'Electric Nuts' by Enrico Le Noci

'Electric Nuts' is the new album release from guitarist Enrico Le Noci released through Italy's A.MA Records.

Released four years after his 'Social Music' debut with A.MA, the guitarist and composer radically re-evaluates his music for his new release plundering new ideas and concepts that pay creative dividends.

While 'Social Music' introduced Le Noci as an artist who paid loving tribute to a golden Blue Note era of jazz music through a refined quintet, 'Electric Nuts' seeks to tear the rule book up a little as Le Noci embraces a more all-encompassing sound drawing from a deeper well of influences like Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock and Grant Green.  Performing as part of a trio for this go round, Le Noci partners with pianist Matthijs Geerts and drummer Egidio Gentile to create a record very much in line with A.MA's own evolving landscape.  

While 'Social Music' was indeed a perfect record for A.MA upon its release, their more recent releases have seen the independent label step outside of the projects typically affiliated with the A.MA brand.  Releases like 'Fauves' by Antonio Trinchera, 'Bits of Impressions' by BitMapCrew and 'Freedom Rhythm' by Giovanni Angelini represent an exciting creative shift embracing more of an electronic aesthetic and left-of-centre jazz that makes the label very much of a similar mindset with Le Noci's vision for 'Electric Nuts'.

The album kicks off brilliantly with 'In The House' which relishes in a wonderfully-paced groove built off some quick-fire drumming and sublime keys.  Several tracks boast a real effervescent energy to the recording - 'Sky Dive' serves as another strong example of a track capable of going in a multitude of varying directions; conversely, the more introspective tracks resonate just as well like the ballad-driven 'Eyes to Feel' or the imaginative 'Fantasia'.

We cited artists earlier who served as influences to Le Noci during the recording of this album and proper homage is paid to their efforts through covers of Herbie Hancock's 'Maiden Voyage' and Jimi Hendrix's 'Voodoo Child', with the latter in particular spawning a refreshing take on the guitar legend's classic 1968 track.

Enrico Le Noci has delivered an excellent follow-up to 'Social Music' by bravely stepping outside of the box and successfully embracing the opportunity to create from a myriad of influences that very much form a strong element of his own make-up.