Gianni Oddi Dreamin’ / Geronimo

In the early 70s, after relocating from his native Genoa to Rome, young saxophonist Gianni Oddi was beginning to establish himself as a super-cool arranger thanks to a series of cover albums recorded forRCAItaly. They contained funk, soul and easy-listening versions of contemporary pop hits, but Oddi often managed to include one or two original compositions of his own like the ones contained in this new instalment of Four Flies 12-inch vinyl series for DJs. Both tracks are perfect examples of Oddis sound and Style (yes, his 1974 album forRCAItalys SP series).

The luscious funk of Dreamin, on side A, shows Oddi as an Italian master of groove. Warm, sexy and nocturnal, the song combines breaky drums with tantalizing vocals (provided by Baba Yagas Isabella Sodani), adding a romantic, dreamy vibe in the special with strings and piano (the latter played by Oddi himself) that are at once reminiscent of soulful black music and influenced by the melodic tradition of Italy.

Geronimo, on side B, is almost a tribute to Manu Dibango a favourite of Oddis at the time. Here, Oddis signature groove, at once refined and infectious, is driven by Mario Scottis pulsating bass, Silvano Chimentis wah-wah guitar, Oddis own persuasive sax and, in particular, sound engineer (and former drummer) Enzo Martellas moose call sound (made by sliding a thumb across the top of a conga). In a nutshell: Africa reimagined in Via Tiburtina (the street in Rome whereRCAItalys recording studios where located).

Both tracks are perfect examples of Oddis sound and Style (yes, his 1974 album forRCAItalys SP series). The same sound (and style!) characterizes masterpieces like Le Montagne della Luce (co-written with Romolo Grano), La Sbandata (the funky theme from Domenico Modugnos soundtrack, which Oddi arranged and produced) and Mondo di Notte Oggi (co-written with Gianni DellOrso). All of these have been released by Four Flies, which continues to celebrate this fantastic groove maker.