Bazimakoo is Dante Ferrara’s third and last album, moving on from a career playing serious renaissance repertoire to the earthy humour of Restoration England. The album focuses on Henry Purcell and his contemporaries who, whilst known for their output of art music and songs for church and theatre, had a lesser-known, light-hearted and entertaining side. These compositions blend popular tunes with, at times, jaw-dropping bedroom and bathroom humour.
There are 33 tracks of which 24 are songs using a variety of backing instruments, namely 4c cittern, hurdy gurdy, English guittar, Milanese mandolin and bass colascione.
A couple of reviews:
Dante Ferrara has recorded three CDs to date and this, Bazimakoo, is the best yet. The great strength of this CD is that there is an artistic unity between the distinctly racy material and the manner of recording, which is very fresh-sounding and direct, and makes unashamed use of multi-tracking. The result is surely more true to the material in feeling than many a more prissy interpretation would be. On this CD he plays a most impressive instrumentarium and for the rounds and catches Dante multi-tracks his own, pleasing, light tenor voice. All the instrumental playing is crisp and sprightly, and greatly pleasing to those who love a variety of wire strings.
In short, I think Dante Ferrara really hits his stride on this disc, giving fresh, lively interpretations of songs which show what a great composer got up to when he was in the pub with his friends.
The Lute Society
An impressive album because of the variety of tunes and songs all played by one person. On ancient instruments Ferrara gives a beautiful picture of time and creates a melodic, humorous and authentic sound. He is not only a musician but a historian and bit of an actor as well. While listening to this album and closing my eyes I picture myself back in some of the old theatres I visited in England and get a feeling how a performance should have been on their opening nights a few hundred years ago. Impressive project, very well done.
Bazimakoo is Dante Ferrara’s third and last album, moving on from a career playing serious renaissance repertoire to the earthy humour of Restoration England. The album focuses on Henry Purcell and his contemporaries who, whilst known for their output of art music and songs for church and theatre, had a lesser-known, light-hearted and entertaining side. These compositions blend popular tunes with, at times, jaw-dropping bedroom and bathroom humour.
There are 33 tracks of which 24 are songs using a variety of backing instruments, namely 4c cittern, hurdy gurdy, English guittar, Milanese mandolin and bass colascione.
A couple of reviews:
Dante Ferrara has recorded three CDs to date and this, Bazimakoo, is the best yet. The great strength of this CD is that there is an artistic unity between the distinctly racy material and the manner of recording, which is very fresh-sounding and direct, and makes unashamed use of multi-tracking. The result is surely more true to the material in feeling than many a more prissy interpretation would be. On this CD he plays a most impressive instrumentarium and for the rounds and catches Dante multi-tracks his own, pleasing, light tenor voice. All the instrumental playing is crisp and sprightly, and greatly pleasing to those who love a variety of wire strings.
In short, I think Dante Ferrara really hits his stride on this disc, giving fresh, lively interpretations of songs which show what a great composer got up to when he was in the pub with his friends.
The Lute Society
An impressive album because of the variety of tunes and songs all played by one person. On ancient instruments Ferrara gives a beautiful picture of time and creates a melodic, humorous and authentic sound. He is not only a musician but a historian and bit of an actor as well. While listening to this album and closing my eyes I picture myself back in some of the old theatres I visited in England and get a feeling how a performance should have been on their opening nights a few hundred years ago. Impressive project, very well done.
