Take an ophthalmologist called Claudio Allia. Team him with a sound engineer who goes by the name of Riccardo Samperi. Add some red wine and zen. The setup is complete for the duo (of men) who go as Insout to compose and record, starting with their first effort, Trikke & Trakke.

On their second recording Acoustic Privacy, the atmosphere is relaxed in its overall ambit as they sail in the climes of smooth jazz. Yet they don't just coast along—they add enough pith and bite to ruffle the waters and give the music an appealing depth through evocative melodies that they then take on an enticing enough journey. Allia has a soft gentle touch on the piano, a modulation that serves the songs well as he does on “Coelacanthus,” the wisp of a melody floating in before it gets a firmer shape and draws in a quintet of strings; they snuggle in and take the tune into New Age territory, with the acoustic guitar of Samperi completing the pastel-hued picture.

There is a nice cutting edge to “Bubble Tea,” Alberto Amato whipping in a curling bass line, Allia swaying and cutting swaths on the alto saxophone, Paul Wertico ticking the rhythm, his drumming spare but effective, and Samperi swinging with juicy notes. A different adjunct emerges in the darker ambience of “Expensive Mood” with overdubbed guitars, the lonely cry of the alto saxophone, and the soft vocals of Gabriella Grasso. Yet here is no getting away from its impact, which can also be said about the album as a whole.

One of the things about Insout that hit's you almost immediately upon hitting the PLAY button is that these guys are not only acoustic and semi-acoustic jazz adventurists and explorers but they're also very accomplished, innovative motivational speakers in sound quality. Arrangements on this album ooze brilliance and originality with quiet reflection of the same creative pool that was waded through by the likes of the greatest progressive, jazz, and contemporary classical composers of our recent times!

Acoustic privacy is a superbly spiritually and beautifully realized album presented by world class musicians and composers that include Claudio Allia on piano and alto sax, Riccardo Samperi on guitars, drummer Paul Wertico, (multiple Grammy winner with the Pat Metheny Group) and with remarkable bass meanderings provided by bassist Alberto Amato on double bass.
Silent Hunger opens the album up with truly mood dividing euphoria in the piano and bass intro that makes way to jazz guitar and sax that literally remind you of how great it is to be alive! With some astonishing drums and percussion and with the completeness of soul nourishment you get from this track, it really is very hard to be distracted as your attention spans full tilt into the mood and characterizations that make this piece truly magnificent. Watch out for the way the guitar and sax work together to widen the curtains of delight to give you a view of a horizon so uplifting you won't want to come back down!

Prayer Warrior is a highly engaging piece of finger tapping, foot massaging eye widening jazz! Welcomed by the kind of audio dawn that the entire world needs to wake up to.. the sax, bass and guitar work are particularly outstanding and genuinely joy provoking. With the added touch of superb percussion and drum work, the piece takes you to places previously unexplored in contemporary and progressive 'front line' jazz. Every note and cymbal hit is exotic in delivery and infinite in performance.
Xandracos is the work of angels! Watch that piano transform itself into a pair of wings you never thought your ears had! At numerous levels, this lovely summer morning jazz instrumental is without doubt one of the most amazing tracks I have heard in the genre for years! I cannot imagine what was going through these guys minds at the production stage but it had to have been like a little piece of sun breaking through grey cloudy skies to reach parts of our world previously denied to the genre!

Expensive Mood on the other hand, explores the most colourful of dynamic mood themes in a way which deserves a standing ovation for innovation and originality. Gabriella's vocals are so intrinsically linked to the colossal event going on with the musicians that it's actually quite difficult to feel anything other than a sense of admiration and awe at the composition, arrangement, and production level. We have some of the most incredible drum work here especially in the support of the magnificent sax and guitar inserts.

Bubble Tea includes a fantastic sax and bass liaison that oozes brilliance. It's a heart sweeping track composed with passion and compassion and soul elevating jazz adventurism. Wouldn't you love to have been in on the session! Undeniably accomplished performances all round and a touch of gloss provided at every centimeter of the stereo image by the production team. Mouthfeel meanwhile, takes the listener on a little journey through that part of our inspiration and imaginings that we'd abandoned long ago when we were convinced we'd never hear the same kind of excellence ever again. Insout bring the mood and excellence back and we can once again revel in amazement and appreciation of just how superb these guys really are. Keep an eye on the piano and sax portraits.. they'll leave you literally screaming for more!

The seventh track on this superb album is Nocebo.. an Insout soundtrack for the soul! I don't know if the phone calls I received during this track were important or not.. nothing really seems important at all when you're listening to this remarkable piece and I have to ask.. when was the last time an instrumental did THAT? There's a terrifyingly beautiful sax piece in here that makes your mouth water and piano excerpts that send those palpitations sailing across a sea of pure bliss. By the time the stunning guitar phrases gain momentum... you're lost and you don't want to come back! Coelacanthus is the final track that you wish wasn't the final track. The title belongs to the prehistoric fish that everyone until relatively recently thought was extinct.. these fish have amazing fins and even more amazing lives but the music, not the fish, is what is truly astonishing! Francesco Cali's heavenly string arrangement is by far one of the most enlightening parts in the piece, and with Claudio's altruistic alto and beautifully rendered piano, you have life's mysterious essence(s) captured in multitrack.

Insout's Acoustic Privacy is one of the finest and most mesmerizing albums I have ever heard in my life.. instead of buying that ticket to take you to a place you'd dreamed of but never got round to visiting, buy this album instead... it's the same thing!

This is truly a beautiful jazz album. I mean that in the most complete sense. It’s spiritual, thoughtful, brilliantly performed by the Italian duo of Claudio Allia on piano/alto sax and Riccardo Samperi on guitars, together with drummer Paul Wertico (7-times Grammy winner with the Pat Metheny Group) and bassist Alberto Amato on upright. The songs, all Allia/Samperi originals, range from melancholic to more progressive lounge to almost classical in nature. It’s inspired playing at the highest artistic level. Paul Wertico speaks of ACOUSTIC PRIVACY: “Well, I can truly say that I love this CD. Every tune tells a unique story and it has so much of what I look for in music…. I’m really proud to be a part of this CD.” I find that I discover more nuance, and more depth to these compositions with each new listen. This one will get a lot of play in my home because of its richness and superb craftsmanship so apparent in every track. I would find it hard to select a favorite on ACOUSTIC PRIVACY simply because I truly like them all, each with their unique attributes, but with the common sense that this is truly an inspired piece of musical art. After all, on a truly beautiful day, could you really choose between the smell of the flowers and the sight of a blue sky laced with puffy white clouds? ACOUSTIC PRIVACY is an intimate jazz journey that I hope you take yourself on soon. ~Scott O'Brien, SMOOTHJAZZ.COM

"Well, I can truly say that I love this CD !
Every tune tells a unique story and it has so much of what I look for in music. I also think that the talents of Claudio and Riccardo speak for themselves. Claudio's approach to the alto sax and his piano playing are very lush and impressionistic, full of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic twists and turns. Riccardo's guitar playing is openly passionate and always interesting and I was totally impressed with his engineering abilities as well. He's got great ears, a thorough knowledge of his craft and an open mind. All of this made the recording sessions completely enjoyable and I'm really proud to be part of this CD. I hope you enjoy it too!"

“Acoustic Privacy” is a fantastic, intimate musical journey with thoughtful playing and compositions that touches the heart and soul of one's inner spirit.
The combination of Claudio Allia on piano and alto sax, Riccardo Samperi on guitars, Paul Wertico on drums and Alberto Amato on double bass is a perfect fit for this great music.
Collectively they have achieved a musical statement with “Acoustic Privacy” that will be considered as strong as any of the ECM Keith Jarrett Quartet recordings, both musically and sonically.
“Acoustic Privacy” is simply one of the best recordings I have heard in a long time.
Insout takes the best of the Jazz and Classical worlds and molds this music into an example of what art is about.
Insout is truly a creative force and “Acoustic Privacy” is must have in one's music collection.