Roberto Badoglio: Re-Evaluation-Time

Twenty-five year old Italian bassist Roberto Badoglio conveys strikingly impressive chops on this jazz-fusion based studio date, featuring venerable keyboardist Steve Hunt. In a loose sense, the bassist merges classic fusion with a modern uplift. Consequently, Badoglio has studied with present day bass heavyweights, Matthew Garrison and Dominique di Piazza and attended Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Badoglio resides as the lead musical component, sans a six-string guitarist, while trading zesty exchanges with Hunt's radiant Fender Rhodes work and beefy synth lines. The bassist also integrates two solo compositional interludes among the hard-hitting pieces. No doubt, Badolgio possesses a broad arsenal, and transmits a lyrical musical persona amid the hyper-mode, single note licks and complex, jazz guitar-like chord voicings. Consisting of melodic passages and scorching band-generated unison choruses, the session is embellished by an impeccable recording process.

The band's energized and crafty rendition of sax great, Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge," looms as a major album highlight, where Badoglio and Hunt's linear synth soloing assists with elevating the overall pitch. Moreover, the bassist's supersonic bass riffs are a wonder to behold. However, two-thirds into the track mix, the lack of another musical voice amid Badoglio's continual soloing efforts, equates to a superfluous tone, where listening fatigue rears its ugly head. Essentially, the CD might serve a twofold process, since it would appear that Badoglio is either showcasing or posturing for more gigs via material that does contain some entertaining attributes. Regardless, he's a formidable player who communicates warmth, sensitivity and an enviable technique.