Cervello -

Cervello was an Italian symphonic/jazz-rock band that released the 1973 album Melos on Ricordi.

Members: Gianluigi Di Franco (vocals, flute, percussion), Corrado Rustici (guitar, flute, vibraphone, vocals), Giulio D’Ambrosio (saxophone, flute, vocals), Antonio Spagnolo (bass, acoustic guitar, flute, vocals), Remigio Esposito (drums, vibraphone)

Background

Cervello formed in Naples in 1970 when multi-instrumentalists and students of local conservatories began collaborating in the city’s emerging progressive rock scene.

Gianluigi Di Franco joined on vocals, flute, and percussion, while Corrado Rustici brought guitar, flute, vibraphone, and vocal skills, drawing from his family ties to Osanna. Giulio D’Ambrosio, Antonio Spagnolo, and Remigio Esposito completed the lineup with saxophones, bass, acoustic guitar, and drums. The group honed their sound through local club performances and festival appearances, blending symphonic structures with jazz-rock improvisation.

Melos

Cervello released their singular album, Melos, in October 1973 on Ricordi.

Gianluigi Di Franco leads with vocals, flute, and percussion, with Corrado Rustici on electric guitar, vibraphone, and backing vocals. Giulio D’Ambrosio provides saxophone and flute, while Antonio Spagnolo plays bass, acoustic guitar, and flute. Remigio Esposito anchors the sound with drums and vibraphone.

The album features seven songs by outside guitarist/composer Gian Pietro Marazza with lyrics by Ermanno Parazzini.

Melos opens with atmospheric flutes and percussion on “Canto del Capro”, moving into high-energy psych-rock with rhythmic intensity. “Trittico” unfolds in three contrasting sections, alternating gentle melodies with full-band climaxes and layered vocal lines. “Euterpe” mixes acoustic passages with fiery guitar and saxophone solos. “Scinsione (T.R.M.)” features chaotic textures and experimental synthesizer drones. The title track, “Melos,” blends vibraphone, acoustic guitar, and multi-flute harmonies, punctuated by Rustici’s blues-influenced guitar. “Galassia” alternates atmospheric sections with fast-paced instrumental interplay, while “Affresco” closes the album with a minimal, celestial arrangement.

A1. “Canto del capro” [“Song of the Goat”] (6:40)
A2. “Trittico” [“Triptych”] (7:27)
A3. “Euterpe” (4:36)

B1. “Scinsione (T.R.M.)” (5:50)
B2. “Melos” (5:03)
B3. “Galassia” [“Galaxy”] (5:55)
B4. “Affresco” (1:12)

Corrado’s brother, Danilo Rustici, co-producer Melos with his Osanna bandmate, Elio D’Anna. The album appeared in a gatefold that shows a half-opened tomato can with a mushroom cloud on the label.

Postlude

After Cervello disbanded in 1974, Corrado Rustici joined Osanna for their fourth album, Landscape of Life, and performed live with the band Uno. He then joined Nova, a jazz-rock group with Danilo and Elio D’Anna. Corrado appeared on their first three albums — Blink (1975), Vimana (1976), and Wings of Love (1977) — where his guitar work reflected the influence of John McLaughlin.

In 1976, Rustici contributed to albums by Alan Sorrenti and John G. Perry, expanding his session experience. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, he became a key collaborator with producer, artist, and fellow Nova alumnus Narada Michael Walden, playing guitar on The Dance of Life (1979), Victory (1980), Confidence (1982), and Looking at You, Looking at Me (1983). Rustici also lent his guitar to Maxine Nightingale (Bittersweet, 1980), Stacy Lattisaw (Let Me Be Your Angel, 1980), Angela Bofill (Something About You, 1981), Con Funk Shun (To The Max), and Herbie Hancock (Lite Me Up, 1982), establishing himself as a versatile and in-demand guitarist and producer.