Calibro 35: Any Resemblance to Real Persons or Actual Facts is Purely Coincidental (Nublu, 7/10/12)
“Uh Ah Brr”
Film scores have seeped into the collective consciousness of musicians since they were first introduced to cinema. Their influence is widespread and unmistakable, but few artists have derived so much of their aesthetic from this sub-genre as Calibro 35, an Italian instrumental five-piece that works to pay homage to the Golden Age of Italian cinema.
By incorporating hard funk, rock, prog, jazz, and more, the band manages to refresh and redefine the audible magic from Italian exploitation films and westerns, with particular regard to the works of Ennio Morricone and Piero Umiliani. Calibro 35’s third effort, which now receives its US release, is titled Any Resemblance to Real Persons or Actual Facts is Purely Coincidental — a fitting and purely non-coincidental choice for an album that features recreations of soundtrack compositions from films with this same byline.
Recorded in Brooklyn in just five days between tours, the album somehow maintains a wild, improvised quality while cultivating its damn-near-perfected cinema-rock vibe. And though the obvious influence can be seen on two recreations of actual soundtrack themes (“Passagi Nel Tempo,” from Morricone’s work in The Great Silence, and “New York, New York,” from Piero Piccioni’s work in Anastasia, My Brother), the two tracks aren’t merely rip-offs of these legendary composers. Rather, they’ve been updated, injected with subtle twists and the band’s own fat, funky style.
Other songs, however, prove that the band isn’t a one-trick pony. From “Uh Ah Brr,” with its wordless, scat-like vocals over prog guitars and jazz flute, to the sitar-tinged “New Dehli Deli,” the band blends global flavors in a way that fits its cinematic aesthetic. And with the healthy dose of Motown horns on “Italian Band from BBQ (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens)” to “Rain on Concrete”’s nod to ’60s French film composers, the band showcases its ability to flow freely between time and place, merging together seemingly disparate styles, all while leaving you feeling as though you’re facing the big screen.