Chris Rundle is an Anglo-Swedish singer and guitarist who has been living in Bologna for 30 years. His music has a refined and sophisticated style that shines through both in his singing and his overall sound. Pianura Blues opens with the title track and takes us on a journey that moves in the opposite direction from the more usual projection in blues music towards America and its landscapes; instead, using the language of the blues, the album narrates the plains of Romagna through the poetry of one of Italy’s most important dialect poets, Giovanni Nadiani, who passed away in 2016, and to whom the album is dedicated. For years, Rundle and Nadiani performed in shows that blended dialect poetry and blues, in an intriguing dialogue between two seemingly distant traditions.

Chris’s acoustic touch, well-supported by lead guitarist and keyboardist Enrico Pitaro (who is also co-author of a number of tracks) moves the listener in every song, such as in the excellent “In Slow Surprise,” and also in “Blue Is The Colour Of My Mind,” whose melancholic and introspective mood is beautifully enhanced by the double bass of Giannicola Spezzigu, who also shines in an excellent solo. The band is completed by drummer Marco Raimondi, who often chooses to use brushes so as to accentuate the jazz-like nuances, such as in the sophisticated slow blues, “Return Journey”, where, after a long instrumental intro, Rundle’s warm voice emerges to envelope and soothe the listener.

The skill and musical understanding of the band emerges in every track of Pianura Blues, showcasing their character and personality. This is evident in the engaging rhythm of “Johnny’s Blues”, whose melody immediately sticks in your mind, as well as in the cheerful “Four Old Boys”, leading up to the final track “Fading Light”, for guitar and vocals only, which evokes the sounds of the Delta with its hypnotic rhythm.

With this album, the Chris Rundle Band celebrates the blues, transforming it into a means to explore and narrate the culture and landscape of Romagna, with authenticity and passion, providing us with a musical experience that deserves to be listened to and enjoyed.

Note: translation of the review by Luca Zaninello, published in The Long Journery, October 2024 (reproduced by permission).