Charles Gayle remains a living embody and voice of the great African American tradition; his sincerity and intensity are recognized as unique and absolutely dazzling, live and on a recording. Each concert Gayle is the continuation of the great tradition that can still be called "free." However not in the sense of the "free jazz" some people still speak of. Gayles mastery of that tradition is confirmed on his solo and pianowork.
After being invited to Belgium by el NEGOCITO Records for the Citadelic Festival in 2012, the Italian drummer Giovanni Barcella (Marshall Allen, Arthur Doyle, Bobby Few, J.J. Avenel) organized three tours through Italy and Belgium, with the Italian double bass player Manolo Cabras. The meeting of minds was immediate, the musical coesion and respect for each another reason to keep on playing and releasing this live album.
"They'd stop to hear a song, but I'm not playing songs. What I hear is the traffic. Everybody in New York hears it, but it's really vivid in my head. Horns and children and birds, too – I hear them so clearly, they hit me so hard. The subway roar, the jackhammers. Not that they're so loud but they stay there. The trucks and the sirens and the screeching and the hollering and the brakes, all that jagged movement, the Arggghhhh!" Jean Claude Charles Gayle (US) about him playing on the streets of NY.
1. Chiaro sguardo
C. Gayle / G. Barcella / M. Cabras - 06:40
2. Tears
C. Gayle - 02:52
3. Di piccola taglia
C. Gayle / G. Barcella / M. Cabras - 09:36
4. Sempre
M. Cabras - 04:18
5. Dimmi
C. Gayle / G. Barcella / M. Cabras - 05:50
6. Steps
C. Gayle - 07:22
7. Tears (la parola chiara)
C. Gayle / G. Barcella / M. Cabras - 04:46
Recording, Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Manolo Cabras
Artwork & Photography: Dries Verstraete
Production: Rogé Verstraete & Giovanni Barcella
