The Link Quartet "BEAT.IT" 2002

"Beat.It" is raw 60's drenched fuel to feed a world dominated by an otherwise anemic and bland soundscape. How Hammond organ funk is meant to be heard.There is a feeling – a timeless groove, for lack of a better word – that some bands (the good ones at least) spend countless hours / days / years to tap into to. It is hard to put into words, but you know it when you hear it.
BEAT.IT certainly taps into this groove and, man, can you ever hear it! The Link Quartet boasts the solid sound of four excellent musicians who have obviously put in the time, done their homework, and are capable of delivering the goods. Their sound is extroverted Hammond beat of the first order and in Paolo Negri; they possess one of the best organists on the scene today.
There are, of course, the obvious touchstones: the James Taylor Quartet, the Small Faces, Booker T. & the MGs, and the ubiquitous Brian Auger. But add to that the unmistakable Italian flair of cinematic sense and take away the fear many groups on the scene have of sounding “contemporary” and you can begin to get a sense of where this disc is at. Each of the tracks shifts from sound to sound, but when the smoke clears you know that the Link Quartet have found their own sound. And, man, it sounds good! - Nick Rossi (The Nick Rossi Set)

The Link Quartet:
Giulio "Link" Cardini (guitar); Paolo Negri (Hammond b-3 organ); Renzo Bassi (bass instrument); Tony "Face" Bacciocchi (drums, percussion)

trax:
01 Strudel Girl 02 Be Yourself 04 An Evening With Linda Lovelace 05 Beat.It 06 Crosstown Traffic 08 Little Italy Serenade 09 Happy Boys Happy 10 Gianni Fuso Nerini 11 If I Could Only Be Sure 12 Marshall Jim 100 13 Theme From Hammondbeat