Friday, March 23, 2018

Gino Giovannelli - Overwhelmed (DODICILUNE / IRD March 25, 2018)



Prodotto dall'etichetta pugliese Dodicilune, esce il 25 marzo in Italia e all’estero distribuito da Ird e nei migliori store digitali, Overwhelmed, esordio discografico di Gino Giovannelli. Negli otto brani originali il pianista e compositore campano è affiancato da Luigi Di Nunzio (sax), Marcello Giannini (chitarra), Umberto Lepore (contrabbasso) e Salvatore Rainone (batteria). Il disco sarà presentato ufficialmente nel giorno dell'uscita a Napoli all'interno della rassegna Piano City Napoli in due differenti performance: la prima alle 12 nello studio di registrazione Little Green House (Piazza Quattro Giornate 64) con un set elettrico (piano rhodes, synth ed effetti); la seconda dalle 16 in piano solo nella Casina Pompeiana della Villa Comunale.

“È quasi come se varie sfaccettature di quest’artista emergessero allo stesso tempo", sottol inea nelle note di copertina il pianista italoinglese Juan Oliver Mazzariello. "Una miscela di sonorità che si possono trovare in generi che variano dal rap al rock, al jazz e perfino alla moderna musica classica. Indubbiamente si sente l’influenza di pionieri del jazz moderno come Aaron Goldberg, Mark Turner e Jonathan Kreisberg. I toni variano attraverso gli stili, fraseggi melodici (un suono continuo dato da un misterioso gusto della chitarra che va oltre il classico quartetto) e un ritmo molto complesso”. Il booklet è completato dalle brevi recensioni dei pianisti Roberto Tarenzi (“Gino è un pianista di raro talento e in questo suo primo album troviamo lirismo e introspezione non comuni accanto a forti influenze newyorkesi nella scrittura e nelle improvvisazioni”), Domenico Sanna ("Il disco esprime delle belle melodie, seppur non semplici allo stesso tempo musicali e piacevoli all’ascolto”) e Andrea Rea ("Nelle composizioni spicca un accurato equilibrio degli stru menti, tipico dei più grandi gruppi attuali. Mi ha colpito molto la vena melodica ed il suono di gruppo che è riuscito a creare").

L’etichetta Dodicilune è attiva dal 1996. Dispone di un catalogo di oltre 220 produzioni di artisti italiani e stranieri ed è distribuita in Itali a e all'estero da IRD in circa 400 punti vendita tra negozi di dischi e store. I dischi Dodicilune possono essere acquistati anche online, ascoltati e scaricati su una cinquantina tra le maggiori piattaforme del mondo.

1 - Lonesome Child
2 - Embryonic
3 - Feliciana
4 - Finding Sylvia
5 - Like Sunday
6 - Opportunities (dedicated to A. G.)
7 - Overwhelmed
8 - Un giorno qualunque

All compositions by Gino Giovannelli (Dodicilune Edizioni)

Gino Giovannelli - piano
Luigi Di Nunzio - saxophone
Marcello Giannini - guitar
Umberto Lepore - double bass
Salvatore Rainone - drums

Total time 61:01 STEREO DDD
p 2018 DODICILUNE (Italy)
c 2018 DODICILUNE (Italy)
www.dodicilune.it
CD DODICILUNE DISCHI Ed398
8033309693989



Gino Giovannelli, napoletano, classe 1988. A 15 anni comincia a suonare il pianoforte da autodidatta. Diplomato al liceo d’arte, studia percussioni brasiliane con Robertinho Bastos. Nel 2010 inizia i suoi studi al Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella con, tra gli altri, Francesco D’Errico, Pietro Condorelli e Salvatore Tranchini. Dal 2012 viene selezionato per partecipare a tutte le edizioni di Pianocity Napoli, tenendo quattro concerti in piano solo a Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano. Continua a suonare da solo anche per il concerto al MANN (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli) e per la rassegna "il Jazz italiano per Amatrice". Studia con musicisti come David Kikoski, Peter Bernstein, Aruan Ortiz e molti altri. Ultimato il conservatorio nell’aprile 2014, si perfeziona a New York con Phil Markowitz, Kenny Werner, Aaron Goldberg, solo per citarne alcuni. Dal 2016 è sub-teacher dell’International School Of Naples. “Overwhelmed” è il suo disco d'esordio.

Luigi di Nunzio, classe ’91, inizia a suonare il sax alto in tenera età, sotto la guida del padre sassofonista Pasquale Di Nunzio. A 11 anni entra nel conservatorio di Napoli San Pietro a Majella. Nel 2010 consegue il diploma di sassofono classico con il massimo dei voti con il maestro Andrea Pace. Nel 2006 vince una borsa di studio alla Berklee Jazz Clinics ed è selezionato per suonare a Orvieto jazz Winter 2007(Umbria Jazz). Fra il 2008 e il 2010 segue il corso di alto perfezionamento a Siena Jazz. Dal 2009 fa parte del quartetto del pianista Antonio Faraò, con il quale ha partecipato ad importanti tournée in Europa. Nel campo della musica pop ha suonato in varie occasioni con Michael Bublé e Luca Jurman. Il 10 ottobre 2014 è uscito il suo album d’esordio dal titolo “Inexistent” (Abeat Records). Nel 2015 registra nell’album del Pianista Antonio Faraò “Boundaries” per la prestigiosa etichetta Verve/Universal. Nonostante la giovane età, ha già collaborato con importanti jazzisti italiani e internazionali (Antonio Faraò, Danilo Perez, Dave Liebman, Roberta Gambarini, Tullio De Piscopo, Mike Clark), con i quali ha avuto la possibilità di esibirsi in tutta Italia e in numerosi paesi europei.

Marcello Giannini nasce a Napoli nel 1982. Studia privatamente con Domenico Langella e Giulio Martino e al Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella di Napoli sotto la guida di Pietro Condorelli e Marco Sannini. Dal 2001 è membro del sestetto Slivovitz, con cui incide tre dischi, tra cui “Hubris”, che riceve ottime critiche in tutto il mondo e quattro stelle sul sito di critica musicale All Music. Con il gruppo vince i concorsi di Teano Jazz, Ethno Jazz Competition e il premio Toast al MEI di Faenza. Si è esibito in numerose manifestazioni e festival tra cui Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival, Roma Jazz’s Cool, Sziget Festival, Teano Jazz Festival, e molti altri. È stato membro del gruppo Insuladulcamara con cui ha registrato diversi EP. Suona in numerose band napoletane tra cui Arduo e Guru ft. Marco Messina (99 Posse). Nel 2012 ha registrato nell’ultimo disco di Enrico Rava per ECM, “Rava On The Dance Floor”. Dal 2014 ad oggi ha registrato negli ultimi due dischi dei 99 Posse “Cattivi Guagliuni” e "Curre Curre Guagliò 2.0" e nell'omonimo disco degli Arduo. Nel 2015 ha pubblicato il suo primo cd solista per l'etichetta Auand "Frammenti", l’anno successivo registra nuovamente per Enrico Rava nella collana de L'Espresso "Jazz italiano 2016".

Umberto Lepore, napoletano, classe 1986. A 11 anni comincia a studiare pianoforte per poi passare al basso elettrico e al contrabbasso. Le sue prime esperienze musicali sono nell’ambito punk e post rock. Successivamente collabora con Claudia Sorvillo e Andrea Cassese, due cantautori napoletani con i quali si esibisce regolarmente dal vivo e per i quali incide varie pubblicazioni. Nel 2009 entra nella band Corde Oblique, incide tre album e si esibisce in un tour europeo. Nel 2010 entra nel Crossroad Improring, collettivo napoletano d'improvvisazione radicale. Nel 2012 fonda Forefront, insieme a Jack D’Amico e Marco Castaldo, con i quali porta avanti una ricerca sulla musica concreta e aleatoria, e pubblicano il loro primo disco “Chaos magnum”. Nell’estate del 2013 partecipa ai Corsi internazionali di perfezionamento di Siena Jazz dove studia contrabbasso con Larry Granadier, Ben Street, Furio Di Castri e Piero Leveratto e musica d’insieme con John Taylor, Micheal Blake, Marco Tamburini e Roberto Gatto. È impegnato inoltre con Ajar (Luigi Esposito, Charles Ferris e Marco Castaldo) con i quali ha pubblicato il primo disco con Dodicilune nel 2015, con Stefano Costanzo Oportet, SayatNova e con Marcello Giannini Guru.

Salvatore Rainone, nasce a Nola nel 1986. Inizia gli studi della batteria a 8 anni con il maestro Domenico Perroni. Partecipa a seminari con Trilok Gurt, Tullio De Piscopo, Jeff Ballard, Mark Guiliana, Eric Moore, Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips. È il batterista degli Slivovitz, con i quali ha inciso tre album (”Bani Ahead” 2011, “All you can eat” 2015, “Liver” 2017) prodotti e distribuiti da Moonjune Records N.Y.C. Suona anche nello storico gruppo rap napoletano La Famiglia, con il quale è in tour dall’estate 2017. Insieme a Marcello Giannini fonda Guru, progetto di musica elettronica nato nel 2010, con il quale ha calcato palchi di Festival come Umbria Jazz e Young Jazz 2017. Due sono gli album all’attivo: “Frammenti” e “Digital Desert”, prodotti da Auand Records. Da poco è nuovo membro dei “Bisca”, gruppo storico di ska\rock nato negli anni ‘80 a Napoli e con i quali sta lavorando al loro nuovo album. Ha collaborato e continua a farlo con i 99Posse, registrando il Remake di “Stop that train” (no tav version) e l’album “Curre Curre Guagliò 2.0” 2013 (con la partecipazione di Caparezza, Roy Paci, Clementino, Enzo Avitabile, Samuel dei Subsonica e J-AX).

The Mirror with Three Faces - Delta Piano Trio (ODRADEK RECORDS 2018)

While searching for contemporary piano repertoire on YouTube many years ago, our pianist, Vera, stumbled upon Lera Auerbach’s piano music. She was immediately struck by the powerful expression of Auerbach’s music; the way it conveyed emotions, ideas and images in such a direct and pure way... The second trio by Shostakovich was one of the first pieces we learned as a trio. It’s a highly-charged piece, written in a tragic time and place: a monument to the horrors of war, oppression and personal loss.

                                                                               Delta Piano Trio

The Delta Piano Trio enjoys a special relationship with composer Lera Auerbach. Whilst searching for contemporary repertoire the group fell in love with Auerbach’s piano trios, performing them regularly and, after writing to her about them, enjoying the opportunity to work on this music together with the composer. This experience has given these musicians a unique insight into Auerbach’s piano trios. The title of this CD was inspired by Auerbach’s second piano trio, Tryptych – The Mirror with Three Faces (2012). The work, which is at the heart of this disc, follows the physical construction of a hinged mirror, and Auerbach speaks of it in terms of a theatre piece in which three individuals have their own separate stories but are part of a single entity. Yet there is an ambiguity about the reflection in the mirror – is it three facets of the same person, or three separate images?

Auerbach’s Piano Trio No. 1 is one of her earliest works, with fascinating allusions to 19th- and 20th-century musical traditions, yet with the addition of very specific effects which imbue her music with a unique spectrum of colours. The influence of Shostakovich is audible in Auerbach’s Piano Trio No. 1, and this disc opens with Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2. The opening movement is a paradoxical combination of rigorous counterpoint and ethereal harmonics, followed by a more forceful, rustic and ironic second movement. A mournful passacaglia follows, and the work concludes with a haunting ‘Dance of Death’.


The Delta Piano Trio hails from The Netherlands but met in Austria, where they soon discovered a wonderful personal and music rapport; a unique and infectious friendship which is communicated in the joy and intimacy of their performances. The Delta Piano Trio has performed extensively in Europe, Russia, Israel, China, South Korea and the United States, including concerts at the Salzburg Chamber Music Festival, the New York Chamber Music Festival, and at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; the Trio has also won prizes at numerous international competitions.

01 – Shostakovich – Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor Op. 67 – I. Andante
02 – Shostakovich – Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor Op. 67 – II. Allegro con brio
03 – Shostakovich – Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor Op. 67 – III. Largo
04 – Shostakovich – Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor Op. 67 – IV. Allegretto
05 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 1 – I. Prelude
06 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 1 – II. Andante lamentoso
07 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 1 – III. Presto
08 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 2 Triptych – The Mirror with Three Faces – I. Prelude
09 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 2 Triptych – The Mirror with Three Faces – II. First Unfolding
10 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 2 Triptych – The Mirror with Three Faces – III. Second Unfolding
11 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 2 Triptych – The Mirror with Three Faces – VI. TellÕem What You See
12 – Auerbach – Piano Trio No. 2 Triptych – The Mirror with Three Faces – V. Folding – Postlude




Nathan Bickart Trio - Poem (March 28, 2018)


1. Ever Present
2. To You (unnamed)
3. Mustard Seed
4. 2 or 3
5. West Facing
6. Ode to (Swen)
7. The Land, My Love
8. OBC (oh, be sea)
9. Three Wells
10. Beauty Under Compression


Nathan Bickart (piano)
Owen Clapp (bass)
Michael Mitchell (drums)
Luis Salcedo (guitar, track 4)

'Ever Present' composed and published by Owen Clapp (ASCAP)
'2 or 3' composed by Luis Salcedo, published by Lusal (ASCAP)
All others composed by Nathan Bickart, published by Naebay Music (ASCAP)
Recorded at Tiny Telephone, San Francisco, by Adam Hirsch
Mixed at The Creek, Oakland, by Adam Hirsch
Mastered by Jacob Winik
Band photos by Nino Fernandez
Album design by Randolph Belle

(c) (p) 2018 Nathan Bickart. All rights reserved


The Messthetics - The Messthetics (DISCHORD RECORDS March 23, 2018)


The Messthetics are an instrumental trio featuring Brendan Canty (drums), Joe Lally (bass), and Anthony Pirog (guitar). 

Brendan Canty and Joe Lally were the rhythm section of the band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 to its period of hiatus in 2002. This is the first band they’ve had together since then. Anthony Pirog is a jazz and experimental guitarist based in Washington, D.C. One half of the duo Janel & Anthony, he has emerged as a primary figure in the city’s out-music community. 

The trio’s debut includes nine songs recorded at Canty’s practice space throughout 2017, live and mostly without overdubs. It’s a snapshot of a band dedicated to the live ideal, where structure gives birth to improvisation.


1. Mythomania 04:09
2. Serpent Tongue 04:00
3. Once Upon a Time 04:20
4. Quantum Path 05:10
5. Your Own World 01:05
6. The Inner Ocean 06:02
7. Radiation Fog 00:50
8. Crowds and Power 04:53
9. The Weaver 03:10

Brendan Canty - drums
Joe Lally - bass
Anthony Pirog - guitar

SHOWS

Apr 08
Birmingham, AL

Apr 13
Washington, DC

Apr 19
Hamden, CT

Apr 20
Brooklyn, NY

Apr 21
Kingston, NY

May 03
Cleveland, OH

May 05
Chicago, IL

May 08
Louisville, KY

May 13
Milwaukee, WI

May 14
Richmond, VA

Kamaal Williams - The Return (BLACK FOCUS RECORDS May 25, 2018)


The Return is a natural evolution from the Yussef Kamaal project, mining the influence of visionary jazz but blended with all kinds of texture, sounds and signals from the over-saturated London streets. 

Notable tracks for old and new listeners are ‘Salaam', 'Situations', 'Medina', 'LDN Shuffle' which features Mansur Brown (of Mansur's Message) and for those die hard Yussef Kamaal fans - they should hear the interpolated roots of 'Strings of Light' in the title track 'The Return’. And that signature Wu Funk can be heard on 'Broken Theme', and 'High Roller'. 

The Return will be the debut album released on Wu's new label Black Focus Records.

1. Salaam
2. Broken Theme
3. The Return
4. High Roller
5. Situations (Live in Milan)
6. Catch The Loop (Album Version)
7. Rhythm Commission
8. Medina
9. LDN Shuffle
10. Aisha

Kamaal Williams - Keys
Pete Martin - Bass
MckNasty - Drums
Richard Samuels - Engineer

Mastered by Guy Davie @ Electric


SHOWS

Mar 23
Bristol, UK

Mar 26
Cologne, Germany

Mar 28
Paris, France

Mar 29
Antwerp, Belgium

Mar 30
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Apr 01
Manchester, UK

May 17
Brighton, UK

May 26
Oostzaan, Netherlands

Oct 28
Frankfurt, Germany

Samuel Martinelli (feat. Claudio Roditi, Marcus McLaurine & Tomoko Ohno) - Crossing Paths (April 1, 2018)

Since the evening of November 21, 1962, when Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Sergio Mendes, and Oscar Castro-Neves, among other noted Brazilian musicians, introduced bossa nova to America at the landmark Carnegie Hall concert, Brazilian music became a part of American music. In particular, it worked its way into the jazz world. Among the American musicians on the roster at Carnegie Hall that evening were Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, and Lalo Schifrin. This now-historic concert marked the start of many great artistic collaborations between American artists and the Brazilian artists premiering their unique music that evening. 

Crossing Paths, a newly released album lead by Brazilian drummer Samuel Martinelli, updates and continues the tradition of this beautiful relationship between Brazilian music and jazz. The CD features six original compositions by Martinelli that successfully mix influences of both genres. It also includes two standards by two giants of American jazz: a Sonny Rollins song (“St. Thomas”) and a blues standard by Dizzy Gillespie (“Birks Works”). The presence of these compositions is a “tip of the hat” in tribute to these masters. 

For Crossing Paths, Martinelli invited some of the best New York City musicians who are clearly fluent in both jazz and Brazilian music styles. 

The multi‒Grammy nominated trumpet player Claudio Roditi, also born in Brazil, has been active on the international jazz scene since the early 1970s. Allmusic.com hails him as “… one of the very best performers in jazz.” Roditi has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Rouse, Paquito D’Rivera, McCoy Tyner, and Herbie Mann, among many others. He’s a world-recognized trumpet player and an icon of jazz and Brazilian music, with an extensive performance and teaching career literally embodying the spirit of the deep collaboration between both musical forms.


Marcus McLaurine is a well known bass player and professor at William Paterson University, in New Jersey. He accompanied the jazz legend Clark Terry as a bass player for nearly 25 years. McLaurine also played with the Count Basie Orchestra as well as some of the most respected big bands and musicians in the world. 

Tomoko Ohno is an award-winning pianist from Japan and has played with Slide Hampton, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band, James Moody, Frank Wess, Diva Orchestra, and many others. She lends her enormous artistry to this project. 

They all have in common a strong passion for jazz and the rhythms of Brazil, which resulted in this beautiful album.


1. Samba Echoes 07:00
2. Talking About Spring 06:39
3. Bob's Blues 07:28
4. St Thomas 06:08
5. A Gift for You 06:12
6. Birks' Works 06:48
7. Whispering Loud 04:59
8. Song for Carina 05:26

Claudio Roditi, trumpet  
Tomoko Ohno, piano
Marcus McLaurine, bass


Shalosh - Studio Konzert (180g Vinyl LIMITED EDITION) BAUER STUDIOS June 15, 2018


Shalosh (translated: three) is considered among connoisseurs as one of the most interesting young bands in the jazz scene. With more than a hundred concerts around the world, the trio has been causing a stir internationally since 2014 with its acoustic, progressive raw jazz.

Despite the classic jazz trio lineup (piano, bass, drums) and the deep roots of the musicians in jazz, Shalosh also treads paths between rock, classical, electro, African and Middle Eastern influences. The music is equally enchanting as it is moving, intense and soulful.

The live atmosphere in the studio, the enthusiastic audience and the legendary Steinway piano inspired the trio to new, energetic interpretations, even of works that they have played hundreds of times on tour.

"We believe it is a great moment in time and sincerely hope that you enjoy partaking in it."


Initiative H - Broken Land (BAUER STUDIOS May 18, 2018)


After the two critically acclaimed albums DEUS EX MACHINA and DARK WAVE, the French Big Band Initiative H is releasing a third opus, BROKEN LAND, modeled on Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite" or Moussorgsky's "Pictures of an Exhibition".

The origin of this suite is due to a climatological study. In this it is assumed that we have reached the "climatic point of no return" since 3 August 2017.


BROKEN LAND embodies the sound and visual soundtrack of this dark statement: a dark and imposing, but also fragile and intimate music that makes the listener fly into a dreamy road movie.

Far removed from fatalism, this album also creates a consciousness that conveys hope: fight not to resign. "BROKEN LAND" provides a new impetus - at the same time strong, sensitive and bright.

Founded in 2012 by David Haudrechy, Initiative H has embraced the ambitious challenge of creating dense, modern, passionate and cross-genre music (jazz, rock, electro, 20th-century music). The powerful sound of this 21st century orchestra is enlivened by the energy of a large collective project in which every single musician has his place. The interpretation is masterful, the commitment absolute and the listener is kidnapped by the telling power of this music. A musical adventure, human, urban, that makes Initiative H an inescapable asset in the renewal of French jazz.


The extraordinary crossover in his music becomes a lot more understandable when you know the special enthusiasm of saxophonist David Haudrechy for surfing, snowboarding and skating. The thrill, the slight shiver and the risk were sublimated by the director and composer of the Ensemble Initiative H, around the iconic image of the "Dark Wave".

David Haudrechy develops his own free musical language inspired by Berlioz and Moussorgski, as well as Gill Evans, Carla Bley, but also King Crimson and Arvo Pärt. Unexpectedly and paradoxically, the musical process in the "slalom" meanders between the collaboration with Médéric Collignon, Magic Malik or Emile Parisien, as well as various projects around music, contemporary dance, or even audiovisual productions.

1 Broken Land
2 Signes
3 The Point of No Return
4 Just Dust
5 Far West
6 Fun Kills
7 Failure
8 Trouble
9 Polaroid



featuring
La Lauzeta - vocals (tracks 1 & 9)

Notes from the Monkeyhaus! (NEW VELLE RECORDS)


Hello all!  We had a great time  at John Devore's factory, listening to some records on his incredible system last friday.  Thought we'd share some pictures, (that's Newvelle Band leaders, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison and Rufus Reid on the couch and Noah Preminger standing.) Thanks to everyone that made it out.  ©Anna Yatskevich