Lorenzo Feliciati - Groove First

Lorenzo Feliciati – Groove First

Little Starlight Records

Groove First is the eighth solo album by the fabulous Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati. This album is a tribute to what he calls his favorite musical partner: the drums—and the drummers!

Each song features a different drummer, showcasing an impressive variety of styles:From the powerful fusion of Gergo Borlai to the electric jazz of Maxx Furian, from the jazz 2.0 of Daniele Chiantese to the progressive rock of Gianluca Palmieri, from the powerful funk of Jason "JT" Thomas alongside the percussion of Martin Verdonk, to the futuristic drumming of Gianluca Pellerito and from the acoustic poetry of Roberto Gualdi to the refined taste of Niels Voskuil. The only guest featured on two tracks is the amazing Pat Mastelotto (O.R.k., King Crimson).

Of course, there are plenty of other stellar musicians on Groove First, including Dutch guitar master Richard Hallebeek, guitarist Davide Aru, and Aidan Zammit and Gianni Vancini on keyboards and sax. Alessandro Gwis adds a unique character to the track Oslo with his combination of piano and electronics, while the Koi horn section (Stan Adams, Duilio Ingrosso, and Pierluigi Bastioli) brings extra punch to the mix, beautiful arranged and conducted by Aidan Zammit.

Lorenzo Feliciati not only composed the album, but also arranged and produced it. He is a true master of both the bass guitar and the  fretless bass guitar, demonstrating his phenomenal technique on both instruments throughout the record. Funky, proggy, but above all jazzy—you name it, he plays it, and I absolutely love it.

Lorenzo gives his drumming friends plenty of space to showcase their skills, complementing them perfectly. I can assure you, however, that this is not an album of musicians simply showstopping or overplaying; it’s a display of deeply musical artists doing exactly what the compositions require.

You might expect that an album with so many different drummers could turn into a bit of a musical mess, but that’s absolutely not the case. Lorenzo Feliciati’s bass ties everything together seamlessly—it’s his artistic vision that makes it a cohesive unit.

This is a wonderful album by one of the best bassists I know alongside his musical friends. Listening to Groove First is pure joy!