GleAM Records is proud to announce the release of Elevating Jazz Music Vol. 1, the recording debut of the
Emilian saxophonist Daniele Nasi and his BSDE 4tet, available on CD and digital download / streaming from
Elevating Jazz Music Vol. 1
We play Elevating music, not Elevator music, quoting a phrase by Eminem on Rap God. By doing so, we try to emphasize the social and communicative aspects of music, too often put aside to favor the so-called usability.
The album presents itself as a collection of stories about recent events, less-recent ones, and what’s going on right now. Some serious, some not so serious, our dialogues want to encourage reflection on different aspects of the world around us, depicting the feelings evoked by them.
The open-ended writing style of the compositions was conceived with a specific sound in mind, which led to the founding of the BSDE 4tet. At the same time, it leaves space for interaction among all who participate, so the personal and expressive contribution of both musicians and audience become essential. Interplay and a collective sound are aspects that the band feels very strongly about, to the point that the album was recorded the "old-fashioned way", in a single room and without headphones or double-glazing to separate the vibrations of the instruments.
The album begins with T.R.i.P., dedicated to a missing person. A physical and metaphysical journey that explores the contrasting emotions triggered by the events and the memories linked to this person, in a time frame that re-initiates at each conclusion.
Drowning in Guilt was written in response to an episode that occurred 8 years ago, but linked to a theme that remains terribly relevant, that of migrations. More specifically it addresses the Mediterranean Sea, where too often the hopes of many migrants, who have embarked on a desperate journey, are cut short. The tune seeks to evoke those moments, the depths of an unforgiving sea, a drowning in guilt. Dedicated to the 268 people who lost their lives on October 11, 2013, while Italy was trying to bounce to Malta the responsibility of sending aid.
Waltz for Palestine is dedicated to the Palestinian people, to those who have to endure a compromised daily life, a condition that has been going on for too many years. Mahmoud Darwish's poem, "I Have A Seat In The Abandoned Theater", perfectly describes the feeling we have when confronted with these situations as spectators; but to what extent are we mere spectators? Who is the author? What was the beginning like? “So peremptorily did these shades beckon him, that each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding [...]”. Callin', inspired by Colin Stetson's music.
Water Eyes is a ballad, inspired by the story in "Memoirs of a Geisha". In this tune, every blow, every breath seek a sound belonging to a floating world, with its ethereal beauty and somber secrets.
The foundation of the BSDE project took place in Groningen (NL), where the pianist and the sax player undertook part of their studies. Here they both had the opportunity to play and study with many musicians from the Balkan area, where a lot of folk music is based on claves in odd time signatures. 7 is the new 5 is inspired by this tradition, trying to turn a complex rhythm into something simple, a dance.
Ban Orban or Ban our Band is not meant to be just a tongue twister, but a critique to that homophobic strand still present in the European Union. In the tune the words of Katalin Cseh, Member of the European Parliament, illustrate part of the problem, the music the rest of it.
The album wraps up with a track that is meant to be a homage to the jazz tradition and the giants of the past, with a touch o f BSDDE 4 tettouch of BSDE, The Tapping Changes.
1. T.R.i.P. 7:39
2. Drowning in Guilt 11:26
3. Waltz for Palestine 10:40
4. Callin’ 13:07
5. Water-eyes 7:50
6. 7 is the new 5 8:56
7. Ban Orban or Ban our Band 12:03
8. The Tapping Changes 5.22
Daniele Nasi - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone
Jung Taek "JT" Hwang - Piano, Moog & Fender Rhodes
Giacomo Marzi – Double-bass
Andrea Bruzzone – Drums
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered on July 2021 at Sonic Temple Studio, Parma (Italy)
Sound Engineer: Domenico Vigliotti
Artwork: Ike Edgerton
Graphic: Studioclessidra.it
Produced by GleAM Records
Printed in Italy 2022
EAN 8059018220070
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