Giuliano Palma and The Bluebeaters
The Album
Kingsize Records

Ska & Rocksteady music is absolutely healing! At least one time a year some hours in pursuit (run & run & run) of these funny Jamaican rythms can help you in killing instantly all the stress you've stored up in a season ... here we run without thinking, always smiling, like in pursuit of Happiness, being certain of reaching It: perhaps a natural reaction to a society more and more devoted to productive strain and competitive stress, that often make us look angry. Finally, after five years of waiting, we can see the light of Giuliano the king Palma & his Bluebeaters reflected also by our own house-amps, and not only dancing under their stage during cool and sweaty gigs. Last January I experienced my best one in Florence, it was a wonderful happy-go-lucky night!

The Album is a faithful summary of what they've played live during the last years:
1. Covers of their gurus; The Skatalites, conducted by Parpaglione's sax and helped by Roy Paci's trumpet from Sicily, impressive during live acts.
2. Nice film quotes - the theme from Shot in the dark and I Don't Know Why I Love You (But I Do) taken from Forrest Gump.
3. An unforgettable ska-version of Wonderful Life, romantic generator of lots of memories from the Eighties.
4. A tribute to Bob Marley with his Coming in From the Cold, a great reggae tune.
5. The reclamation of Cher's Believe, by now Cher-plastic-silicon.
6. Classic Italian 60's tunes in English-Rocksteady version.

My favs are Tell me, an old Jamaican ska song written in the early 60's but actually still fresh and able to give good vibrations every time you play it, and Gimme a Little Sign, another old film-theme. Here is a lovely extract:

When I'm feeling blue and I want you that's just one thing you should do ...
Just give me some kind of sign girl, oh my baby, show me that you're mine, allright ...
Just give me some kind of sign girl, oh my darling, show me that you're mine, allright ... yeah!

I can assure you that none will feel blue listening to Bluebeaters, they're cathartic, a kind of lay purification made by Gods of Music - enjoy it. You will smile all the time, and 'cause your music often matches your mood', as one of my friends remembered me recently (thanks Astrid!), The Album is spinning tireless and cheerfully in my CD-player.

Copyright © 1999 Mario Branciforti