Reviews
introducing joe slomp – CD reviews
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| RaRo! (June 2001, page 18) |
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 The Roman musician, fourty years old (real name Giuseppe Slomp), a great passion for jazz as well as for rock, westcoast and soul, realized Introducing, recorded in Rome (Italy) and mixed in New York. Slomp revisited without fear of confrontation (succeeding in doing so) the repertoire of the likes of Springsteen (All the Way Home and Living Proof, although not well known these songs don’t suffer from that), and other great artists: Stevie Wonder (Smile Please), Joni Mitchell (A Case Of You), David Crosby (Guinnevere), Curtis Mayfield (So In Love), and the splendid Some Other Time from Leonard Bernstein (Fernando Fratarcangeli). |
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| Rockstar (March 2001, page 94, Section “Pearls – Hidden treasures in the sea of new releases”) | |
 It takes the courage of modesty to admit that one prefers to play someone else’s music rather than one’s own simply because it’s more beautiful.
And it takes courage to confront with the music of Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, David Crosby and various other heroes of the 40-something generation. But Giuseppe Slomp, roman, transplanted to Denmark, faces all this with an unpretencious innocence and polishes up eleven songwriting gems (Maurizio Iorio) |
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| Audio Review n. 211 (March 2001) |
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 There is an intense scent of Seventies in this debut album (of covers) of the very much Italian (despite his name) Joe Slomp, played with such passion and confidence equal to his knowledge of the best things that came out of that critical period of our beloved musical facts (somewhere between Joni Mitchell’s westcoast and soul-music pulsions).
The devoted and respectful tribute to the last soul-pop sparkles is payed with Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield or Michael McDonald’s song picks, just before the “Saturday Night Fever” amalgamated all black music in the disco cauldron. And within this context two homages to a less-known Springsteen (”All the Way Home” and “Living Proof”) certainly do no harm. Slomp is 40, does not have any trend-making pretense, but only wants to define himself as a joint to a certain kind of intimate music en vogue some thirty years ago that has today unmercifully been put aside by the recording industry. And, why not, he proposes himself as (enlightened) disciple of that stream: he has, as a matter of fact, selected a handful of classics and made them his own, through a positive reinterpretation work that has certainly strengthened them with sounds best aligned to today’s contamination tendencies. The arrangements built around the songs are excellent, like for example the discrete use of a trumpet that draws the background to David Crosby’s Guinnevere. And then there is Slomp’s voice, that has the necessary ductility to make the chosen songs absolutely personal (Luigi Lozzi). |
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| Direct Reflections (Bose Magazine) (February 2001) |
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 The roman musician-singer, in love with Bill Evans, Chet Baker and Weather Report’s jazz, and with the West Coast sound of the golden days, debuts in Denmark assembling, together with Morgera’s trumpet, Principato’s keyboards and Mancuso’s and Micarelli’s guitars, 10 covers, revisited in r&b, soul and jazzy keys. Mitchell’s A Case Of You in the songlist, together with songs from Crosby, Palmer, McDonald, Springsteen, Mayfield, Wonder and Bernstein (Sergio d’Alesio) |
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| Musica! (Weekly supplement to the January, 25, 2001 issue of Repubblica) | |
  If all artists were like Joe Slomp, atlases would have no better use than as fish wrap.
Roman, 40, his debut work, it’s like Slomp has always lived switching between the two coasts of the United States. One ear constantly glued to the Stone Poney’s loudspeakers, waiting |
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| Car Stereo & FM n. 54 |
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| Joe Slomp, although the name doesn’t sound like it, is very much Italian. But his musical passions dwell on the Californian West-Coast and in the early ’70s soul-music soaked New York (Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield or Michael McDonald). A deep respect of these components permeate his debut album, which maintains a personal stylistic cypher that leads its author to revisit those songs with a modern approach, never to mimic them. Slomp does not pretend to climb the charts (he would certainly have chosen different material) but with a lot of honesty attempts to trace the coordinates of his musical background and tries to define himself as a joint to a certain type of music (intimate or en vogue in the early Seventies and beyond) that has today been put aside by the recording industry. The arrangements built around the songs are excellent, like for example the discrete use of a trumpet in the cover of David Crosby’s Guinnevere. And then there is Slomp’s voice, that has the necessary ductility to make the chosen songs absolutely personal. And within this context two homages to a less-known Springsteen (”All the Way Home” and “Living Proof”) certainly do no harm (Luigi Lozzi). | |
| Porta Portese – Rome (January 12, 2001) |
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 It’s a high class CD this production of Joe Slomp, born in Rome, Italy, but with a cosmopolitan musical soul. Joe had to wait to be almost 40 to publish his first CD (recorded for an independent Danish label), which unmistakeably reveals his passion for a musical genre whose matrix is certainly American, halfway between blue-eyed soul and pop-fusion. At as early as 10 years of age Joe started to approach music, thanks to a Giaccaglia organ bought by his parents, but he soon moved his interest to the acoustic guitar that will become inseparable companion of his early vocal performances. As his technique improved, his hunger for new music augmented, and this will draw him next to other musical styles, from rock to jazz, from funk to west coast, and from artists like Crosby Still Nash & Young to Chet Baker, from Sarah Vaughan to Weather Report, among others. He devoted a large part of his life to music, playing in many Roman clubs, from simple solo gigs to duo and up to sextet gigs, switching between different musical styles. All this background work now has been poured into this collection of covers, skillfully interpreted by his warm voice and impeccably and elegantly rearranged, with the help of Stefano Micarelli, his friend and musical partner for many years. Although the authors of the songs are quite diverse (Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, David Crosby, Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Bernstein), Joe Slomp managed to create a homogeneous sound. Which does not mean that listening to the whole CD is not a thoroughly enjoyable experience: the sound that Joe and Stefano have given to each song, also helped by all the musicians involved, gives each an always different and interesting angle, making this cd a little musical pearl in a sea of products maybe more shiny than this but without the seductive warmth and emotions found here. (Philippe Sacco) |
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| SUONO (December 2000, n.327) |
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 The Roman musician and singer, in love with Bill Evans, Chet Baker and Weather Report’s jazz and of the weast coast of the golden days, prepares a demo of cover songs and mails it to a Danish label, which decides to publish Introducing, for its worthy high technical and artistic quality.Recorded between Rome and New York, the collage is an authentic surprise because it revisits, in a jazzy key, some of the best American songs of the last 60 years. Joni Mitchell’s A Case Of You opens the CD, and is immediately followed by a splendid moody version of David Crosby’s Guinnevere, enriched by Fabio Morgera’s trumpet, Stefano Micarelli’s guitar and Pierpaolo Principato’s keyboards. The trip becomes more rhythmic, on the waves of So In Love, written by Curtis Mayfield, the great Woman’s Gotta Have It, written in ‘72 by Womack & Carter, and This Time It’s Real, from Castillo-Bartlett-Kupka, juggled between soul, rhythm & blues and jazzy. Two Bruce Springsteen covers don’t come as a surprise: All the Way Home and Living Proof, supported by the guitar of Vincenzo Mancuso and the C3 Hammond organ of Rob Arthur and from the Principato-Surace-Micarelli & Cecchini quartet. Lastly, we want to mention She Makes My Day by Robert Palmer, Smile Please by Stevie Wonder, Takin’It To the Streets by Michael McDonald and Some Other Time by Leonard Bernstein.(Sergio d’Alesio) |
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| Time Out – Rome (November. 23-29, 2000, anno 4, n.46) |
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 It is with great joy that we highlight for you the debut cd of a roman artist (the first name is a pseudo, but the surname is his own) that, after many years of gigs in the most important clubs of our city, starts off as refined performer of this terrific selection from top american songwriters. Joe candidly admits that he wanted to make a cd of only cover songs because “I love this music more than I love what I write”, and because, we add, his talent as a performer is truly remarkable, surely up to other international artists with wider sales and public recognition.The choice of songs emphasizes Slomp’s eclecticism: he confronts Curtis Mayfield’s, Stevie Wonder and Bobby Womack’s soul, David Crosby’s west coast – with a Steely Dan touch, Doobie Brothers’ classic Takin’it to the streets, two little known specials written by Springsteen, and the grand Some Other Time by Leonard Bernstein, all with the same naturalness. From the grooves (as we used to say back in the vinyl days) transpires true love for these magnificent songs and for the great composers that are behind them. But the beauty of this cd dwells in the very personal way the songs are arranged and delivered. We must, too, stress out that the music is played by excellent roman musicians: among them we mention Stefano Micarelli, responsible for most of the arrangements. For more informations, the internet site is www.jslomp.it. (Luca Raimondo) |
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| new soul (November,21, 2000) |
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 It’s is very likely that it will be difficult for you to get your hands on this cd, as it is produced by an independent label. But it is worth looking for and buying. Italian, and great appreciator of good music[...](full text on newsoul.it) (Federico Grilli) |
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| Joni Mitchell Discussion List (November,14, 2000) |
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 [...] this is a super collection of songs. It’s almost like Joe read my mind and did all my favorite artists! Doobie Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Joni, Bruce Springsteen….what- no XTC or Tom Waits? :~) Joe’s an extremely talented vocalist. The songs he picks are not easy songs. He’s a blue-eyed soul singer, his voice is very chameleonic, he can belt out a punchy soul shout or coo a soft whisper, and the musicians on this disc are astounding! I don’t know them, but I’ll bet they’re among the best studio musicians available in that part of the globe. Here’s a rundown of the tracks:1. A Case of You – This will appear on Volume 12. Thanks Joe for granting me inclusion, this will be a good way to get you heard across the country, the world for that matter. And he had some neat comments about Joni, he can tell you what he said… 2. Guinnevere - This one’s the standout! Imagine Steely Dan running this song through a “Home At Last” treatment and maybe you can begin to grasp the feel this one has. Has to be heard to be believed. Kakki, obviously I thought of you as soon as I heard this chestnut! It’s an OHMYGAWD jawdropper! 3. So In Love – This is a Curtis Mayfield song, done in a very Stax/Volt way, tremendous horn section and that soulful Booker T organ sound. Very nice. 4. Woman’s Gotta Have It – This Bobby Womack tune is probably familiar to most of it via James Taylor’s cover. This is similar in arrangement, but much funkier and jazzier, and Andrea Cecchini’s bass is featured and provides a steady foundation along with solid drums by Marcello Surace. Think of Hall & Oates and those white-boy soul harmonies they were famous for, and you’re pretty close. 5. This Time It’s Real – This one would be a HUGE hit in SC, where they eat up “beach music” tunes like this! This one would fill up the dance floor in a hurry. It’s Joe’s salute to Tower of Power, and it’s powerful good! 6. All The Way Home – The first of two Springsteen songs Joe does, this one is a little obscure because it was a tune Bruce wrote for Southside Johnny. And the arrangement is much more stripped down, just the vocal, an acoustic, and a soft organ. Very tasty, thanks for bringing this one out, Joe! 7. She Makes My Day – A Robert Palmer song, this one is my least favorite on the disc. Maybe because I miss all those babes that Palmer used to put in his videos! :~) That said, it’s still a pretty song, it just doesn’t hold up to the rest of the gems here… 8. Smile, Please – Another HUGE winner! Never heard anyone else do this song, it’s of course Stevie Wonder’s tune from Fulfillingness”. Joe brings the tempo down a bit and makes it a slow burnin’ funky thang! Joe brings out the joy in the song, that’s for sure. Not too many singers would brave the range of notes and scatting you’ve gotta do to pull it off! 9. Takin’ It To The Streets – Are you kidding me? How cool is this? Joe and company take this Doobies tune and give it a slick jazz treatment. Joe sorta sounds like Michael McDonald anyway (when he wants to, I told you he’s like a chameleon!), and this one is also noteworthy for the great piano work by Pier Paolo Principato. It definitely puts a new spin on it! 10. Living Proof – The other Springsteen song on the record, this is a beautiful song about the joys of having children. Joe’s got two, Alice & Martha, and I think both of their middle names are “Joni”. Anyway, this is a unique arrangement as well, some great guitar work by Stefano Micarelli and propulsive choo-choo drumming as well. I’ve always loved this song, Joe, so I appreciate you adding it here. 11. Some Other Time – A Leonard Bernstein song, from 1944, this one is a gorgeous closer as it’s just Joe and Andrea Beneventano on piano. A pretty song I’m not familiar with…”just when the fun is starting, comes the time for parting”…man, is it done already? This is truly a very cool record. Well done Joe, and give a “grazi” to those musicians – they are WONDERFUL![...] (Bob Muller) |
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| Il Mucchio Selvaggio [The Wild Bunch], Italy n.417 (November, 7-13, 2000) |
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 The title of Joe Slomp’s first recording sounds both like a business card and a promise to return with a second work. And hopefully for an entire carreer that takes off right from here, from the passion, nourishedand cuddled thru time by the Roman musician, for the song and its more classic tones. A beginning at about fourty, with a large part of his life spent doing other things with music in scraps of time. But it is also apparent that Joe’s emotional motivations are the very songs he grew up with. “Introducing”, recorded in Rome, mixed in New York and published in Denmark, is precisely this: a record of songs and passions. Backed by a formally and technically impeccable band, Joe Slomp’s voice fly byes warm renditions of songs, some more and some less known, some more and some less classics. There is “Guinnevere” [...]. The mood is relaxed, the tones are meditative, rich and somewhat patinated sounds. Traces of mannerism here, echoes of the soul side of Van Morrison there, but what matters is that this record is the beginning of what will come. (G.T., translated by RamiLaiDad acts) |
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