TAYLORS USED:
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Despite the label’s name, the opening “Buon Viaggio” (what could that possibly mean?) begins with some droning, rhythmic strumming reminiscent of Stephen Stills, before Caltanella throws in some impressive right-hand intricacies. He saves his melodic side for the second cut. “What color,” Alberto asks in the liner notes, “represents August?” His “Agosto” may not reveal a specific hue, except to make it obvious that it’s vibrant and beautiful. You’d have to go back to Will Ackerman’s best compositions to find an acoustic guitar instrumental this lyrical. It’s almost a shame that there are no words to the song.

Eight of the program’s dozen tracks are Caltanella originals — the exceptions being the playful “Fuinde” by his friend Beppe Gambetta, a nice arrangement of “Danny Boy,” Lennon’s “Imagine,” and McCartney’s “Yesterday.” Michela Grena sings the latter two, while “Londonderry Air,” as it’s sometimes known, is sung by Rosanna Lo Greco, the other half of Caltanella’s side project, Monnalisa. Both get a bit “pitchy,” to borrow [American Idol judge] Randy Jackson’s pet term, and distract from the sensitive accompaniment Alberto is providing underneath.

Caltanella delves into effects, employing multiple guitar overdubs on “Le Tue Mani” and a long delay on the cascading “Respiri.” The latter effect is undermined on “Spanish Fantasy,” due to some unpleasant (and assumedly unintentional) distortion in the recording process.

The fact that Caltanella’s liner-note song descriptions are mostly indecipherable, at least to this reviewer, actually reinforces the universality of his music — particularly the instrumentals, like the meditative “Gli Occhi, Nel Vento” and closing title track (with cello by Elena Vianello), which allow listeners to envision their own videos, write their own screenplays.