BSDE 4tet, led by Saxophonist Daniele Nasi, will release his debut album Elavating Jazz Music Vol. 1 On February 25th 2022 via GleAM Records

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

February 25th 2022.

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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Fabio de Angelis - Third Wave (January 28, 2022 GleAM Records)

Third Wave is a snapshot of the musical universe of the versatile musician and composer from Vicenza. His music shows an opening towards the demands of contemporaneity but also a profound respect for jazz tradition, whose linguistic codes he has studied for a long time. On the one hand the writing and on the other the interpretation of the songs and standards. The common thread that binds these two expressive instances is the 50’s and 60’s jazz tradition, an obsession that crosses the "third phase" of the drummer's stylistic exploration and to which he consecrates this first record.

In this straight-ahead approach, however, there are several elements of freshness. The approach to sound, the metric modulations, the skilful use of dynamics frame the album within a contemporary post-bop where the clarity and balance of the rhythm section are flanked by the harmonic choices and improvisations of the soloists, closer to a controlled modernity. On the guitar we have Luca De Toni, a stable collaborator of the drummer in several projects. Graduated from the Berklee in Boston he had the opportunity to grow with the greatest masters of contemporary jazz. His way of playing gives, in fact, a modern look to the music through an iridescent harmonic spectrum in which the most orthodox solutions coexist and blend with the novelties of contemporary jazz. On tenor saxophone Robert Bonisolo, a musician who needs no introduction. 

Virtuoso of his own instrument, he is stylistically a coltranian, able to reconcile the lessons of saxophonists such as Michael Brecker and Bob Berg with the sound of Dexter Gordon. His meeting with the leader dates back to 2020 and gave rise to a musical collaboration that culminated in the realization of this project. On the double bass Ares Tavolazzi, a musician with a full sound, with a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition but who has explored other musical universes in his career thus reaching a personal synthesis that makes the sound very recognizable. In short, a true master.

The album opens with Tribulacao, a song with a Latin mood and a modal sound with a narrative structure rich in dinamics. De Angelis tells us about it: “The piece is dedicated to my partner Chiara. I tried to photograph a difficult period of his life which, after various tribulations, ended with a certain serenity ”.

Boplicity is an iconic piece of the cool period born from the pen of Miles Davis (who signs himself with the pseudonym of Cleo Henry) and Gil Evans. The leader subjects the theme to rhythmic variations that slightly change the flow thanks also to his underlining with the brushes. The general approach remains a swing medium with solid and relentless accompaniment, a terrain for energetic improvisations by soloists.

Lake Zurich is the only song written by the guitarist, a jazz waltz that strikes for its depth and melancholy. Perfect to tell the loneliness and drama of this historical period that struck us. Beatrice is a wonderful song written by Sam Rivers, fourth track of the disc. De Angelis tells us: "It is the first thing we all played in the studio together, and I decided to keep it. It is a wonderful piece that I never tire of playing even after years ".

Diamond Boy is a song with an introspective atmosphere, with a Shorterian atmosphere and a nocturnal melody. The leader's drumming differs here from the other tracks by revealing a free approach to mood even 8th which contains the best examples of contemporary drumming from Jorge Rossy to Brian Blade.The drummer describes it like this: “it's a song dedicated to my brother. The A was written straight away. B, on the other hand, had a longer gestation. I try to tell the adolescent phase of a person who reaches maturity by making important and difficult choices "

The sixth track is a famous Italian song by Gino Paoli, Senza Fine. The drummer's arrangement brings the song to a more pressing jazz waltz than the original, declined in the present, with an atmosphere devoid of sentimentality where the outside phrasing of Bonisolo and the punctual and dark comping of the guitarist stand out.

Third Wave is the title track of the album. An energetic and assertive piece in which a hard-bop legacy clearly emerges linked to the harmonic world of the first Coltrane and its use of short and incisive motivic cells. The author talks about it like this: "Third Wave was written during the third wave. It is a song that I have played in various contexts and in various ways. It is certainly the one that tells the most about my phase linked to tradition”.

The album ends with the famous Just in Time standard. The author describes his intentions as follows: "It is a standard linked to tradition that I have always liked for its melody. A song that I wanted to record in this way because I wanted a moment in which to play alone with Robert without any accompaniment, bringing out that slightly more aggressive vein that we both have ”.

1 Tribulaçao (F. De Angelis) 4.48

2 Boplicity (C. Henry, G. Evans) 5.27

3 Lake Zurich (L. De Toni) 8.18

4 Beatrice (S. Rivers) 5.27

5 Diamond Boy (F. De Angelis) 8.52

6 Senza Fine (G. Paoli) 6.56

7 Third Wave (F. De Angelis 4.30

8 Just in Time (J. Styne, B. Comden, A. Green) 3.01

Total 47.19

Robert Bonisolo – Tenor Saxophone

Luca De Toni - Guitar

Ares Tavolazzi – Double-bass

Fabio De Angelis - Drums

Recorded, Mixed & Mastered on August 2021 at Digitubestudio, Mantova – Italy

Sound Engineer: Carlo Cantini

Artwork: Simone De Angelis

Graphic:  Studioclessidra.it 

Produced by GleAM Records 

Printed in Italy 2022

GleAM Records

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MOBA: The New Project of Angelo Mastronardi out on May 14, 2021 (GleAM Records)

GleAM Records is proud to announce the release of M.O.B.A.,the new musical project by producer and pianist Angelo Mastronardi, available on CD and digital download / streaming from 14 May 2021.

In this new work, pianist and producer Angelo Mastronardi seeks a new balance between the interaction of the piano trio formed by Paolo Romano(electric bass), Gianluca Aceto(semi-acoustic bass) andPaolo Colazzo(drums) and the tonal possibilities offered. by electric instruments and synthesizers, played by the leader Angelo Mastronardi (piano, fender rhodes & synth) and by the beatmaker Bonbooze(synth & drum machine), together with the winds played by Emanuele Coluccia(alto and tenor saxophone) and by Marco Gianfreda (trumpet).

The pianist starts from seven of his compositions and involves the musicians in a process of sharing ideas and arrangements. The result is a music that perfectly blends writing and extemporaneousness. A research that goes further to redesign the idea of ​​structure and bring together different languages ​​in a new form. Ultimately an aesthetic manifesto of the GleAM label and its more transversal editorial line.

1. Here and Now

2. GleAM

3. Beyond Sight

4. From Z to A

5. No Walls

6.Far is Around The Corner

7. Know The Way

8. Five Drops

9. River

Angelo Mastronardi - piano, fender rhodes, synth

Emanuele Coluccia – alto sax (track 2,5,7), tenor sax (track 5)

Marco Gianfreda - trumpet (track 2)

Bonbooze – synth (1,2,4,5,7) drum machine (track 1)

Paolo Romano – electric bass (tracks 4, 5, 6, 8)

Gianluca Aceto – semi-acoustic bass (track 2)

Paolo Colazzo – drums & percussion (all tracks except track 1)

Recorded on november 2020 at GleAM Studio (Lecce)

Mixed & Mastered on dicember 2020 at MDLab Studio Lecce

Sound Engineer: Marco D’Agostinis

Produced by GleAM Records

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Daniele Germani - A Congregation of Folks (March 26, 2021 GleAM Records)

“Daniele Germani’s first recorded document of his music as a leader is full of soulful, personal expression.  I was captured by Daniele’s sweet sound and his quartets wonderful collective spirit and creative dialog throughout.” – GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano

"As a composer, Germani has a vision, keeps on task and adds some surprises. As an instrumentalist, his tone is true and unselfconscious. A very beautiful compilation of fresh new music" – Debbie Burke, Jazz Author)

A Congregation of Folks is the debut album from saxophonist and composer Daniele Germani and his quartet.

GleAM Records is proud to announce the release of A Congregation of Folks, the striking debut from auspicious newcomer Daniele Germani. Congregation of Folks introduces a riveting and spirited voice on the alto saxophone, and an intriguing, unique composer. Ten modern jazz compositions, all penned by Germani, beautifully come to life with the help of his tight-knit quartet consisting of pianist Justin Salisbury, bassist Giuseppe Cucchiara and drummer Jongkuk Kim. A Congregation of Folks will be available on CD and digital download/stream on March 26, 2021.

Originally from the Frosinone region of Italy but based in Brooklyn, NY, Daniele Germani is a fast-rising star on the contemporary New York jazz scene. A graduate of the Conservatory of Frosinone, Germani moved to Boston in 2013 when he was offered a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. While there, he was admitted to Danilo Perez’s prestigious Berklee Global Jazz Institute, where he studied under the tutelage of Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano, and his mentor, George Garzone.

His revelatory experiences in the classroom were rivaled only by those on the bandstand, most frequently that of Wally’s Jazz Cafe, the legendary jazz club where Germani cut his teeth. Known as the “training ground” for local and rising musicians, performing at Wally’s became a regular occurrence for Germani; eventually he was performing there 2-3 times weekly as a sideman and with his own groups. A shifting “congregation of folks” from all parts of the world would join Germani night after night at the storied venue. Wally’s played a vital role in Germani’s musical and personal development, and much of the club’s vibrant and inspiring spirit is captured on this recorded debut. “Wally’s was the place where we dreamt with our eyes open,” Germani describes.

Early on during his time in Boston, Germani linked up with fellow Italian bassist Giuseppe Cucchiara, South Korean drummer Jongkuk Kim and Oregon-born pianist Justin Salisbury. They immediately clicked, and went on to form a tight knit group that developed into a meaningful friendship and musical partnership. They performed frequently in Boston – at Wally’s and in assorted ensembles at Berklee – and they remained a unit through their graduation and subsequent move to New York City in 2017. Since then, they have continued to perform together, as well as build successful independent careers on their own, each ascending to “first call” status among their talented peers.

Germani took on a personal challenge in 2019 at the behest of his good friend and frequent collaborator Leo Genovese. “Leo is a brilliant composer and each of his songs are more beautiful than the last,” says Germani. Inspired by Genovese’s trove of jaw-dropping compositions, Germani challenged himself to write one song a day. “My goal was to be present in the moment when writing songs… I followed the flow of the moment, and my approach to writing changed depending on what happened that day. I wanted to be surprised by my own creations.” To date, Germani has written over 450 songs. Two of them appear on Leave It Blank For Now; Germani’s 2020 Chant Records release with Genovese, his Wally’s bandmate Boni, stalwart bassist Francesco Marcocci and once again, Kim – ten others are featured on this stunning debut.

On A Congregation of Folks, Germani takes listeners on an expansive emotional journey that ranges from joyous and raucous to pensive and inquiring. Highlights include the high energy opener “They Move In On The Action” which gives way to the lyrical “One Moment to Moment”, a lovely showcase for Salisbury. Another standout is the meditative title track which opens with a gorgeous saxophone solo intro “meant to call beloved folks together”. This track was inspired by the album’s front cover: his parents’ wedding picture with Germani and his band digitally superimposed in the shot, bringing everyone together. “No Clouds in the Air” is a contemplative exploration that kicks off with a heavy drone, haunted and prescient, while Germani and his band duel in tones, creating a rich tapestry of sound. “You Won’t Find A Better Listener” is joyous and musical conversation between Germani and Salisbury, likened to “the best late- night conversation, full effervescence and depth.”

Daniele Germani is thrilled to unleash A Congregation of Folks into the world, and hopes that his music can help bring people together during an ever-perilous time. With the release of his debut, Germani welcomes you into his congregation of folks.

1. They Move in on The Action

2. One Moment to Moment

3. The Capitalist Creed

4. A Congregation of Folks

5. Half Believe It

6. In The Field of Unconscious

7. Ers Luz Variation

8. Eres Luz

9. But It Doesn't Mean It's Danger-free

10. No Clouds in The Air

11. Salisbury Introduces ILWFBL

12. You Like Won't Find A Better Listener

13. Farewall (A Congregation of Folks)

Daniele Germani - Alto Sax

Justin Salisbury - Piano

Giuseppe Cucchiara - Doublebass

Jongkuk Kim - Drums

Recorded at Bacque Recording Studio (NY) by Luis Bacquè

Mixed & Mastered at Sear Sound (NY) by Grammy Winner Jeremy Loucas

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