Back to Press
| Review by SILVIO ANGELINI of DRUM CLUB(Italy) Magazine September 1998 |
| SERGIO BELLOTTI 1:11
-self produced- |
| Sergio Bellotti was born in BARI in 1968 and started the drums at the age of 16. He plays around the area, moves to TORINO in 1990 where he studied with Enrico Lucchini, then he plays on cruise ships until 1994 and finally gets to America. He wins a scholarship at BERKLEE college in 1995 where he studies with Kenwood Dennard and John Ramsay, he plays with the Jim Kelly trio and in 1997 he releases this Cd featuring also Bruce Gertz (that we find on this cover of "SOMEDAY MY PRINCE WILL COME") and Jim Kelly (featured on "SON FINITE LE VERGINI" and "MALAFEMMENA"). Sergio distinguishes himself as a very powerful and delicate drummer at the same time in a pleasant variety throughout the entire cd. He hits very hard when necessary as in "THE NUMBERS OF THE BLUES" in collaboration with an "on fire" ROLAND dr. 5 or in "LAKESIDE SHUFFLE" or in the wonderful and spontaneous solo "25 BY 11". This is Sergio: spontaneous, he beats the drums and easily play them to accomplish all his rhythmic ideas. Fast, not super precise, but always "damned" spontaneous. Sergio plays for real and sings as well, on "MAKE THE HI-HAT DANCE". On the album we find also TINO D`AGOSTINO, BLAKELY BERGER, BRUCE GERTZ on bass, NICOLAS MEIER, JIM KELLY, RAY OBIEDO on guitars, BILL VINT, NORBERT STACHEL, PALOMA OHM on saxes, CHRIS WALLER vocalist on "WHAT`S GOING ON " and "RIBBON IN THE SKY" with the beautiful and romantic piano played by RON POSTER. MARCO BELLOTTI, SAMOA WILSON on vocals, JESUS DIAZ on percussion and also the "virtual collaboration" with KENNY BARRON on "C JAM BLUES". All this makes the cd very interesting, different and very much "ITALIAN". Listen to MALAFEMMENA, written by TOTO`, and played by Sergio and his band live in Boston in perfect funky fusion style....a pleasant revelation. Sergio is a truly enthusiastic of the drums, and also a friend that will send you his Bio on a pizza's place flyer, and call from Boston to check if you received his cd, that will play "funiculi` funicula`" as the last song, with the crowd applauding the show. Sergio is a pure enthusiast of the instrument. All he wants is to play and break through the hard world of the international music scene. He knows jazz, he is pleasant, a true "Italian in America"who took risks and chances like this cd. |