно трудной для восприятия - во второй композиции диска "Come vorrei essere uguale a te and Specchio" шла речь о гомосексуализме и социальных противоположностях, в результате чего группа была запрещена на радио.
"Джамбо" были очень популярны ны концертах и играли ещё несколько лет. В 1975 году они записали последний коммерческий сингл, который лабали на фестивалях "Milan Parco Lambro" в 1975 и 1976 годах (вместо Guidotti и Conte в группе появились Roberto Biancone на саксофоне и Valter Frazzi на клавишных).
Флейтист Дарио Гуидотти короткое время играл в супергруппе "Track" в 1974 году вместе с бывшими музыкантами групп "Nuova Idea" "I Giganti".
После неудачной попытки воссоединения в 1983 году, выраженной в записи СД "I violini d'autunno", группа собралась в конце 1989 года для единственного концерта в Париже вместе с "IQ" и "Magma", организованного их французскими фэнами. Этот прекрасный вечер задокументирован на СД "Live in Paris".
2001 год был отмечен ещ одним СД "Passing by", включающим записи 1991-2001 годов, записанные гитаристом "Джамбо" Daniele Bianchini (движущей силой всех попыток воссоединения группы) с привлечением некоторых других музыкантов группы: Alvaro Fella, Dario Guidotti и Tullio Granatello. Хотя стиль записей тяготеет к "New Age" и инструментальному року, на диске присутствует множество хороших мелодий.