US - California / Italy - Full Moon 73 - 09/21/02

Marty Namaro
Abstractionisms
own label

Lelio Padovani
Unknown Evolution
own label

[Richmond, California. The sun is shining. At a bus stop stands Marty Namaro; next to him is a packed up drum kit and an upright piano. Along comes Lelio Padovani carrying an electric guitar and practice amp.]

Lelio Padovani: "Hey! Aren't you jazz musician Marty Namaro?"

Marty Namaro: "Yeah! That's right! I AM Marty Namaro, jazz musician - how did you know?"

Lelio: "Oh, I like to spread my musical net far and wide, and I got your latest CD Abstractionisms. It's cool.

Marty: "Thanks. I had a lot of fun making it. Wait a minute - aren't you guitarist Lelio Padovani? Man I dig your new instrumental guitar CD called Unknown Evolution."

Lelio: "Gee thanks Marty."

Marty: "But hold on a second: you're not from round here. I read on your bio you're from Parma, Italy. What brings you to California?"

Lelio: "Oh, it's just a boring device whereby Tim Clarke can review two CDs he doesn't really like at once."

Marty: "What CDs are they?"

Lelio: "Funnily enough it's Abstractionisms by you, and Unknown Evolution by me."

Marty: "Aww, that's a shame he doesn't like them. Even though my album could have been a lot more interesting if I'd have stuck with my original idea of a concept album about H.G. Wells, I put a lot of work in. What doesn't that fool Clarke like about it?"

Lelio: "He doesn't like it for the same reason he doesn't like my CD: all technique and no emotion. He at least quite enjoyed my two tracks "Reflections" and "Quartet" where the Spanish guitar interplay was pretty, but he reckons the rest is superfluous noodling - the kind of crap you get on a guitar magazine cover CD."

Marty: "That's harsh but true: I heard you busking down there and you kind of like to throw in ten notes when one is necessary."

Lelio: "Yeah, maybe you're right. Tim wasn't too hot on your album either though."

Marty: "Nah. Even though he's not much of a jazz fan he likes to give that genre a chance. His problem with my CD was that it just didn't cohere, and the playing, despite being excellent, was a little smug. Nice production though."

Lelio: "Oh, that's encouraging."

Marty: "Say, Lelio, do you wanna jam? We've got our kit here. Perhaps we can rustle up a few bucks?"

Lelio: "But we don't need to - we're professional musicians remember?"

Marty: "Oh yeah! Here comes the bus..."

Copyright © 2002 Tim Clarke