Esprit Follet
Où Vont les Vielles Lunes
FolkClub Ethnosuoni (www.folkclubethnosuoni.com)

Kicking off an accordion album with "Sous le Ciel de Paris" would seem like either an exercise in post modern irony or a display of total lack of imagination. When Esprit Follet does it, however, they give the Paris metro staple a spaciousness and generosity of spirit that immediately makes it your new old favorite song. Indeed this whole album of Franco-Italian music flows weightlessly on the vibration of a reed, or in this case, multiple reeds. Rinaldo Doro plays accordion and Sonia Cestonaro oboe and the two of them have a complex orchestral sound that plays on the pliability of both instruments. Just when you think that you're getting tired of all that reediness, they throw in a touch of mellotron, piano, some percussion (courtesy of Giorgio Negro) or guitar (ditto Maurizio Verna). They're elegant and romantic with a waltz ("Annalù"), driving and jazzy on a rigaudon ("Rigodons"), and retro-cool on a 60's cinema homage ("Dérapage"). My only beef is that sometimes the changes in style and mood can be too abrupt. A little more flow to the track order would make this a less whiplash-inducing listen. A minor complaint in view of such a trove of riches. Just listen to the delicately crafted "Omaggio a Fiorenzo Carpi: le musiche di Pinocchio." This four-part suite was inspired by a classic Italian television version of the ageless Collodi story. It uses every timbre the four musicians have at their disposal to create something evocative and tremendously listenable, as is the whole album. - Peggy Latkovich

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