Cat No RIENCD44

This is a wonderfully rich, individual, evocative and at times haunting vocal & instrumental project - giving the music traditions of historic Naples a vibrant re-working. Roberto De Simone mixes jazz and classical influences with the local folk music; and extracts an electrifying performance of his works from Media Aetas, a musical ensemble made up of actor-singers trained by De Simone, and from the brilliant instrumentalists, too.

De Simone provides contemporary compositions & urbane arrangements of traditional music from Campania - the region whose capital, Naples, forms the central point of this mysterious allegory. The wandering Turks of the title provide further exotic touches with their North African and Arabic influence on the album.

De Simone founded the Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare in 1967 - a group comprising a handful of young, enthusiastic, scholarly musicians. Many have been waiting for the first new album containing works of De Simone since 1978 with anticipation.