Fabrizio Sotti Inner Dance Review

By: Brad Conroy

Click to Download Inner Dance from Amazon.com

Guitarist and composer Fabrizio Sotti released his much anticipated jazz album Inner Dance earlier this year after taking a hiatus from the jazz world. For the past few years Sotti was making a name for himself in the hip hop and rock world, and was keeping himself busy working with well known artists like Dead Prez, Q-Tip, Tupac Shakur, Jennifer Lopez, and Whitney Houston.

Sotti’s album Inner Dance is dedicated to the two jazz greats, Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, and the album has a vibe reminiscent of those great organ trio’s of the 1960’s.

There’s a modern sound to the album as well because of his warm chorus sound which is a bit reminiscent of Mike Stern, and partly because of the progressive aspects of his compositions and arrangements. Sotti displays a wide range of chops and versatility on Inner Dance both on his electric guitar and nylon acoustic.

His technique is at a very high level and Sotti effortlessly displays some incredible runs and dazzling arpeggios within the framework of his improvisations. He displays his more subtle side on a nylon acoustic guitar, where his passion really seems to come alive. Sotti has a very fine touch on the instrument and his phrasing can be beautiful as well as interesting.

Inner Dance opens with the low key tune ”Blue Whisper,” which is driven by the impeccable interplay between Sotti and Sam Barsh on Hammond B-3 organ. Sotti dazzles with his command of the instrument and his tone is warm and pleasing to listen too. Barsh lays down a solid foundation on the organ and it really helps to keep the tune swinging along.

“Amancer” is a mellow acoustic ballad which features Chilean singer Claudia Acuna, bringing a nice balance to the album. Her vocal timbre is smooth and creamy and Sotti’s touch on the nylon string acoustic is incredible. His solos on this track are expressive, subtle, and he really captures the Latin type vibe.

“I Thought So” is a stand out track on the album. It’s electric and the head of the tune features a cool fast type legato melody. Sotti comes out of the gates swinging on this tune with more dazzling runs, arpeggios, outside licks, and in the middle there is an incredible grooving jam between Barsh on B-3 and Victor Jones on drums. The tune also concludes with a lurching, stripped down groove that is a skeleton of the tune and leaves the listener wanting to hear more.

Inner Dance is a great new jazz album which features some of the finest guitar playing around. Overall it has a mellow mood, but many of the tracks are interesting enough to keep you coming back for another listen. Sotti is a great player and his compositions are of a high quality.

Inner Dance also features some great playing by Barsh on B-3, Jones on drums, Gregoire Maret on the harmonica, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. It’s an inspiring album and is well worth the listen if you love guitar and the sound of an organ trio.

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