Artist: Wressnig, Raphael
Label: Zyx Music
Release: 2006
Mosquito Bite is a seriously interesting record born of constant competition between two incorrigible music enthusiasts, Enrico Crivellaro and the hyperactive Graz-born Raphael Wressnig. The latter in particular deserves special attention. At just twenty-eight, Raphael has grown in his short but exciting career into one of the world’s leading organists of the newer generation, someone who looks for inspiration for his tireless Hammond-key honing by digging deep into the roots of blues and jazz. The range of the young man’s spectrum is simply incredible. And the ease with which he handles even the most demanding technical moves is breathtaking! Raphael’s inspired playing clearly shows the endlessly long mileage of stage time he’s clocked with giants of the world blues and jazz scene like James Armstrong, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Lousiana Red and Sugar Blue (ex Rolling Stones). Accordingly, you could say his partner, Italian-born Enrico Crivellaro, is an “opponent” worthy of all respect, if not a fully equal musical partner. These two characters, total opposites in temperament, give the sound of the self-proclaimed Raphael Wressnig & Enrico Crivellaro Organ Trio an unmistakable flavor, marked by fervent back-and-forth communication, with which the duo explores the boundaries of jazz and blues.
Just how deadly this Italian/Austrian pairing of fantastic guitar and tireless Hammond can be, we’re reminded right away in the opener Speedin’, a hot-blooded, jazzy-tinged number at a faster tempo with a strong swing emphasis. One of the funnier moments comes with the fantastic Mosqiuto Bite, marked at the start by some one-of-a-kind dissonant Hammond chirping. That these gents aren’t just heartless machines for didactically dressing up multicolored melodic patterns is proven by Wallys March, a funny bluesy march with a hint of swing, this time under the direction of the indestructible Steen, while the cultured, jazz-spiced sounds come courtesy of the singular Cherokee, a lovely display of refined, at moments almost too polished musical communication that sniffs with interest deep into the territory of easygoing jazz. Knofler’s opening “shower” sends Boom Bello, one of the album’s most attractive moments, off into a sharp, funk-dictated tempo, on the wings of which Wressnig once again plays around with various bluesy motifs in his own signature style. Frankie Lee Goes Uptown is a playful tribute to blues legend Frankie Lee, cousin of the one and only Lightnin’ Hopkins. It kicks off with intense, feverishly delivered guitar strutting in the style of authentic country blues, typical of the gentleman in question. The track’s tone is set by exceptionally sensual guitar playing and the unstoppable “groove” of Wressnig’s organ. As a bonus, in the big finale this dynamically punchy number brings Eric’s playing even closer to the sound of John Lee Hooker. The duo’s most convincing approximation of raw, genuine blues comes with the dreamy melancholy of West 43rd St. Blues, a great triumph for Enrico Crivellaro, whose convincing playing adds, for the first time, a more concrete dose of much-needed feeling to this galaxy of “heartlessly” improvised motifs. The seductively “tropical” Banana Boogaloo, a staple of Wressnig’s live shows, will also put a smile on the face of even the most neutral listener, leaving plenty of room for some serious finger-stretching.
What more is there to add in the end, other than that Mosquto Bite is a perfect, meticulously polished upgrade of the sound of traditional organ trio lineups, one that, while playing around with “sacred” musical frameworks, always manages to find a speck of something new and fresh. These days it would be hard to find a band that manages to take in this much musical space, keep its level of expression consistently high, and on top of that improve the flavor of what seemed unimprovable. Raphael Wressnig & Enrico Crivellaro Organ Trio pulled off exactly that with Mosquito Bite!
Lineup
Enrico Crivellaro: guitar
Raphael Wressnig: hammond b3
Lukas Knofler: drums
Scott Steen: trumpet
Production
Enrico Crivellaro & Raphael Wressnig
Track list
1.Speedin’
2.Mosquito Bite
3.Wally’s March
4.Boom Bello
5.West 43rd St. Blues
6.Cherokee
7.Frankie Lee Goes Uptown
8.Banana Boogaloo
9.A-Level
10.Sugar
Album length: 56.13
