Johnny Cash, A.J.Croce feat. Vince Gill, Aaron Neville

JOHNNY CASH – FURTHER ON THE ROAD
What charisma! One of the greatest American musicians of all time who used only guitar and voice for fifty years. He should have gotten bored after a few years but no. If you pick up a record like the American V_ A Hundred Highways collection, you realize what an artist stature he was. Here is the entry that impresses. Thoughtful, dense, expressive, pilot your feelings from dark sadness to warm hope.
We miss you dearly, dear Johnny

A.J.CROCE FEAT. VINCE GILL – NAME OF THE GAME
New Orleans that marries the country folk of the Middle West. Two distant artists who instead find themselves side by side in a song in which each one gives of his own music what he finds. As a guide, sizzling guitar, topped with faux-steel guitars, gaping choirs, a Louisiana piano that crosses the road and then follows it, but adding the cream on the cake, an acoustic solo that makes me tender, so raw it is... In short , theoretically unthinkable stuff that actually works.
Fubbi

AARON NEVILLE – THE CHRISTMAS SONG
Black and white video, Blue Note style, elegant jazz. But he is a wild tamarro, tattooed on all sides. He is the pianist in the background, a brown bear with headphones and hands the size of shovels. It should seem that they improvise it on the spot, but it's not believable, they don't even look at each other once. No solos, just the dry, no-nonsense song. And yet… When he opens his mouth not to yawn, he knocks me down. It's not that he does anything, but it's how he does it that leaves you in place. Even the bear makes a good impression, perhaps not unattainable touch, but beautiful musical ideas, great use of silences and lively melodic fantasy.
Merry Christmas, Aaron


Gianni Giletti
NP March 2023