CD Review: "Ramo Italian Tapestry"
Michele Ramo's reputation as a virtuoso guitarist has been enhanced by his gypsy guitar work with James Carter, collaborations with jazz legends like Bucky Pizzarelli and Mundell Lowe, and his ability to play (and teach) classical chamber music. This series of tunes takes him back to his Sicilian roots, playing solo, and utilizing his newly invented eight string, six octave amplified acoustic guitar that allows him to simultaneously play bass lines, chords and melodies. While not quite putting him into the multi-faceted league of Stanley Jordan or Charlie Hunter, Ramo manages to coordinate the duality of playing along with himself just fine, and in a more subdued, less pyrotechnical tone than Jordan or Hunter. This is a beautiful set of introspective, romantic, laid back songs perfect for dinner music or spending the night with a special someone. They are part of the tradition of Naples, some dating back to the ‘20s and sung by Italian-American pop singers of the ‘50s. The program starts typically in a calm mood, but by the second cut "Guaglione," you hear a samba reflection and Ramo's counterpoint to himself on treble and bass strings singing to their muse in lively spirit. The next most upbeat Italian song "Comme Facette Mammeta" precedes a series of ten tunes that are all pretty, delicate, heart and soul numbers. The patience of Ramo, and the difficulty in playing this languid music is consistently delivered. On "'Na Sera ‘E Maggio" does the drama return, but only by degrees. There's a take on Nino Rota's famous movie emblem "Love Theme From The Godfather" that has a more pronounced bass line, "Arrivederci Roma" is the saddest tune, and there are two tracks where Ramo plays six string acoustic guitar -- the somber "Lacrimi Siciliani," and the closer "Quant'e Laia La Me Zita," a dance tune where Ramo sings in his native dialect and sports the most energy of all the tunes. Not jazz but certainly full of improvisations, a European precept and loaded with the blues Napulitan style, it's clearly a project Ramo has wanted to do all his life, and is very well rendered.
