Review: Penumbra by Peppino D’Agostino
by Roman Guzman
Release date: August 2014
Format: CD
Promotional Video of title track at Yoshi’s,
Oakland, CA on April 10, 2014:
If you’re not already familiar with guitarist Peppino D’Agostino then allow me to introduce you to him:
Here’s what his bio says…
“A native of Italy, D’Agostino has made his considerable international mark as a musical artist on the guitar since he arrived in America a little over 25 years ago.”
Here’s what I say…
D’Agostino is clearly one of the most poetic and mesmerizing guitarists I have ever experienced and his latest CD, Penumbra has, upon my first listen, become one of my favorite releases of 2014. It is a musical and an emotional journey that you will want to take over and over.
Half of the 12 tracks were written by D’Agostino himself while the other half were written by artists such as Roland Dyens, Maurizio Colonna and Latin Grammy Award winning Brazilian guitarist Sergio Assad. In fact, the two Assad compositions, “Peppino Sotto Portico” and “Una Serata a North Beach”, were written specifically for D’Agostino to record.
If I had to pick a favorite song it would have to be the title track. “Penumbra” means between dark and light which perfectly describes the tune, in fact, it’s an excellent description for the entire CD. You will certainly feel D’Agostino’s sincerity and charm throughout.
Another favorite is “Una Serata a North Beach” written by Sergio Assad. D’Agostino evokes many wonderful memories of mine of evenings on the beach.
“Irican”, written by Gyan Riley, will inspire the musician in you. D’Agostino uses a flurry of notes to create a musical path that ends as quickly as it starts.
The final track, “The Blue Ocean”, is simply a beautiful piece of music. Playful and light hearted and a peaceful way to end the disc.
Once you hear the music you will want to see him live. This cat manages to play every inch of his guitar and is absolutely compelling on stage. Go to his website, peppinodagostino.com, and hope he is playing somewhere near you. While you’re on the website make sure you check out his extensive catalog.
Tour info: http://peppinodagostino.com/tour/
Listen: http://peppinodagostino.com/listening-room/
Roman Guzman is the host of the Roman’s World Podcast (romansworld.us) as well as the morning announcer on KRVR The River 105.5 in Modesto Ca.