Monti, Maria
Il Bestiario (it)
There was never anyone like Maria Monti - and this album is a true testament to her genius! 'Il Bestiario' might be best understood next to albums by artists like Brigitte Fontaine, Scott Walker, and Catherine Ribeiro, all of whom began their careers within the saccharine confines of popular music, before embarking on some of the most revolutionary recordings of the era. It enlisted the radical poet Aldo Braibanti (a man defined "the lone true Italian genius" by another bona fide mastermind, actor Carmelo Bene) as its lyricist, features the arrangements and synthesizer contributions of avant-garde composer and Musica Elettronica Viva member Alvin Curran, as well as entries on saxophone by Roberto Laneri of Prima Materia fame, and free jazz legend Steve Lacy. The line up alone, sets a remarkable and historic stage.