VERTICAL are an Italian funk/jazz/rock band comprised of PAOLO BORTOLASO – Hammond / Rhodes / synth / keyboards, NICOLA TAMIOZZO – guitar / effects, FILIPPO RINALDI – bass / double bass, ALESSANDRO LUPATIN – drums, ANDREA GASTALDON – tenor saxophone and ANTONIO GALLUCCI – baritone / alto saxophone. The sextet, who say they’re based in ‘Grooveland’ somewhere in Italy, are currently busy promoting their latest album, ‘Black Palm’.
The ten tracker is a wild amalgam of Hammond-led funk, loose jazz and wild rock. There’s a lot of unbridled energy in the music that’s reminiscent of the old BRIAN AUGER TRINITY sound – a sound that so impressed organ maestro JAMES TAYLOR that he’s regularly used VERTICAL as his support band.
The tunes on ‘Black Palm’ are all originals save a cover of JIMMY SMITH’S ‘Root Down’ which the band say they came to when they heard it sampled on a BEASTIE BOYS’ track… what goes around comes around.
You can find out more about VERTICAL @ www.verticalmusic.it
