* 500 copies, numbered edition. Remastered edition, Red vinyl *. Napoli Centrale were formed in Naples in 1974 on the initiative of James Senese (sax, vocals) and Franco Del Prete (drums) after their experience in another band called the Showmen 2. They joined forces with American keyboardist Mark Harris and British bassist Tony Walmsley and in 1975 released an eponymous debut album blending in an original way Mediterranean roots and jazz rock. James Senese’s father was an American soldier who had been working in the base of Naples and his mother was a Neapolitan girl, perhaps that’s why the fusion between Afro-American music and Neapolitan folklore sounds so natural and authentic in the band’s output. Franco Del Prete committed lyrics in Neapolitan dialect add a touch of colour contributing to express what’s an almost a tribal rage. They perfectly fit the music composed by James Senese where you can find influences ranging from Miles Davis to Osanna.

This album has been extremely influential on the music scene of Naples and should be considered as essential in an Italian prog collection. It is usually considered the cornerstone of a whole new music subgenre very popular during the eighties and called “Neapolitan Power”, featuring artists like Pino Daniele, Tullio De Piscopo, Enzo Avitabile and others. A kind of world music mixing blues and Mediterranean roots (Prog archives)