Michael Occhipinti - The Sicilian Jazz Project (True North) Think of Sicily and it’s visions of orange orchards, dirt poor peasants, old men wearing Coppolas (flat caps), corrupt officialdom, age-old vendettas and the Mafia that most readily spring to mind. A more contemporary picture would include a burgeoning tourist industry and some of the best food to be found in the Mediterranean. When Alan Lomax toured the island in 1954 he also found a thriving folksong tradition, and he set about taping donkey cart drivers, fishermen, farmworkers and miners, and it’s these raw field recordings that provide the basis for The Sicillian Jazz Project. Whether the result is something that should be filed in the Jazz, Folk or World section of your local record emporium, is open to question, as all three boxes are ticked throughout. The band, who play an assortment of woodwind, strings, drums, accordion, stand-up bass and electric guitar, are augmented by vocalists Maryem Tollar and Dominic Mancuso, singing in dialect, and adding an authenticity to the project which brings the best out of everyone involved. And while we’re on the subject of authenticity, I don’t know enough about the Sicilian folk tradition to draw any earth shattering conclusions, except to point out that John Coltrane’s “Ole” or Miles Davis’ “Sketches Of Spain” were interpretations of Spanish music rather than note for note copies, but are, nonetheless, considered classic albums. There are many similarities with Michael Occhipinti’s approach, and in much the same way, there’s every chance The Sicilian Jazz Project will be enjoyed and relished for years to come. www.myspace.com/michaelocchipinti Rob F. Next