JACOPO GIUSTI - PLAY ONLY WHAT I LOVE

• jacopo giusti: play only what i love
  (2011, cd, italy, discolaser)

Jacopo Giusti's "Play Only What I Love" album arrived last week. You should know Jacopo as the drummer for the excellent Fattore Zeta band, the italian jazz ensemble that specialises in playing the music of Frank Zappa. You might also have come across Jacopo's name while reading about Electric Bongo Fury, the duo that consists of Jacopo Giusti on drums and Nicol Franza on electric guitar. Electric Bongo Fury recorded an album of Frank Zappa compositions in 2008.

"Play Only What I Love" is Jacopo's first solo album. As one might expect, the drums have a prominent place on this disc. Six of the eleven composition that are presented on this CD were composed by Jacopo Giusti. There's prog rock, soundscapes, experimental jazz and Zappa. My favourite piece is 'Serious Music For Drums & Low Budget Percussion", Jacopo's tribute to contemporary composers Edgar Varèse and Frank Zappa. It's a great piece about the rhythmic and melodic approach to drums, explained by Jacopo in words and in music. I love it.
Fellow melomaniacs will glad to hear that the album also includes a couple of excellent coverversions: there's Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, Max Roach, and, of course, Frank Zappa.
The Zappa pieces, 'Lobster Girl' and 'Them Or Us', are fabulous.

Jacopo Giusti made an exellent solo album. He wrote some fine music and picked some excellent pieces from his favourite composers. And it's not just Jacopo, participating musicians do a great job as well.

Recommended listening !

Here's a nice little movie about Fattore Zeta's gig in Paris. Jacopo Giusti on drums.