Napoli Centrale (band)

The musical project was founded by musicians James Senese and Franco Del Prete, who following the disbandment of their previous R&B band The Showmen (later known as Showmen 2) wanted to pursue a different musical path.[1] The style of the band is characterized by a mixture between rock, folk, jazz and blues, with lyrics in Neapolitan language which often deal with social themes.[1] The group got an immediate commercial and critical success with its first eponymous album and its first single "Campagna", representing a significant exception to the other successful Italian bands of the time, either dedicated to progressive rock or characterized by a melodic and romantic repertoire.[2]

Shortly later the release of their first album, bassist Tony Walmsley and keyboardist Mark Harris left the band to join Il Rovescio della Medaglia, and it started a period of numerous lineup changes, which also briefly saw Pino Daniele as bassist.[2] In the early 1980s Senese pursued a solo career, putting the band on hyatus.[1][2] Senese reconstituted the band in the early 1990s, with Savio Riccardi, Gigi De Rienzo and Agostino Marangolo.[1] In 1992 they released their comeback album Jesceallah, in which Art Ensemble of Chicago members Lester Bowie and Don Moye collaborated.[1]

Album

• 1975 – Napoli Centrale (Dischi Ricordi, SMRL 6159)
• 1976 – Mattanza (Dischi Ricordi, SMRL 6187)
• 1977 – Qualcosa ca nu’ mmore (Dischi Ricordi, SMRL 6224)
• 1992 – Jesceallah (Blue Angel, BAR 40592)[3]
• 1994 – ’Ngazzate nire (Blue Angel, FDM 70494)[3]
• 2001 – Zitte! Sta venenn’ ’o mammone (Sony, PDG 5030512)
• 2016 – 'O sanghe (Ala Bianca/Warner Music, RNR 128554132-2)
• 2018 – Aspettanno ‘o tiempo (River Nile Records, RNR 128554197–1)

• Napoli Centrale at AllMusic
• Napoli Centrale discography at Discogs