Unreservedly recommended.
Tambora Music
Diana Torti (vocals); Sabino de Bari (classical guitar, fretless guitar); Andrea Colella (double bass); Francesco De Rubeis (percussion, drums)
Recorded October 2024
Over the last few years, singing teacher and vocal researcher and vocalist Diana Torti has established herself as an original stylist, and with this latest release consilidate her reputations as a lyricist of real talent.
While coillaborating with others, Fearless is only the vocalist’s third release under her own name, and as such this gives her albums a scarcity value that makes each new release most welcome.
Each new recording from Diana is a logical development from the previous and marks a steady course of progress and development that is a joy to hear. With her previous releases, On A Cloud and It’s All We Have being duo performances with long time musical partner Sabin de Bari, Fearless features a quartet and the addition of bass and drums give a pleasing new dimension to de Bari’s compositions and Torti’s lyrics.
The album kicks off with the driving and deeply swinging ‘The Hawk’s Hills’ with Diana’s authoritative delivery quite breathtaking and an exceptional solo from de Bari, and this feeling of dynanism within the quartet is once again felt on ‘Ups And Downs’ with another wonderful guitar sol and scatting from Diana.
A delicious sense of calm and serenity is heard in the gentle ‘Secret Places’ which is without doubt one of the most beautiful songs that I have heard this year with the exquitiste ‘Montmartre Café’ running it a close second.
In an album that is full of musical surprises and delights, Diana and Sabino de Bari reprise ‘Whisky’ from It All We Have in a pared back and minimal reading that features some fine playing from Andrea Colella both pizzacato and with the bow. The bassist also takes a fine solo on the title track that features Diana’s inspiring wordless vocals that also feature prominantly on the only non-original composition in a spirited and imaginative take on Mongo Santamaria’s ‘Afro Blue’.
Diana Torti and Sabino de Bari’s musical partnership as both performers and songwriters reaches new height on Fearless that will please many, and if not already familiar with the vocalist this is an excellent place to start. Unreservedly recommended.
