Album Review: Non Ci Penso Piu Lontano Dagli Occhi by Lino Patruno & Gianni Sanjust
Alright, let’s talk about this little gem from 1964—Non Ci Penso Piu Lontano Dagli Occhi. If you’re into jazz with a soundtrack vibe, this Italian masterpiece might just hit the spot. Released on CBS and packed with talent like Gianni Sanjust on clarinet and Lino Patruno wearing multiple hats (guitar, banjo, double bass—you name it), this album feels like stepping back in time to an old-school Italian film set. It’s got that cinematic charm but also enough swing to keep things lively.
The genres here are listed as Stage & Screen and Jazz, which makes sense because the whole thing feels like it could’ve been pulled straight out of a black-and-white movie scene. But don’t let that fool ya—it’s not stiff or overly dramatic. Instead, it’s playful, melodic, and full of character. Let me break down two tracks that stuck with me.
First up is "Nevrosi" from the Lontano Dagli Occhi suite. Man, this one grabs your attention right away. The clarinet work by Gianni Sanjust is smooth yet kinda quirky, like he’s telling you a story without words. There’s something about how the piano (shoutout to Sergio Sandrini) dances around the melody that gives it this dreamy, almost hypnotic feel. You can picture someone pacing nervously in a smoky room while life swirls around them. Maybe that’s why they called it “Nevrosi” (nervousness). Either way, it’s memorable for sure.
Then there’s "All’Aereoporto", another standout track. This one has more energy, like the soundtrack to a bustling airport where everyone’s rushing but somehow still looking cool doing it. Mario Lamberti’s drumming adds this steady heartbeat to the chaos, while Lelio Lorenzetti’s trumpet cuts through like a sharp ray of sunlight. Honestly, I kept coming back to this track because it felt so alive—it’s chaotic in all the best ways, capturing that mix of excitement and anxiety you get when you’re waiting for a flight or saying goodbye at the gate.
What really ties everything together is how effortlessly these musicians blend their styles. Whether it’s Lino Patruno laying down some solid guitar lines or switching over to banjo for a folksier touch, every instrument gets its moment to shine. And hey, props to the double bass parts too—they give the whole album this warm, grounding vibe.
So yeah, Non Ci Penso Piu Lontano Dagli Occhi isn’t perfect—it’s a bit niche, and if you’re expecting big, flashy solos, you might be disappointed. But what it lacks in flash, it makes up for in personality. Listening to it feels like flipping through an old photo album; each track tells its own little story.
Here’s the kicker though—I couldn’t help but wonder… would people today even notice an album like this? In our world of auto-tune and TikTok hits, something this subtle and rich might slip under the radar. And honestly, that’s kind of sad. Because albums like this remind us music doesn’t always need to shout to be heard. Sometimes, it whispers—and those whispers stick with you long after the record stops spinning.
