(Progressive rock/RPI) Claudio Rocchi - Essenza - 1973, MP3 (tracks), 256 kbps

Claudio Rocchi was the original bass guitarist of Stormy Six, and played on their first album Le idee di oggi per la musica di domani, leaving the band soon after the album release for a solo career that started in 1970 with the first album, Viaggio, mainly acoustic and with good flute playing by PFM's Mauro Pagani.
Always influenced by eastern doctrines (he later became a Hare Krishna), he was also active in anti-war movements and always present at the various Italian pop festivals of the early 70's.
A second album in 1971, Volo magico n.1, is usually considered as his best effort, in much the same style as Alan Sorrenti's Aria with a side-long title track and softer tracks on the other side. The 18 minute long title track starts with a soft introduction and goes on with hypnotic move based on the guitars of Alberto Camerini and Ricky Belloni (from Nuova Idea and later New Trolls).
Next album, La norma del cielo (subtitled Volo Magico n.2) was similar, but weakest in comparison, and after a long journey to India he released Essenza at the end of 1973, with help from Elio D'Anna (Osanna) and Mino De Martino (Giganti) among others.
Il miele dei pianeti, le isole, le api was a six-track album mainly based as usual on Rocchi's acoustic guitar folk-psych compositions, but featured well-known guests such as Walter Maioli (from Aktuala), Trilok Gurtu (that played with the same band at that time) and violinist/multi instrumentalist Lucio Fabbri (from Piazza delle Erbe, then a long time Eugenio Finardi collaborator and from 1978 with PFM, he also released a solo album on Cramps).
Later production had more use of electronics and interest in experimental sounds. In 1980 while in a Hare Krishna community he released Un gusto superiore with Paolo Tofani (Area).
In 2007 Claudio Rocchi directed the film Pedra Mendalza (the name of a popular volcanic hill in Sardinia) and its soundtrack, released on CD in 2008.