Ciro Manna

Ciro Manna - Feel'n' Groove - 2007 - Yellow Moon Factory

I was turned on to the music of Italian guitarist Ciro Manna through the contact of another Italian artist I recently had the pleasure of reviewing, that artist being keyboardist extraordinaire - Alex Argento, Alex' cd Ego is definitely a must buy for fusion fans everywhere. So, with the huge impression Alex' cd left on me, I greatly anticipated hearing his friend Ciro Manna solo cd - Feel n' Groove, after all anything Alex Argento would recommend to me must be well worth listening to. Ciro Manna does not follow in the tradition of the guitarists of his age group, he's a 25 year old (as of this review in 2007) that sounds more like a vintage fusion player twice his age, where most younger players are following the metal or rock styles of playing, Ciro seems mainly affected by the jazz, funk and blues players that have defined the instrument since the guitars most innovative eras. His playing has a nice blend of hard edged funk and fusion not unlike the styles of Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, or even a little Mike Stern. He is a well versed player that also has a keen sense for writing, as this is actually one of those rare recordings that is fun to listen to all the way through. He has surrounded himself with some talented musicians to help bring his musical adventures to life, each player compliments Ciro's compositions with the additions of their own personal skills, displaying a lot of dazzling musicianship in their own right. Ciro Manna is a great example of what a wealth of talent lies beyond the 'popular' sector of jazz/fusion music, here is a young player that has dedicated himself to perfecting his own style, in a time where cloning is the trend, through intense practice and serious study, he has come to this point with this cd, where you can hear the depth of his playing. I like how Ciro writes his songs, they are not merely simple backdrops for the sake of soloing, his band is one that needs to be heard, and the writing allows them to flourish along with his deft playing. In the end, this is a solid statement for a young musician that should get some notoriety outside his own country, I would think that fusion fans that are into the styles of Stern, Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, or some of the more jazz meets funk and blues players would be as impressed by this cd, and most anything those three listed players have recorded, Ciro really fits well in that company of players, and has the chops and writing skills to match. review by & © MJBrady © © 2000 - 2013 where appropriate - All rights reserved © ProGGnosis http://www.proggnosis.com/Release_Detail.aspx?RID=22830

In an interview for Guitar Nine magazine, Ciro said that “I began to play guitar when I was fourteen years old; my father had a guitar that he bought when he was young, but he didn't play, and that guitar was hung up on the wall. So one day, I thought that I could try to play it with my friends. From the first time I played it, I 've never stopped. At the beginning I liked to play Nirvana, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix songs; then I started to play Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci and other guitarists. When I was eighteen years old, I began to listen to jazz and fusion players like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Chick Corea, Michel Petrucciani, Greg Howe, George Benson, Martin Taylor, Scott Henderson, Pat Metheny and Charlie Parker. At present, I listen to all music. I started to study classic guitar, and now I'm in my eighth year at the Conservatory; I also learned jazz harmony by taking private lessons with a lot of teachers in Italy, and taking part in clinics by famous guitarists like Mike Stern, Andy Timmons, Carl Verheyen, Guthrie Govan, and Greg Koch. But I think the most important part of studying is that everyone try to come out with his or her own style. Listening to guitar-oriented records I have noticed that a lot of them are mainly focused on the guitar, and less on the groove, neglecting the sound of the band. What I tried to do on my CD was to create a huge sound with the bass and drums, giving just the right groove to every riff of the song. "Feel" is related to my feeling about the guitar, and the continual search for my own sound.” Speaking about the album, Ciro said “"Sixteenth Highway" was the track that we recorded in the fastest time; we spent only one day in composing and recording all the instruments! "Ciro's Funk" is one of the first songs I composed and it means a lot to me! I've dedicated "O' Satch O' Boogie" to a great master of the electric guitar, Joe Satriani. He wrote "Satch Boogie". You know, in the dialect of my town, "satch" means "to know", (it's a joke using the same sound of the two words in two different languages) so "O' Satch O' Boogie" means "I know the boogie"! Very funny! I titled the fourth track "Mosaiko Funk" because I mixed fragments of many different styles. "Rain Fall" is the classic ballad rock that is a must in every rock album. "Sparkles On The Road" is a funky blues/rock tune, i really enjoy playing it! "Groovin' Engine" is one of the more complicated tracks. I remember that the day before the recording session of this tune I didn't have a great ending, so I worked until dusk to write the sheets for all the instruments! "Anem" is the acoustic ballad that I dedicated to my lovely gilfriend Mena; "Anem" is her name spelled in reverse. "On The Groove" is one of my favorites because in live sessions I always improvise the guitar solo. Big fun! "Slap It Now" is a bonus track done with my guitar and an Octaver for a deeper sound. I really enjoyed playing slap on the guitar, and it is also in sync with the rhythmic heart of the CD!” Speaking about his band, Ciro says that “I'm very lucky, because the members of my band are great musicians and also good friends of mine. I've known them for a lot of years and I play with them in different musical situations. Angelo Abate is on piano and keyboards; he's like a musical father for me. I learned a lot of things from him. Antonio Muto (on drums), a great "groove machine", and Marco Galiero, on bass, have done a great work on the CD. In live sessions they have a great natural feeling that helps me to play better. Also on the CD, Pierpaolo Veltro plays bass on tracks 3, 5 and 8, Last but not least, keyboard wizard Alex Argento plays on track 7. Check out his amazing solo debut CD "Ego"!” - [from Guitar Nine mag.]

Ciro Manna is a young and very talented talented guitarist from Naples, Italy. He has a natural feel for groove and his playing is very much influenced by blues music. His guitar style is often reminiscent of the fusion side of Robben Ford, Mike Stern, and Greg Howe, but this album also has plenty of great funky rock grooves and Ciro is not deliberately trying to imitate anybody. He doesn't need to. This is a very good album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Keep your eyes open for future releases from this talented guy [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 92.9 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Sixteenth Highway 4:20
2 Ciro's Funk 3:30
3 O'satch' o' Boogie 3:33
4 Mosaiko Funk 4:21
5 Rain Fall 4:12
6 Sparkles On The Road 3:56
7 Groovin' Engine 5:00
8 Anem 5:48
9 On The Groove 4:54
10 Slap It Now 2:43

All tracks composed by Ciro Manna