Adrian Raso featuring Fanfare Ciocarlia – The Devil Rides Again (Asphalt Tango Records, 2025)
More than a decade after Devil’s Tale took the European World Music Charts by storm, Canadian guitarist Adrian Raso and Romania’s legendary Fanfare Ciocărlia reunite to turn up the heat once again. Their new collaboration, The Devil Rides Again, is a full-throttle reinvention. The fire is back, the brass is bolder, and Raso’s twang still cuts like a switchblade through the night air.
Where Devil’s Tale flirted with possibility, The Devil Rides Again sounds like destiny fulfilled. Raso commands the overall sound with surf guitar swagger and banjo grit, pushing the iconic brass band into bold new territory. The album features eight original instrumental tracks, showcasing a tighter, more intuitive ensemble, alongside brilliantly twisted covers, from a gypsy-funked “Jolene” to a swaggering, horn-laced version of “I’m A Man.” But it’s the closing piece, a lush, serpentine take on Django Reinhardt’s “Blue Drag,” that seals this record’s status as a genre-defying triumph.
Raso isn’t afraid to lean into playfulness. “Tarantella Noir is my tribute to Southern Italian folk music, wild, visceral, and hypnotic,” he says. “And Transylvania Twist? Picture Dracula catching a wave.” With its Bulgarian-style sax solo and spaghetti-western atmosphere, it’s one of the album’s most dazzling detours. Yet beneath the humor lies profound craft; this is music that thrills, but never panders.
Reuniting with Fanfare Ciocărlia after nearly a decade apart, Raso is struck by how much the group has evolved. “Their sound keeps expanding. It’s Balkan, but also cinematic, gritty, and endlessly expressive.” The feeling is mutual. “Adrian’s music has the sound of a smile,” says saxophonist Oprică Ivancea. “We love to poach in other genres. With Adrian, we got to chase country, jazz, rock, and Django, all in one breath.”
That spirit of joyful experimentation has long defined Fanfare Ciocărlia. Since their 1997 debut, emerging from the hills of Zece Prăjini, a Roma village in northeastern Romania, they’ve electrified stages from Tokyo to Berlin. Whether backing Borat or blowing minds at Glastonbury, their velocity and virtuosity remain unmatched. Meanwhile, Raso, based in Ontario, has quietly carved out a reputation for elegance and versatility, bridging Django-style gypsy jazz, film noir riffs, and vintage rockabilly with effortless cool.
Raso and Fanfare Ciocărlia once again prove that when Balkan brass meets North American bravado, the result is gloriously infernal.
Musicians: Adrian Raso: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo; Costel Oprica Ivancea: alto saxophone; Costica “Cimai” Trifan: trumpet; Craciun Ovidiu Trifan: trumpet; Constantin “Sulo” Calin: baritone horn; Laurentiu Mihai Ivancea: tenor horn; Mihaita Sergiu Nastase: helicon; Benedikt Stehlescu: drums and percussion; Mike Rao: upright bass. Special studio guest: Michael Metzler on tambourines (Tarantella Noir).
Produced by Henry Ernst.
Recorded in Iasi (Romania)Studioul de Bază (Gabriel Belcescu); Berlin (Germany) Hotmilk Studio (Robert Cummings), Guelph (Canada) Dead Man’s Hand Studio (Adrian Raso).
Mix & Mastering: Robert Cummings and Henry Ernst
Cover artwork: Vince Ray
Album artwork: Pauline Menéndez
Liner notes: Garth Cartwrigh
Track list:
1 Bugatti Be Kiddin‘ Me (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
2 Jolene (comp: Dolly Parton, arr: Adrian Raso & Henry Ernst)
3 The Devil Rides Again (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
4 Blagona Blue (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
5 La Marquisette (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
6 I’m A Man (comp: Stevie Winwood & James D. Miller, arr: Adrian Raso)
7 Blue Drag (comp: Django Reinhardt, arr: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
8 Roma Stomp (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
9 Tarantella Noir (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
10 Stromboli (comp: Adrian Raso, arr: Henry Ernst – GEMA)
11 Transylvania Twist (comp: Adrian Raso – GEMA)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.