Featured Artist: Marco Benevento

CD Title: Invisible Baby

Year: 2008

Record Label: Hyena

Style: Progressive

Review:

Thirty-year old keyboardist Marco Benevento follows up his widely-acclaimed three-CD set Live at Tonic with a wondrous extension of his musicality on this 2008 studio set.  No doubt, the artist has been making waves, hearkening back to his prog-rock shaded duo engagements amid four recordings with drummer Joe Russo.  Spurred upon by youthful vigor and an active musical mind, Benevento’s performances render a paradox of sorts as he minces various jazz, pop and rock influences into the grand schema.

He reengineers various themes into pulsating or climactic opuses, where every note executed makes a difference.  On top of that, the keyboardist’s layered acoustic-electric theme building maneuvers, largely includes catchy hooks regardless of nuance or tempo.  He incorporates oscillating Leslie organ speaker effects with trippy inferences from late ‘60s psychedelia via Farfisa (or perhaps a midi patch) organ grooves on the playful and delectably cheesy, “The Real Morning Party.”  Here, he conjures up cartoon-like imagery and then in other spots, he renders soul-drenched gospel blues motifs and much more.

Benevento pursues heavy-handed keys choruses during “If You Keep On Asking Me,” which is augmented by spacey EFX and trance-like manipulations that segues into an intense rock pulse.  The artist also incorporates the beloved yet antiquated mellotron within various tracks, as he summons remembrances of the ‘70s British progressive-rock movement.  Yet its Benevento’s uncanny methodologies and vision that distinguishes him from many of his would-be peers.  Without a doubt, he’s on a spiraling course to become a major player within the global music scene.

Record Label Website: http://www.hyenarecords.com

Reviewed by: Glenn Astarita

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