New Jazz from Italy part 6 : Rara Avis - Mutations / Multicellulars Mutations [dEN Records]

Rara Avis:
Stefano Ferrian - soprano/tenor saxophone
Ken Vandermark - baritone/tenor saxophone, Bb clarinet
Simone Quatrana - piano
Luca Pissavini - double bass
SEC_ - revox tape recorder, instant sound treatment

dEN Records 2013

Blog's followers should already be famiar with the the names of Stefano Ferria, Simone Quatrana and Luca Pissavini (all three are playing in Ferrian's Nutimbre, Luca Pissavini appears as well on the Nido Workshop cd). I believe Ken Vandermark needs no introduction whatsoever to anyone even vaguely interested in improvised music. The same can't be said about band's electronic tinker SEC_ was only introduced to me through this cd (an group's concert in Alchemia last year). 

New Jazz from Italy part 5: N. Gerold, N. Guazzaloca, S. Giust - Transition [Setola di Maiale]

Nils Gerold - flute
Nicola Guazzaloca - piano
Stefano Giust - drums



Setola Di Maiale 2012

Another fine free improvised music trio from Bella Italia with Stefano Giust on drums (plays in a bit similar setting with MAGIMC), Nicola Guazzaloca on piano and Nils Gerold on flute. The last one is an instrument that rarely finds it's place in jazz music, amidst the muscular tones of saxophones its delicate tone can easily get lost. Obviously there are some luminous exceptions to that (Rahsaan Roland Kirk comes to mind immediately as well as Nicole Mitchell and, if bit less known, Mark Alban Lotz who appeared on the blog before).

Krakow Concert Schedule 31.03-06.04

After a very busy week (Remont Pomp with Mike Majkowski and Mikolaj Trzaska was exhilirating!), the following one is a bit more relaxing, no jazz, no improv, but still there's some musical fun to get.

03.04 Voo Voo i Trebunie Tutki at Forty Kleparz
I actually already announced this concert, it had to be rescheduled so he we go again - two groups coming from completely different backgrouds will pay tribute to the words of wisdom from the polish priest and philosopher Jozef Tischner.

Krakow Concert Schedule 24-30.03

A busy week ahead of us with a few difficult choices to make. Concerts that will make you laugh, chill out but a few challenging ones as well. Gather your strength. Spring has come.

25-26.03 Noontide at Piec'ART
A violin - bass - drums trio led by Piotr Poludniak, the bassplayer of PeGaPoFo quartet among others, featuring Bartosz Dworak on violin and Dominik Niewinski on drums. No samples available on the web for the pre-view but violin trios are unusual so this could get interesting.

26.03 Miazsz at Alchemia
Folk, comedy, reggae, rock, jazz - an infinite mix that's bound to make you smile. There few musical groups as honestly funny as Miąższ (no way I'll try to explaing how it's pronounced). The downside is half of the fun is hidden in the polish lyrics. But even english speakers only should enjoy the joyfuyll melodys and the abstract rhymes.

New Jazz from Italy part 4: Hanuman - Soundhousing [Leo Records]

Hanuman Jazz Quartet:
Fabio Martini - Eb, Bb and alto clarinets
Marco Franceschetti - tenor and soprano saxophones
Stefano Solani - double bass
Danilo Sala - drums, objects


Leo Records 2014

Leo Records continues its dedication to the italian jazz, examples of which have appeared already on the blog on multiple occasions. Hanuman Jazz Quartet was founded in 2009, a piano-less quartet with a bit unusual clarinet - saxophone frontline which I believe is responsible for the sound faithful to the very core of |the Italian spirit - the love of melody.

Krakow Concert Schedule 17-23.03

A diversified program for the next week with some modern jazz, free improv as well as rock and electronica. Choose as you like.

17-18.03 Anna Webber Percussive Mechanics at Piec'ART

Canadian flutist, sax player and composer Anna Webber has played with the likes of John Hollenbeck, Jason Moran or Tony Malaby. "Percussive Mechanics" is a project that outlines a complex structures and allows for a lot of playfulness with a rich instrumentation of two drum sets, bass, marimba, piano and two reeds (or reed and flute) on the frontline.

New Jazz from Italy part 3 - Gianni Mimmo & Daniel Levin [Amirani Records]

Gianni Mimmo - soprano saxophone
Daniel Levin - cello


co-produced by Amirani Records and Teriayki Records 2012

There are many ways to look at improvisation and many metaphorical ways to describe it. Like the similarities it presents to the art of pottery. Allow me to cite Bill Shoemaker's liner notes to the cd by Carnival Skin*:  "Artists who work with viscous materials like clay and grass are acutely aware of turbulence and how it may turn a potentially bold form into a worthless heap. They push the material right up to the line, allowing a smoothly flowing centrifugal force to do its thing without compromising the integrity of the material".

Krakow Concert Schedule 10-16.03

There's no shortage of good music coming in next week. Below a couple of suggesions to spend your evenings.

10.03 Jam Session at Harris Piano Jazz Bar
The monday session with Bartek Prucnal, Kuba Pluzek, Alan Wykpisz and Patryk Dobosz - alle well known to Krakow's jazz live music audience.

11.03 Dagadana at Piekny Pies
Dagadana is one of the most inspiring groups in the recent years to reinvent folk music. A polish-ucraine collaboration. Indie, electronica, pop, jazz and folk music all find their way into this duo's music which remains refinded and precious.

New Jazz from Italy part 2 - The Star Pillow [Setola Di Maiale]

The Star Pillow - The Beautiful Questions

Paolo Monti - electric guitars and electronics
Federico Gerini - acoustic grand piano


Setola Di Maiale / Taverna Records 2013

The Star Pillow is an example of how diverse improvised music can be. When one hears the term it usually brings to mind some kind of frenetic activity, with whole lot of going on in all the directions, fast lines, sudden changes, mind-boggling cascades of notes, emotional outbursts of expression. "The Beautiful Questions" are in many ways the opposite of all the above.

Three long improvisations are minimalist, filled with plenty of space, repetition. Patiently weaving the notes together, with subtle changes in the infinite loops. Spacious, meditative, peaceful quite hypnotic and charming. 

New Jazz from Italy part 1 - MAGIMC [Amirani Records]

I've dedicated recently a few posts to a new jazz music coming our way from Russia, thanks to the continuous dedication and commitment to great music presented by Leo Feign. 

Over the next few posts I'd like to present a some releases that I believe provide an insight into Italian free jazz/improvisation scene, whose input into the European free-jazz community is often overlooked. It might be argued that the romantic tradition of opera and belcanto provide a much better environment for lyrical, mainstream jazz. 

Think on other hand of Italian Instabile Orchestra or the entire catalogues of Soul Note or Black Lion labels. There's a lot of creative buzz going on in Italy these days, Leo Records is again one of the accomplices, but there are others as well. 

You can consult some previous posts presentind records released by Stefano Ferian's dEN label (Nido Workshop, Claudio Guida & Marcello Testa or Ferrian's Nutimbre), two rock-jazz oriented trios presented by Leo (Swedish Mobilia and Telegraph) and Andrea Bolzoni & Daniele Frati duo released by Setola di Maiale. All three of the lables mentioned above will appear in the cycle but let's start with a new one - Amiriani records directed by the saxophonist Gianni Mimmo.

MAGIMC - Polishing The Mirror

Edoardo Marraffa - tenor sax, sopranino sax
Thollem McDonas - piano
Stefano Giust - drums, cymbals, objects

Amirani Records 2012

Amiriani records is directed by Gianni Mimmo and claims one of it it's artistic goals to create projects that will cross national and artistic boundaries. MAGICMC is a fine example, a trio featuring italian sax player Edoardo Marraffa and the drummer Stefano Giust alongside american pianist Thollem McDonas, for a series of spirited improvisations.

Krakow Concert Schedule 03-09.03

You can lay low the first few days and gather your strengths because the latter half of the week is pretty much a concert mini-marathon with a two difficult choices to be made for the days 05 and 09.

05.03 Low Roar and JOGA at Alchemia
For something completely different. Low Roar is a solo project by Ryan Karazij, an American living in Iceland, the music is hypnotic, touching and very personal. Emotional but never oversweet.

Low Roar will be supported by Joga, a polish duet, inspired by the scandinavian, adding a soulful, personal touch to it.

Waclaw Zimpel Quartet - Stone Fog [For Tune]

Waclaw Zimpel - clarinets
Krzysztof Dys - piano
Christian Ramond - double bass
Klaus Kugel - drums






For Tune 2013

Waclaw Zimpel has appeared on this blog a handful of times already (most recently with the Hera XL "Seven Lines"), the fact, in my ears remain very simple - every single project Zimpel dedicates himself to is an artistic success, there's a vision behind every single one of them, a specific between preparation and spontaneity, between passion and thought, and the results continue to be spot on. 

Daunik Lauzro / Joelle Leandre - Hasparren [No Business]

Daunik Lazro - baritone sax
Joelle Leandre - double bass, voice






No Business Records 2013

This is one for those who love low tones and deep timbres. Baritone sax and double bass in the hands of Daunik Lazro and Joelle Leandre sound like a meeting of two soulmates. The two has played together, in various settings, for over 30 years now.

Krakow Concert Schedule 24.02-02.03

Slow start this week but once again, as weekend comes, there's abundance of choices and a certain headache for those torn between them.

27.02 The Silver Owls, Dżindżer Project, By Proxy at Alchemia
The shared initiative by the Krakowska Scena Muzyczna (association that promotes Krakow based bands) and students from the Culture Managament department, three completely different bands put together, dream-americana by The Silver Owls, groovy and smooth Dzindzer projekt and heavy electronica by By Proxy. Everyone should find something to his liking.

Raphael Roginski and Polish New Jewish Music part 2 - Shofar [Kilogram Records] and Sisters [Multikulti]

Shofar - Ha-Huncvot

Mikolaj Trzaska - alto saxophone, bass clarinet

Raphael Roginski - guitar

Macio Moretti - drums

 Kilogram Records 2013

That's the band it all begun with. "Shofar" (Kilogram Records 2007) was a deep dive into heritage that seemed to be completely lost at the moment. A journey to the past in order to understand's one identity and roots. It turned out that that music, it's feeling lives deep inside the three musicians and many others that followed on trying to explore the tradition of hasidic music with the contemporary context. (the topic appears few times in the interview with Mikolaj Trzaska)