Featuring Tiziano Tononi on drums & percussion, William Parker on acoustic bass and Daniele Cavallanti on tenor & baritone saxes, ney & flute. This was recorded at the Vancouver Jazz Festival on June 28th of 1999 but has not been released until now when Mr. Tononi found it in the bottom of a chest full of rare recordings. It contains music from tow sets and it quite long (76 minutes). Those of you who read the DMG newsletter weekly certainly know who Tononi and Cavallanti are, as they have worked together over many years with more than a dozen discs from different groups: Nexus, Black Hole Quartet and most recently a superb tribute to Don Cherry on the Nubop label reviewed a couple of weeks ago (August, 2014).
The Udu Calls Trio is phenomenal, stripped down to three titans who are/were ready for action! Besides Don Cherry, Cavallanti and/or Tononi have done tributes to John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, each one a jazz legend and influence on hundreds of musicians worldwide. This trio embodies that same strong, searching spirit. Cavallanti plays tenor for the first section, blowing up a storm backed by a full throttle rhythm team. He eventually switches to bari sax and continues to blow up a storm. There is some earthy, groove-like magic going on about midway through the first set that makes me feel so good. The trio sound as if they have been playing together forever since they remain connected on several levels throughout. Building it up and then sailing down to calmer currents. A great way to start the day and help inspire us to new heights.Featuring Tiziano Tononi on drums & percussion, William Parker on acoustic bass and Daniele Cavallanti on tenor & baritone saxes, ney & flute. This was recorded at the Vancouver Jazz Festival on June 28th of 1999 but has not been released until now when Mr. Tononi found it in the bottom of a chest full of rare recordings. It contains music from tow sets and it quite long (76 minutes). Those of you who read the DMG newsletter weekly certainly know who Tononi and Cavallanti are, as they have worked together over many years with more than a dozen discs from different groups: Nexus, Black Hole Quartet and most recently a superb tribute to Don Cherry on the Nubop label reviewed a couple of weeks ago (August, 2014).
The Udu Calls Trio is phenomenal, stripped down to three titans who are/were ready for action! Besides Don Cherry, Cavallanti and/or Tononi have done tributes to John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, each one a jazz legend and influence on hundreds of musicians worldwide. This trio embodies that same strong, searching spirit. Cavallanti plays tenor for the first section, blowing up a storm backed by a full throttle rhythm team. He eventually switches to bari sax and continues to blow up a storm. There is some earthy, groove-like magic going on about midway through the first set that makes me feel so good. The trio sound as if they have been playing together forever since they remain connected on several levels throughout. Building it up and then sailing down to calmer currents. A great way to start the day and help inspire us to new heights.
Archivio mensile:Settembre 2014
Sauna Sessions-JazzIt
Energia, fantasia, infiniti incastri timbrici e su tutto, una voracità insaziabile verso l’improvvisazione. L’ensemble, guidato dal polistrumentista Piero Bittolo Bon, fa ascoltare una musica eccitante e ispirata, che sa cambiar pelle in continuazione tanto da passare da ballate dal sapore folk (Ballad OƒThe Martian Rovers) a un certo minimalismo psichedelico (Turtles All The Way Down). Affascinanti le lunghe sezioni dove l^azione collettiva è di travolgente bellezza. (LV)
Energia, fantasia, infiniti incastri timbrici e su tutto, una voracità insaziabile verso l’improvvisazione. L’ensemble, guidato dal polistrumentista Piero Bittolo Bon, fa ascoltare una musica eccitante e ispirata, che sa cambiar pelle in continuazione tanto da passare da ballate dal sapore folk (Ballad OƒThe Martian Rovers) a un certo minimalismo psichedelico (Turtles All The Way Down). Affascinanti le lunghe sezioni dove l^azione collettiva è di travolgente bellezza. (LV)
William Parker
Place of Birth: Bronx, NY
Date of Birth: January 10, 1952
Education: Private studies with Richard Davis, Jimmy Garrison, Wilbur Ware and Paul West.
Fellowships, Prizes, Grants, Honors, Residencies
-New York State Music Fund commission of “Double Sunrise Over Neptune,” performed at Vision Festival XII in June 2007-Named as one of the “50 Greatest New York Musicians of All Time” in Time Out New York, March 2007
-Residency at Luther College’s “A Sense of Vocation” program in Decorah, Iowa, 2007
-Nameless Sound Resounding Vision Award, Houston, TX, 2006
-Residency at Hallwalls in Buffalo, NY, 2006
-Jazz Musician of the Year, Musica Jazz (Italian Magazine), 2005
-Participant in Visiting Artist Program at Haystack in Deer Isle, Maine, 2004
-Other Minds Festival commission of “Spirit Catcher for Four Musicians and Tape,” in San Francisco, CA March 2003
-Residency at the Djerassi Foundation in Woodside, CA, 2003
-Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust Commission of “Universal Tonality,” in 2002
-New York State Council on the Arts Commissioning Award, 2000
-Residency at Bennington College, Bennington, VT, 1991
-Residency at the Rotterdam Conservatory, 1991 and 1994
-New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Artist Fellowship, 1988
Work, Highlights
2007: Premiered “Double Sunrise Over Neptune,” which was presented at Vision Festival XII and commissioned, recorded and commercially issued by Arts for Art with support from the New York State Music Fund. Recorded Alphaville Suite for double quartet. Premiered multimedia piece, “Expanded Humanity” with students from Humanities Preparatory Academy (NYC) and the Amistad Academy (Hartford, CT).
2006: Premiered “Lakota Chamber Music,” for woodwinds and “Light In The Hall of Whispers,” for string ensemble. Residency at Hallwalls in Buffalo, NY and performed theatre/Dance/Music Piece “Looking For Cookie Gilchrist” in collaboration with Patricia Nicholson.
2005: Played at Tel Aviv Jazz Festival with Roy Campbell’s Pyramid Trio, Voted Jazz musician of the year in Italy by Musica Jazz. Taught at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
2002: “Universal Tonality” premiered at Roulette, commissioned by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust.
2001: William Parker Quartet formed, recorded “O’Neal’s Porch.” Taught at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Premiered project entitled The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
2000: William Parker Quartet formed, recorded “O’Neal’s Porch, recognized in 2001 by the New York Times as one of the Best Jazz Albums of the Year. “Kaleidoscope” premiered at the Fifth Annual Vision Festival, commissioned by Arts for Art with funds provided by NYSCA and performed by the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. Premiered “Big Orange Mountain,” performed by the Kitchen House Blend Band.
1999: The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra performed at Alice Tully Hall.
1998: The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and Dance performed “Mass for the Healing of the World” at Verona.
1995: Premiered 10 compositions in an 8-week season with the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra at the Knitting Factory. Composed music for the dance-drama “The Shadow People.”
1994: Founded the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. Composed new music for Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater, as well as arranging and re-orchestrating music from Dvorak’s opera “Rusalka.”
1993: Founded sextet In Order to Survive, which performed at Roulette and the Knitting Factory.
1991: Participated in Total Music meeting, Berlin, Germany. Composed music for Marcus Dance Theater, “The Generation Table,” performed at PS 122, and for Denis Charles Dance Troupe. Toured Japan, England, France and Germany with Cecil Taylor’s Feel Trio.
1988-89: Co-organized Second Sound Unity Festival, New York City. Presented “Vision on an Ordinary Day,” a composition for large ensemble, with poetry, voice and dance, at Cooper Hewitt Museum.
1986 – 87: Composed and presented “Vision Peace and Battle Cries,” a modern ballet for large orchestra with poetry and voice in collaboration with choreographer Patricia Nicholson at La MaMa. Toured Japan with Billy Bang and Europe with Cecil Taylor.
1985: Composed music for documentary shown on PBS, “Community Dig.”
1984: Co-organized “Sound Unity,” a five day international festival at CUANDO, New York City.
1983: Premiered composition, “Inheritance” for three voices, bassoon, alto flute, double bass and dance in Downtown Music Series at Third Street Music School.
1982: Premiered “A Thousand Cranes,” an opera for orchestra, dance and a chorus of 1000 school children, performed at opening of UN Second Special Session for Disarmament, June 1982.
1981: Concerts for solo bass in Berlin. Composed “Peace Suite” a composition for large ensemble, voices, dance and poetry. Toured Europe with Cecil Taylor Unit.
1980: Composed and performed “Night Skies,” a modern ballet in collaboration with choreographer Patricia Nicholson. Joined Cecil Taylor Unit.
1978: CETA Artist Program with Theatre for Forgotten. Composed for many of theater productions and performed in prisons and hospitals.
1975: Performed at the Five Spot with Don Cherry.
1974: Performed with Cecil Taylor’s big band at Carnegie Hall
William Parker is an improviser, and composer. He plays the bass, shakuhachi, double reeds, tuba, donson ngoni and gembri. He was born in 1952 in the Bronx, New York. He has studied bass with Richard Davis, Art Davis, Milt Hinton, Wilber Ware, and Jimmy Garrison.
William Parker entered the music scene in 1971, playing at Studio We, Studio Rivbea, Hilly’s on The Bowery, the Salt and Pepper club and The Baby Grand, and quickly became a sought after bass player in the New York music scene. He has played with many musicians from the avant-garde such as, Bill Dixon, Sunny Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Higgins, Charles Brackeen, Alan Silva, Frank Wright, Frank Lowe, Rashid Ali, Donald Ayler, Sonny Simmons, Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, Karl Berger Dave Burrell, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, Milford Graves and with traditionalists like Walter Bishop, Sr. and Maxine Sullivan.
William’s early collaborations with the dancer and choreographer Patricia Nicholson created a large repertoire of composed music for ensembles ranging from solo works to big band projects. Parker played in the Cecil Taylor Unit from 1980 through 1991. He has also performed with musicians from the AACM such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Ernest Dawkins, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago.
WParLnoonan-1
In addition to his work with artists in the United Stated, William Parker has developed a strong relationship with musicians in the European Improvised Music scene such as Peter Kowald, Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennink, Tony Oxley, Derek Bailey, Franz Hautzinger, Tomasz Stanko, John Tchicai , Louis Sclavis, Conny Bauer, Hannes Bauer, and Louis Moholo.
In 1994 William began leading his own bands, In Order To Survive, and The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. 2001 marked a turn toward a more universal sound by working with drummer Hamid Drake on O’Neal’s Porch. The Raining on the Moon Quintet followed, with addition of vocalist Leena Conquest to the O’Neals Porch quartet. Most notable among many recent projects is the Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
William has taught at Bennington College, NYU, The New England Conservatory of Music, Cal Arts, New School and The Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. He has also taught music workshops in cities throughout the world including Paris, Berlin and Tokyo and the Lower East Side of New York.
Parker is also a theorist and author of several books including the Sound Journal (centeringmusic), Document Humanum (centeringmusic) , Music and the Shadow People (centeringmusic) and The Mayor of Punkville (centeringmusic).
Steve Greenlee of the Boston Globe stated in July 2002, “William Parker has emerged as the most important leader of the current avant-garde scene in jazz.” He is working in many of the more important groups in this genre, some of the most prestigious being his own, i.e. The Curtis Mayfield Project, Little Huey Creative Orchestra, In Order to Survive, William Parker’s Quartet and other groups. Mr. Parker is one of the most important composers in our time period, he is also a poet whose words are beginning to be heard in various media: in print, in song and in his theatre piece, “Music and the Shadow People.”s/performances for young people that he has conducted, both in the USA and in Europe. This has been for him amongst some of his most important work and greatest successes.”
In ‘95 the Village Voice characterized William Parker as “the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time.”
Mr. Parker has released over 20 albums under his leadership. In 1995 after years of obscurity as a leader, he released Flowers Grow In My Room, on the Centering label. This was the first documentation of the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. This CD hit #1 on the CMJ charts and The Little Huey began to tour. They have performed in the Verona Jazz Festival and Banlieues Bleues among others. William Parker’s new Quartet has hit with rave reviews for both albums “O’Neals Porch” and “Raining on the Moon.”
These releases and their success highlight William Parker as an outstanding composer and bandleader. From the beginning of his musical career, William Parker has been prolific, composing music all of the music for his projects. His compositional skills span a range including operas, oratorios, ballets, film scores, and soliloquies for solo instruments. He has also successfully explored diverse concepts in instrumentation for large and small ensembles.
William Parker is a poet, with three volumes published thus far: “Music Is,” “Document Humanum,” and “The Shadow People.”
“He (William Parker) is something of a father figure” stated Larry Blumenfeld in a New York Times article. He has looked for and encouraged young talent and has been a mentor to many young musicians.
Place of Birth: Bronx, NY
Date of Birth: January 10, 1952
Education: Private studies with Richard Davis, Jimmy Garrison, Wilbur Ware and Paul West.
Fellowships, Prizes, Grants, Honors, Residencies
-New York State Music Fund commission of “Double Sunrise Over Neptune,” performed at Vision Festival XII in June 2007-Named as one of the “50 Greatest New York Musicians of All Time” in Time Out New York, March 2007
-Residency at Luther College’s “A Sense of Vocation” program in Decorah, Iowa, 2007
-Nameless Sound Resounding Vision Award, Houston, TX, 2006
-Residency at Hallwalls in Buffalo, NY, 2006
-Jazz Musician of the Year, Musica Jazz (Italian Magazine), 2005
-Participant in Visiting Artist Program at Haystack in Deer Isle, Maine, 2004
-Other Minds Festival commission of “Spirit Catcher for Four Musicians and Tape,” in San Francisco, CA March 2003
-Residency at the Djerassi Foundation in Woodside, CA, 2003
-Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust Commission of “Universal Tonality,” in 2002
-New York State Council on the Arts Commissioning Award, 2000
-Residency at Bennington College, Bennington, VT, 1991
-Residency at the Rotterdam Conservatory, 1991 and 1994
-New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Artist Fellowship, 1988
Work, Highlights
2007: Premiered “Double Sunrise Over Neptune,” which was presented at Vision Festival XII and commissioned, recorded and commercially issued by Arts for Art with support from the New York State Music Fund. Recorded Alphaville Suite for double quartet. Premiered multimedia piece, “Expanded Humanity” with students from Humanities Preparatory Academy (NYC) and the Amistad Academy (Hartford, CT).
2006: Premiered “Lakota Chamber Music,” for woodwinds and “Light In The Hall of Whispers,” for string ensemble. Residency at Hallwalls in Buffalo, NY and performed theatre/Dance/Music Piece “Looking For Cookie Gilchrist” in collaboration with Patricia Nicholson.
2005: Played at Tel Aviv Jazz Festival with Roy Campbell’s Pyramid Trio, Voted Jazz musician of the year in Italy by Musica Jazz. Taught at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
2002: “Universal Tonality” premiered at Roulette, commissioned by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust.
2001: William Parker Quartet formed, recorded “O’Neal’s Porch.” Taught at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Premiered project entitled The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
2000: William Parker Quartet formed, recorded “O’Neal’s Porch, recognized in 2001 by the New York Times as one of the Best Jazz Albums of the Year. “Kaleidoscope” premiered at the Fifth Annual Vision Festival, commissioned by Arts for Art with funds provided by NYSCA and performed by the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. Premiered “Big Orange Mountain,” performed by the Kitchen House Blend Band.
1999: The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra performed at Alice Tully Hall.
1998: The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and Dance performed “Mass for the Healing of the World” at Verona.
1995: Premiered 10 compositions in an 8-week season with the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra at the Knitting Factory. Composed music for the dance-drama “The Shadow People.”
1994: Founded the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. Composed new music for Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater, as well as arranging and re-orchestrating music from Dvorak’s opera “Rusalka.”
1993: Founded sextet In Order to Survive, which performed at Roulette and the Knitting Factory.
1991: Participated in Total Music meeting, Berlin, Germany. Composed music for Marcus Dance Theater, “The Generation Table,” performed at PS 122, and for Denis Charles Dance Troupe. Toured Japan, England, France and Germany with Cecil Taylor’s Feel Trio.
1988-89: Co-organized Second Sound Unity Festival, New York City. Presented “Vision on an Ordinary Day,” a composition for large ensemble, with poetry, voice and dance, at Cooper Hewitt Museum.
1986 – 87: Composed and presented “Vision Peace and Battle Cries,” a modern ballet for large orchestra with poetry and voice in collaboration with choreographer Patricia Nicholson at La MaMa. Toured Japan with Billy Bang and Europe with Cecil Taylor.
1985: Composed music for documentary shown on PBS, “Community Dig.”
1984: Co-organized “Sound Unity,” a five day international festival at CUANDO, New York City.
1983: Premiered composition, “Inheritance” for three voices, bassoon, alto flute, double bass and dance in Downtown Music Series at Third Street Music School.
1982: Premiered “A Thousand Cranes,” an opera for orchestra, dance and a chorus of 1000 school children, performed at opening of UN Second Special Session for Disarmament, June 1982.
1981: Concerts for solo bass in Berlin. Composed “Peace Suite” a composition for large ensemble, voices, dance and poetry. Toured Europe with Cecil Taylor Unit.
1980: Composed and performed “Night Skies,” a modern ballet in collaboration with choreographer Patricia Nicholson. Joined Cecil Taylor Unit.
1978: CETA Artist Program with Theatre for Forgotten. Composed for many of theater productions and performed in prisons and hospitals.
1975: Performed at the Five Spot with Don Cherry.
1974: Performed with Cecil Taylor’s big band at Carnegie Hall
William Parker is an improviser, and composer. He plays the bass, shakuhachi, double reeds, tuba, donson ngoni and gembri. He was born in 1952 in the Bronx, New York. He has studied bass with Richard Davis, Art Davis, Milt Hinton, Wilber Ware, and Jimmy Garrison.
William Parker entered the music scene in 1971, playing at Studio We, Studio Rivbea, Hilly’s on The Bowery, the Salt and Pepper club and The Baby Grand, and quickly became a sought after bass player in the New York music scene. He has played with many musicians from the avant-garde such as, Bill Dixon, Sunny Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Higgins, Charles Brackeen, Alan Silva, Frank Wright, Frank Lowe, Rashid Ali, Donald Ayler, Sonny Simmons, Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, Karl Berger Dave Burrell, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, Milford Graves and with traditionalists like Walter Bishop, Sr. and Maxine Sullivan.
William’s early collaborations with the dancer and choreographer Patricia Nicholson created a large repertoire of composed music for ensembles ranging from solo works to big band projects. Parker played in the Cecil Taylor Unit from 1980 through 1991. He has also performed with musicians from the AACM such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Ernest Dawkins, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago.
WParLnoonan-1
In addition to his work with artists in the United Stated, William Parker has developed a strong relationship with musicians in the European Improvised Music scene such as Peter Kowald, Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennink, Tony Oxley, Derek Bailey, Franz Hautzinger, Tomasz Stanko, John Tchicai , Louis Sclavis, Conny Bauer, Hannes Bauer, and Louis Moholo.
In 1994 William began leading his own bands, In Order To Survive, and The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. 2001 marked a turn toward a more universal sound by working with drummer Hamid Drake on O’Neal’s Porch. The Raining on the Moon Quintet followed, with addition of vocalist Leena Conquest to the O’Neals Porch quartet. Most notable among many recent projects is the Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield.
William has taught at Bennington College, NYU, The New England Conservatory of Music, Cal Arts, New School and The Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. He has also taught music workshops in cities throughout the world including Paris, Berlin and Tokyo and the Lower East Side of New York.
Parker is also a theorist and author of several books including the Sound Journal (centeringmusic), Document Humanum (centeringmusic) , Music and the Shadow People (centeringmusic) and The Mayor of Punkville (centeringmusic).
Steve Greenlee of the Boston Globe stated in July 2002, “William Parker has emerged as the most important leader of the current avant-garde scene in jazz.” He is working in many of the more important groups in this genre, some of the most prestigious being his own, i.e. The Curtis Mayfield Project, Little Huey Creative Orchestra, In Order to Survive, William Parker’s Quartet and other groups. Mr. Parker is one of the most important composers in our time period, he is also a poet whose words are beginning to be heard in various media: in print, in song and in his theatre piece, “Music and the Shadow People.”s/performances for young people that he has conducted, both in the USA and in Europe. This has been for him amongst some of his most important work and greatest successes.”
In ‘95 the Village Voice characterized William Parker as “the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time.”
Mr. Parker has released over 20 albums under his leadership. In 1995 after years of obscurity as a leader, he released Flowers Grow In My Room, on the Centering label. This was the first documentation of the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. This CD hit #1 on the CMJ charts and The Little Huey began to tour. They have performed in the Verona Jazz Festival and Banlieues Bleues among others. William Parker’s new Quartet has hit with rave reviews for both albums “O’Neals Porch” and “Raining on the Moon.”
These releases and their success highlight William Parker as an outstanding composer and bandleader. From the beginning of his musical career, William Parker has been prolific, composing music all of the music for his projects. His compositional skills span a range including operas, oratorios, ballets, film scores, and soliloquies for solo instruments. He has also successfully explored diverse concepts in instrumentation for large and small ensembles.
William Parker is a poet, with three volumes published thus far: “Music Is,” “Document Humanum,” and “The Shadow People.”
“He (William Parker) is something of a father figure” stated Larry Blumenfeld in a New York Times article. He has looked for and encouraged young talent and has been a mentor to many young musicians.
Kathodik – Lasting Ephemerals
Innocenza e determinazione, nella formula espressiva proposta dal duo sax soprano/violino, della coppia anglo/italiana Gianni Mimmo / Alison Blunt.
Una visione impro, cameristico/contemporanea, rodata a fondo attraverso un lungo tour fra Inghilterra, Finlandia, Germania, Italia e Stati Uniti.
Fermata su prezioso vinile in tiratura limitata a 250 copie.
Son ampie zone melodiche, alternate a calibrate turbolenze tonali, quelle proposte durante la data londinese del 26 Giugno 2013, presso la St. Leonard’s Shoreditch Church.
Tre lunghe composizioni istantanee, fatte di contrasti, progressioni d’insieme e improvvisi rilasci energico/melodici.
Un approccio che prevede strade parallele e congiunzioni strumentali in stato d’evidente grazia.
Come altro definire difatti, il raccoglimento di violino e il dialogo, pigolante e circolare di Elliptical Birds?
O l’improvviso mostrarsi d’umori Ayler, fino all’affondo caotico/trattenuto di Scherzo?
E gli equilibrismi ad intermittenza, scultorei e mutevoli, in continuo rilancio chiaroscurale, dell’iniziale Lasting Ephemerals?
Stato di grazia, pratica quotidiana e reciproco, profondo rispetto.
Il tutto sudato e assemblato in scioltezza, data su data, palco su palco.
Con impigliate fra le corde del violino, tutta una serie di microscopiche suggestioni popolari, che non sarebbe male, esplorar a fondo in futuro.
Silenzio, concentrazione e slancio.
Il rischio, l’imprevisto e l’inesplorato, fedeli compagni di viaggio.Innocenza e determinazione, nella formula espressiva proposta dal duo sax soprano/violino, della coppia anglo/italiana Gianni Mimmo / Alison Blunt.
Una visione impro, cameristico/contemporanea, rodata a fondo attraverso un lungo tour fra Inghilterra, Finlandia, Germania, Italia e Stati Uniti.
Fermata su prezioso vinile in tiratura limitata a 250 copie.
Son ampie zone melodiche, alternate a calibrate turbolenze tonali, quelle proposte durante la data londinese del 26 Giugno 2013, presso la St. Leonard’s Shoreditch Church.
Tre lunghe composizioni istantanee, fatte di contrasti, progressioni d’insieme e improvvisi rilasci energico/melodici.
Un approccio che prevede strade parallele e congiunzioni strumentali in stato d’evidente grazia.
Come altro definire difatti, il raccoglimento di violino e il dialogo, pigolante e circolare di Elliptical Birds?
O l’improvviso mostrarsi d’umori Ayler, fino all’affondo caotico/trattenuto di Scherzo?
E gli equilibrismi ad intermittenza, scultorei e mutevoli, in continuo rilancio chiaroscurale, dell’iniziale Lasting Ephemerals?
Stato di grazia, pratica quotidiana e reciproco, profondo rispetto.
Il tutto sudato e assemblato in scioltezza, data su data, palco su palco.
Con impigliate fra le corde del violino, tutta una serie di microscopiche suggestioni popolari, che non sarebbe male, esplorar a fondo in futuro.
Silenzio, concentrazione e slancio.
Il rischio, l’imprevisto e l’inesplorato, fedeli compagni di viaggio.
The Vancouver Tapes
Tiziano Tononi – Drums, Congas, Gong, Bells, Whistles Daniele Cavallanti – Tenor and Baritone Saxes, Ney Flute, Bells William Parker – Double Bass A lost and found gem documenting the first meeting ever of two Italian avant jazz masters with the NY jazz bass giant. Totally live and improvised! Tiziano Tononi says: “Rockin’ the Vaults…sometimes you know, sometimes you don’t, what you find may become a great deal of a surprise, and this time we found out something very unusual like a mini-disc recording!!! What’s that? I’m pretty sure some people don’t even know what a mini disc was, anyway the music contained herein still sounded fresh and surprising after a few years, so I say to myself “why not?”, and here we are! Years after the Long Song Record “Smoke Inside” we got the smokin’ side of a joyful, powerful and subtle trio of characters, praising the Gods of music and improvisation through instruments tuned on a common language, burning, that night in Vancouver, the wall/bridges of the distance from Milano to New York.
Tiziano Tononi – Drums, Congas, Gong, Bells, Whistles Daniele Cavallanti – Tenor and Baritone Saxes, Ney Flute, Bells William Parker – Double Bass A lost and found gem documenting the first meeting ever of two Italian avant jazz masters with the NY jazz bass giant. Totally live and improvised! Tiziano Tononi says: “Rockin’ the Vaults…sometimes you know, sometimes you don’t, what you find may become a great deal of a surprise, and this time we found out something very unusual like a mini-disc recording!!! What’s that? I’m pretty sure some people don’t even know what a mini disc was, anyway the music contained herein still sounded fresh and surprising after a few years, so I say to myself “why not?”, and here we are! Years after the Long Song Record “Smoke Inside” we got the smokin’ side of a joyful, powerful and subtle trio of characters, praising the Gods of music and improvisation through instruments tuned on a common language, burning, that night in Vancouver, the wall/bridges of the distance from Milano to New York.
Vid Jeraj – Acid Cock
On their fourth album, Zagreb duo Brio has returned to its roots, giving us their bloody poetry, that apart from having arrogant misanthropic stand, hides in itself a big heart. Even if that heart is warmed by steel of light weapons.
In their most eruptive release till so far, Brio is kicking through the ashes of sound from groups like Collosamite, DNA, and Lightning Bolt, and in moments of reflection they meditate with Dennison/Kimball Trio. Summary of this 15-years old duo-odyssey is “Acid Cock”, baked in two weeks of recording and mixing, and released on the Italian label Long Song Records. Thus, except from the distribution of America, Brio has found themselves in the catalog ruled by Marc Ribot , Elliott Sharp, and Peter Evans.
Although the band says that we should not pull the sleeve of some unfortunate associations, this music is hard to keep under control. The first title is filled with desperate beat poetry strengthened with a strong dose of elegy that evokes an apocalyptic vision hidden below the whole album. Association on the rolling avalanche, or a series of wild rivers that are overflowing peoples’ basins while carrying in their current the entire construction of bridges, is imposed by itself here- in the second title whose atonality is as soft as one of Bela Bartok’s, and the association on above mentioned post no-wave bands is clearly not redundant. However, the reins of chaos are firmly clamped in the very next track which clearly transforms the record into genre wise multilayered collage. If one is not sure what this band members are wearing below their waist, the next title clearly explains: “You Will Find Me Under the Rainbow, Pissing with a Hard On.” Here, and with no problems at all, the band steps hard into the groove of Chicago urban blues, their sound strengthened by Hammond organ and the ARP 2600, thus finally revealing to everyone and to themselves as well, that the right freedom is hiding itself in a kaleidoscope of musical styles – the statement that’s obvious fact if one takes Brio past and current discography into account. With Acid Cock, Brio has made a step towards far more generic sound than ever, cutting the record that will result in a far greater number of listeners, which certainly is a surprise to those who previously considered this band too wacky and/or weird. And not that it has no empty breakthroughs, but here the sound- image finally got the dramatics.
Let us recall, the band’s first two albums with their developing spatial depth have gained solid critics’ attention, and are mapped on All Music Guide; not only as one of the very few bands formed by the closest blood relatives-brothers , but also because of their acoustic sound that was clearly defined by European free-music provenance; although, let’s be calm, it was more from the surprise side. The third album, showed that the combination of an electric Les Paul guitar and vintage Slingerland drums was enough to throw the music in the speed that does not care about collateral damage, where with brutal force the band ejected dynamics of music from their rails, just like some cocked up ballerina on the icy Swan Lake. Here, Vulgar kind of Steve Albini irony hides itself behind the titles like “It Must Be Painful When it Slides In”, just like sarcasm of “Sing this to me when I’m Lonely”, while fresh wounds that are exposed and ready to be licked… seems to lurk for someone else’s pair of tongues.
Rating: 8/10On their fourth album, Zagreb duo Brio has returned to its roots, giving us their bloody poetry, that apart from having arrogant misanthropic stand, hides in itself a big heart. Even if that heart is warmed by steel of light weapons.
In their most eruptive release till so far, Brio is kicking through the ashes of sound from groups like Collosamite, DNA, and Lightning Bolt, and in moments of reflection they meditate with Dennison/Kimball Trio. Summary of this 15-years old duo-odyssey is “Acid Cock”, baked in two weeks of recording and mixing, and released on the Italian label Long Song Records. Thus, except from the distribution of America, Brio has found themselves in the catalog ruled by Marc Ribot , Elliott Sharp, and Peter Evans.
Although the band says that we should not pull the sleeve of some unfortunate associations, this music is hard to keep under control. The first title is filled with desperate beat poetry strengthened with a strong dose of elegy that evokes an apocalyptic vision hidden below the whole album. Association on the rolling avalanche, or a series of wild rivers that are overflowing peoples’ basins while carrying in their current the entire construction of bridges, is imposed by itself here- in the second title whose atonality is as soft as one of Bela Bartok’s, and the association on above mentioned post no-wave bands is clearly not redundant. However, the reins of chaos are firmly clamped in the very next track which clearly transforms the record into genre wise multilayered collage. If one is not sure what this band members are wearing below their waist, the next title clearly explains: “You Will Find Me Under the Rainbow, Pissing with a Hard On.” Here, and with no problems at all, the band steps hard into the groove of Chicago urban blues, their sound strengthened by Hammond organ and the ARP 2600, thus finally revealing to everyone and to themselves as well, that the right freedom is hiding itself in a kaleidoscope of musical styles – the statement that’s obvious fact if one takes Brio past and current discography into account. With Acid Cock, Brio has made a step towards far more generic sound than ever, cutting the record that will result in a far greater number of listeners, which certainly is a surprise to those who previously considered this band too wacky and/or weird. And not that it has no empty breakthroughs, but here the sound- image finally got the dramatics.
Let us recall, the band’s first two albums with their developing spatial depth have gained solid critics’ attention, and are mapped on All Music Guide; not only as one of the very few bands formed by the closest blood relatives-brothers , but also because of their acoustic sound that was clearly defined by European free-music provenance; although, let’s be calm, it was more from the surprise side. The third album, showed that the combination of an electric Les Paul guitar and vintage Slingerland drums was enough to throw the music in the speed that does not care about collateral damage, where with brutal force the band ejected dynamics of music from their rails, just like some cocked up ballerina on the icy Swan Lake. Here, Vulgar kind of Steve Albini irony hides itself behind the titles like “It Must Be Painful When it Slides In”, just like sarcasm of “Sing this to me when I’m Lonely”, while fresh wounds that are exposed and ready to be licked… seems to lurk for someone else’s pair of tongues.
Rating: 8/10
Blow Up – The Sauna Session(2)
Seduta fiume di impro d’alto livello, quella allestita dal sassofonista [e non solo] Piero Bittolo Bon nel luglio di un paio di anni fa. Con lui la stellare tromba di Peter Evans, la chitarra ibridata di elettronica e blues di Simone Massaron, la tuba di Glauco Benedetti e la batteria di Tommaso Cappellato.
Tra echi free, fragranze di elettronica e schegge di ritmi bisbetici, la cosa funziona e spiace si sia trattato, per ora, solo di una felice occasione. (7)Seduta fiume di impro d’alto livello, quella allestita dal sassofonista [e non solo] Piero Bittolo Bon nel luglio di un paio di anni fa. Con lui la stellare tromba di Peter Evans, la chitarra ibridata di elettronica e blues di Simone Massaron, la tuba di Glauco Benedetti e la batteria di Tommaso Cappellato.
Tra echi free, fragranze di elettronica e schegge di ritmi bisbetici, la cosa funziona e spiace si sia trattato, per ora, solo di una felice occasione. (7)
Blow Up – Lasting Ephemerals
Tra i musicisti italiani più interessanti in ambiti di musiche di ricerca a metà tra jazz e contemporanea, il sassofonista Mimmo esce in duo con la violinista Blunt con schietta impronta cameristica: evoluzioni, digressioni e dialoghi come saliscendi emotivi nei quali entrambi gli strumenti si sfiorano e incontrano esaltandosi vicendevolmente e accarezzando di quando in quando i limiti imposti senza però farsi free. Un ascolto perfetto.Tra i musicisti italiani più interessanti in ambiti di musiche di ricerca a metà tra jazz e contemporanea, il sassofonista Mimmo esce in duo con la violinista Blunt con schietta impronta cameristica: evoluzioni, digressioni e dialoghi come saliscendi emotivi nei quali entrambi gli strumenti si sfiorano e incontrano esaltandosi vicendevolmente e accarezzando di quando in quando i limiti imposti senza però farsi free. Un ascolto perfetto.
Blow Up – The Sauna Session
Il quintetto che fa capo al sassofono di Piero Bittolo Bon opera sul confine tra jazz elettrico anni ’70 e improvvisazione radicale, C0n ampie digressioni in cui la materia elettronica diviene elemento centrale nel dialogo fra gli stumentisti. La tromba del newyorchese Peter Evans spicca per dinamicità e calore mentre le parti tradizionalmente affidate al contrabbasso vengono ricoperte con inventiva dalla tuba di Glauco Benedetti, dando vita ad un insieme organico e pulsante, carico di tensione e fisicità. (7)Il quintetto che fa capo al sassofono di Piero Bittolo Bon opera sul confine tra jazz elettrico anni ’70 e improvvisazione radicale, C0n ampie digressioni in cui la materia elettronica diviene elemento centrale nel dialogo fra gli stumentisti. La tromba del newyorchese Peter Evans spicca per dinamicità e calore mentre le parti tradizionalmente affidate al contrabbasso vengono ricoperte con inventiva dalla tuba di Glauco Benedetti, dando vita ad un insieme organico e pulsante, carico di tensione e fisicità. (7)
freejazzblog.org – Lasting Ephemerals
The last album in this series is not really about seasons, but also about the passing of time, or even the opposite concept, in which the most fragile and volatile and transitory, gets a timeless nature. Gianni Mimmo on soprano sax and Alison Blunt on violin treat us to some ephemeral beauty on this LP with three fully improvised pieces, recorded live at the St Leonard’s Shoreditch Church in London, in June 2013.
It is hard to describe the music as jazz, and although Mimmo’s legacy is clearly with Steve Lacy, his sound and musical approach is truly his own, more abstract, classical at times in the clarity of his tone, yet audacious and explorative too. The spontaneous interaction with Blunt is nothing short of fabulous, almost organic, like birds, delivering soaring love songs, or fluttering agitatedly, or even stronger, like more intimate whispers, cautious touching of notes, moving forward gently and elegantly together. Blunt herself has the same spontaneous attitude for superb control of timbre and sound, while remaining utterly free in her inventiveness. Even in the rawest parts they find each other well, echoing improvised phrases, and creating sharp multiphonics if needed, before falling back on more gentle embraces.
A marvelous duo.The last album in this series is not really about seasons, but also about the passing of time, or even the opposite concept, in which the most fragile and volatile and transitory, gets a timeless nature. Gianni Mimmo on soprano sax and Alison Blunt on violin treat us to some ephemeral beauty on this LP with three fully improvised pieces, recorded live at the St Leonard’s Shoreditch Church in London, in June 2013.
It is hard to describe the music as jazz, and although Mimmo’s legacy is clearly with Steve Lacy, his sound and musical approach is truly his own, more abstract, classical at times in the clarity of his tone, yet audacious and explorative too. The spontaneous interaction with Blunt is nothing short of fabulous, almost organic, like birds, delivering soaring love songs, or fluttering agitatedly, or even stronger, like more intimate whispers, cautious touching of notes, moving forward gently and elegantly together. Blunt herself has the same spontaneous attitude for superb control of timbre and sound, while remaining utterly free in her inventiveness. Even in the rawest parts they find each other well, echoing improvised phrases, and creating sharp multiphonics if needed, before falling back on more gentle embraces.
A marvelous duo.