Mario Biondi - Handful Of Soul (2006)

When the producers and Mario decided together the repertoire to be performed, Mario doubted he might be able to reproduce stylistically songs of the classic American repertoire such as "Slow Hot Wind" and "On A Clear Day", or even "A Handful Of Soul". The result instead can be stunning to most. In this album, not only he delivers a very convincing interpretation but his voice adds a different colour to the music. In the past few years Mario collaborated with Alessandro Magnanini (Was-A-Bee), multi-faced musician as well as excellent arranger. With Alessandro, Mario co-wrote two authentic gems "No Mercy For Me" and "This Is What You Are". The latter was released as a single and licensed on various compilations, gaining enough success.

Whilst "No Mercy For Me" reveals Mario's true soul of a crooner, "This Is What You Are" went on air in U.K. on heavy rotation in Norman Jay's program Giant 45 for BBC London. Whereas in Italy it was programmed by RMC and later became the music to the network's corporate TV commercial. Tributes to rock-blues, soul-blues and rhythm-blues follow respectively in the shape of "I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes" by Al Kooper, a _ on the trail of Deirdre Wilson Tabac where Mario's soulful passionate signing shines throughout the song; "I'm Her Daddy" originally by the one and only Bill Withers and "No Trouble on The Mountain" by L.C Cook, another marvellous tune convincingly covered by Mario's unique voice. Quite interesting is the version he sang of "A Child Runs Free" a modern Bossa in perfect Schema style, just like the samba "Rio De Janeiro Blue".