“Knots and Notes” tie generations
In Giancarlo Tossani’s new album, out now on Auand
The Italian pianist leads his band Big Monitors
A lively dialogue with young artists and a tribute to William Parker
Giancarlo Tossani
Halfway between music investigation and sociological experiment, Giancarlo Tossani's new album on Auand Records aims at putting together different generations and have them face the vast repertoire of such a multifaceted free jazz name as double bass player William Parker.
Generated by curiosity and connections (and also disconnections) between human beings belonging to different worlds, “Knots and Notes” showcases the talent of Big Monitors, a quintet led by Tossani and featuring Gabriele Mitelli (pocket trumpet, alto flugelhorn, synths), Tobia “Bobby” Bondesan (alto sax), Michele Bondesan (double bass), Andrea Grillini (drums), and a special appearance by the teenager singer Amanda Noelia Roberts (vocals on two tracks).
«We had this idea – Tossani recalls – when Michele Bondesan suggested some William Parker tunes for a live show we had scheduled. I was not a connoisseur of his vast and varied art, but I was intrigued by that: I belong to the William Parker generation, but Michele is in his twenties. When experiencing that music, what will his young generation listen to and relate to, compared to me and my musical and personal background, which belongs to different decades? This is not just a tribute, even if appropriate. It’s also a reflection on legacy and changes, repetition and difference».
William Parker’s multifaceted and huge talent, expressed through music, poetry and many other art forms, becomes the common thread in this album, embracing distant points in time. «In jazz music – the pianist says – notes are played at the same time, and they are tied together, bonded, much like the different generations connecting their languages. When I pick a musician, it’s always a matter of friendship, similarity, and fellowship. The prep work and the final edits are mine here, but I usually leave some blank space for my fellow musicians to fill when we’re working on it – I’m always surprised by the outcome. Tobia Bondesan has even come up with two themes on some of my outlines.» This is how tracks are tied together too, such as “Hunk Pappa (W. Parker) + Junk Meal”, which highlights puns and assonances of two compositions that can be paired «by affinity and change in direction.»
01 Slipped
02 In Order To Survive
03 Binding
04 Hunk Pappa Blues Junk Meal
05 Dream Flag
06 Sennit
07 Old Tears Fall Down
08 Lashing
09 Autumn Leaves Vermeer
10 Mr Reeve
11 Whipping
12 ONeals Porch
13 Hitch
Tobia Bondesan alto sax
Gabriele Mitelli pocket trumpet, alto flugelhorn, synths
Giancarlo Tossani piano, wurlitzer, virtual synths
Michele Bondesan double bass
Andrea Grillini drums
feat. Amanda Noelia Roberts voice (07, 09), lyrics (09)
Recorded and mixed at Ritmo&Blu Recording Studio,
Pozzolengo (BS) Italy on November 26-27, 2019 by Stefano Castagna
Mastered at New Mastering, Milano Italy on April 30, 2020 by Maurizio Giannotti
Produced by Giancarlo Tossani
Executive producer: Marco Valente
