December 1999

Antonio Forcione
Ghetto Paradise
Naim Label

By Nancy Ann Lee

Raised in a farming town near the Adriatic Coast, Forcione generates bittersweet music that reflects on his childhood. Playing four steel- or nylon-string guitars solo and with assorted cohorts, including percussionist Trilok Gurtu, Forcione seamlessly balances a tasteful contemporary flavor (boosted by Kai Eckhardt de Camargo on fretless bass) on eight gentle, melodious originals. A talented composer-performer, Forcione permits few dull moments on this diverse, sterling session dedicated to his late sister.