GRooVE back magazine n.006/25

GRooVE back magazine | bimonthly | Year 2 | Issue 006

Free with this issue Enotorre Records Sampler 2025

Enotorre Records' recordings are strictly live, and while they don't claim to be the best available on the market, they have the advantage of sounding very natural, thanks to the bold decision to reduce post-production work on the digital mixer to the bare minimum. Therefore, all the work is done in the pre-production phase, with careful selection of microphones, optimal positioning, and calibration of recording levels.

GRooVE back magazine is available in both print and free digital versions. The digital download version includes two PDFs, one single-page and one facing-page; you can choose the PDF that best fits your reading style. Both versions are interactive: from the cover to the table of contents, from the various articles to the advertisements, you'll find numerous links to external sites.

«Get your groove back»

Editorial by Andrea Bedetti

A circle has come full circle, in the sense that we've now reached issue six, marking Grooveback Magazine's first year. And, summing up, regarding the interest and curiosity it has generated, we can only be satisfied, if not flattered. Yes, because with the first five issues, we've surpassed the ten thousand download mark. A result that not only comforts us, but also convinces us that the path we've taken, with the birth of this publishing project, is the one we ultimately set out to achieve: to offer something completely new, both in terms of content and graphic design.

Let's continue to look forward, starting with this issue, whose cover is dedicated to the "king of darkness," Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on July 22nd. Simone Bardazzi and Stefano Rossi discuss him and the band he inspired, Black Sabbath, clarifying the distinction between the reality of the character and the legend that has developed over time, the latter inevitably blurring and distorting his artistic message.

We also wanted to pay tribute to the thirty-year anniversary of Marco Lincetto's Velut Luna, a record label that has made artistic and technical quality its essential recording philosophy. In this regard, another Venetian label, a special feature was given to one of its recent releases, the version for piano and string quartet of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 by pianist Eliana Grasso. Still in the classical music vein, there's Giovanni Acciai's seminal contribution to Claudio Monteverdi's Contrafacta, Michele Benignetti's interview with pianist Igor Roma, and Noemi Manzoni's exploration of the relationship between literature and music, exploring how classical composers have drawn on the extraordinary work of Luigi Pirandello.

Returning to rock, the prog kind, Stefano Rossi once again gave an exclusive interview with Steve Hackett, the legendary Genesis guitarist, and talked about his latest album and the concert he gave in Vicenza. On the jazz side, Francesco Cataldo Verrina wrote an important contribution on the work of Chick Corea, to whom he recently dedicated a book. Another new feature: starting this issue, we'll also have a regular column of record reviews dedicated to classical music, curated by myself, jazz with the pen of Cataldo Verrina, and rock with contributions from Bardazzi. And then there are two more "gems": the presentation of GRooVE back Radio, featuring the prestigious voice of Alvaro Gradella, actor and famous radio host, and the birth of our new editorial "creation," Audiophile Hi-Fi, whose first issue will be published in a few weeks.

Finally, in the Hi-Fi section, the second and final part of Andrea Bin's Discs & Turntables, Riccardo Mozzi's review of a Chinese cartridge with an incredible quality/price ratio, and my interview with Paolo Carrer, one of the most visionary sound engineers around.

Happy reading everyone!

The Summary

5 Editorial
8 Our CD: Enotorre Records
14 Ozzy Osbourne, the king of darkness
22 Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath
30 Enotorre Records, records and good wine
34 Pirandello and music
38 Discovering Chick Corea
48 Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 2 in chamber version
54 Steve Hackett: A Reckless Life
62 Contrafacta from Claudio Monteverdi's Madrigals
70 Igor Roma, a universe called piano
76 Velut Luna, thirty years of absolute quality
84 Around the classic
92 In the kingdom of jazz
98 Rock and surroundings
102 The GRooVE Radio back Magazine
104 The Zhige K101H Phono Cartridge
108 Records & Turntables (Part Two)
116 Paolo Carrer, the “guardian of perfect sound”
126 Audiophile Hi-Fi is born
128 Music critics: damned vile breed!