Archivio mensile:Maggio 2008

Smoke Inside – All About Jazz California / Chicago

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I’ve got this ringing in my ears! That’s electric jazz, son; trust me, it’s good for you.

Italian saxophonist Daniele Cavallanti, best known for his work in Nexus and the Italian Instabile Orchestra with drummer Tiziano Tononi, assembled this Electric Unit not to play fusion, but the electric music handed down by founding fathers Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Al Foster, Steve Grossman, John McLaughlin, Dave Liebman and others.

Cavallanti’s mission on Smoke Inside is accomplished with the aforementioned help of Tononi, plus the guitar of U.S. west coast hero Nels Cline. From the opener “Cline’s Line,” the guitar introduces a funk groove with Giovanni Maier’s bass and the power-jam of the drummer. Cline and Cavallanti trade licks in this healthy anthem.

A tribute to the recently deceased saxophonist Dewey Redman, “Moods for Dewey” finds a relaxed groove swept by the very large sound of Cavallanti’s saxophone. He plays sans self-consciousness, not unlike Sonny Fortune. Cline is featured on one of his otherworldly guitar flights on “Fabrizio’s Mood.” Backed by the whirling Tononi and Maier, he rips, tears and crunches as introduction to some outward playing by Cavallanti and the keyboardist Ivano Borgazzi. The lengthiest track, a nearly twenty-minute “Ahimsa,” rings of an early Wayne Shorter/Joe Zawinul vibe.

The slow-walking blues of “Go on Moses” ends the disc. A certain crowd pleaser, the band evokes an old-time organ sound behind the guitar/saxophone sign-off. It is, indeed, good for youI’ve got this ringing in my ears! That’s electric jazz, son; trust me, it’s good for you.

Italian saxophonist Daniele Cavallanti, best known for his work in Nexus and the Italian Instabile Orchestra with drummer Tiziano Tononi, assembled this Electric Unit not to play fusion, but the electric music handed down by founding fathers Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Al Foster, Steve Grossman, John McLaughlin, Dave Liebman and others.

Cavallanti’s mission on Smoke Inside is accomplished with the aforementioned help of Tononi, plus the guitar of U.S. west coast hero Nels Cline. From the opener “Cline’s Line,” the guitar introduces a funk groove with Giovanni Maier’s bass and the power-jam of the drummer. Cline and Cavallanti trade licks in this healthy anthem.

A tribute to the recently deceased saxophonist Dewey Redman, “Moods for Dewey” finds a relaxed groove swept by the very large sound of Cavallanti’s saxophone. He plays sans self-consciousness, not unlike Sonny Fortune. Cline is featured on one of his otherworldly guitar flights on “Fabrizio’s Mood.” Backed by the whirling Tononi and Maier, he rips, tears and crunches as introduction to some outward playing by Cavallanti and the keyboardist Ivano Borgazzi. The lengthiest track, a nearly twenty-minute “Ahimsa,” rings of an early Wayne Shorter/Joe Zawinul vibe.

The slow-walking blues of “Go on Moses” ends the disc. A certain crowd pleaser, the band evokes an old-time organ sound behind the guitar/saxophone sign-off. It is, indeed, good for you

Smoke Inside – Landmark

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Jazz fans everywhere will dig “Smoke Inside” by Daniele Cavallanti. This is a foray into the Electric side of Mr. Cavallanti with some old favorites reworked as well as some brand new compositions. The disk starts off strong with a track called Cline’s line, which is like a listening experience onto itself. Starting with Guitar shortly joined by sax the song breaks into a full on romp at about 2min 45sec. then at around 3:15 it breaks down and the real fun just begins. Very cool. Daniele Cavallanti plays Tenor and Baritone Saxophone with strength and authority as he leads a fantastic band through six tracks. Nels Cline does amazing work on Guitar
throughout the disk and is supported by Tiziano Tononi on drums and a marvelous percussionist named Pacho. Giovanni Maier is heaping coal on the fire with controlled aggression on stand up as well as pushing hard with his electric bass when called on. His electric work on “Moods for Dewey” was especially pleasing to me. Simone Massaron makes an exceptional contribution on that track as well playing the Baritone Electric Guitar and his choice of Fretless Electric Guitar on “Lonesome drive” is an unexpected treat. Throw in the thoughtful and tasteful playing of Ivano Borgazzi on Fender Rhodes and Keys and you get a disk that is musically on the move while always maintaining the highest quality of production and creative musicianship. “Smoke Inside”is apply named. This group caught fire on this disk.Jazz fans everywhere will dig “Smoke Inside” by Daniele Cavallanti. This is a foray into the Electric side of Mr. Cavallanti with some old favorites reworked as well as some brand new compositions. The disk starts off strong with a track called Cline’s line, which is like a listening experience onto itself. Starting with Guitar shortly joined by sax the song breaks into a full on romp at about 2min 45sec. then at around 3:15 it breaks down and the real fun just begins. Very cool. Daniele Cavallanti plays Tenor and Baritone Saxophone with strength and authority as he leads a fantastic band through six tracks. Nels Cline does amazing work on Guitar
throughout the disk and is supported by Tiziano Tononi on drums and a marvelous percussionist named Pacho. Giovanni Maier is heaping coal on the fire with controlled aggression on stand up as well as pushing hard with his electric bass when called on. His electric work on “Moods for Dewey” was especially pleasing to me. Simone Massaron makes an exceptional contribution on that track as well playing the Baritone Electric Guitar and his choice of Fretless Electric Guitar on “Lonesome drive” is an unexpected treat. Throw in the thoughtful and tasteful playing of Ivano Borgazzi on Fender Rhodes and Keys and you get a disk that is musically on the move while always maintaining the highest quality of production and creative musicianship. “Smoke Inside”is apply named. This group caught fire on this disk.

Smoke Inside – All About Jazz New York

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As a sideman, Cline is no less adventurous. His guitar snakes through the opening silence of Daniele Cavallanti’s Smoke Inside, before the leader’s smoky tenor gives chase. “Cline’s Line” is a fusion anthem, complete with spacey Rhodes, electric bass and pulsing rock beat. After the band enters, Cline cuts a jagged course, sparring briefly with Cavallanti before taking the lead all the way to the finish. Smoke Inside “is electric jazz: pre-fusion… pre-crappy,” says Cline of Cavallanti’s “Electric Unit”. The vibe is old school, but the playing is distinctly modern. Cavallanti positively burns on “Moods for Dewey”, driven by Cline and the relentless groove of drummer Pacho. The intensity rarely wanes through the album’s six tracks and Cavallanti’s “Electric Unit” shows the potential of jazz-rock in capable hands.As a sideman, Cline is no less adventurous. His guitar snakes through the opening silence of Daniele Cavallanti’s Smoke Inside, before the leader’s smoky tenor gives chase. “Cline’s Line” is a fusion anthem, complete with spacey Rhodes, electric bass and pulsing rock beat. After the band enters, Cline cuts a jagged course, sparring briefly with Cavallanti before taking the lead all the way to the finish. Smoke Inside “is electric jazz: pre-fusion… pre-crappy,” says Cline of Cavallanti’s “Electric Unit”. The vibe is old school, but the playing is distinctly modern. Cavallanti positively burns on “Moods for Dewey”, driven by Cline and the relentless groove of drummer Pacho. The intensity rarely wanes through the album’s six tracks and Cavallanti’s “Electric Unit” shows the potential of jazz-rock in capable hands.

Smoke Inside – Downtown Music Gallery

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Featuring Daniele Cavallanti on tenor & bari saxes, Nels Cline on electric guitar, Simone Massaron on electric guitars (3 tracks), Ivano Borgazzi on Fender Rhodes & electric keyboards, Giovanni Maier on basses, Pacho on percussion and Tiziano Tononi on drums. Danile Cavallanti’s tenor sax should be familiar to anyone who’s ever listened to Italian Instabile or Nexus orchestras. Besides guitar god, Nels Cline, the only other fellow here that recognize is their drummer, Tiziano Tononi, who has done three great tribute discs for Coltrane, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman and whose bands have included Cavallanti and Maier from this project. Daniele composed or co-composed five of the six songs here, with one by bandmember Massaron. “Cline’s Line” opens with an intense, jazz/rock power trio featuring Nels, but soon gets into a great, somewhat funky groove with Giovnni’s acoustic bass buzzing quickly as Simone plays some fine wah-wah electric piano. A bit Weather Report-like, from their early days. “Ahimsa/The Long Song Blues” has a superb, freer electric Miles-like vibe, with a fine laid-back tenor solo from Daniele and great electric piano sizzling underneath. “Moods for Dewey” was written for the late Dewey Redman many years back, long before his recent passing. That sly melody is infectious and both guitarists swirl layers of lines underneath the sax solo and Nels taking an amazing jazz guitar solo. In many ways this disc is reminiscent of the better electric jazz or fusion records of the seventies without many of the cliches and the sax as the central soloist on much of this. Both guitars and electric piano do a great deal of weaving their note around one another and creating sumptuous moods. The player that often stands out here besides Nels is contabassist, Giovanni Maier, who consistently spins a web of dynamic acoustic bass creativity. Nels takes one those “Holy shit!” guitar solos on “Fabrizio’s Mood” as Tiziano’s powerful drums and Daniele’s smokin’ sax answer the call. We never know where our next gem will come from, but this week it is from somewhere in Italy. – BLGFeaturing Daniele Cavallanti on tenor & bari saxes, Nels Cline on electric guitar, Simone Massaron on electric guitars (3 tracks), Ivano Borgazzi on Fender Rhodes & electric keyboards, Giovanni Maier on basses, Pacho on percussion and Tiziano Tononi on drums. Danile Cavallanti’s tenor sax should be familiar to anyone who’s ever listened to Italian Instabile or Nexus orchestras. Besides guitar god, Nels Cline, the only other fellow here that recognize is their drummer, Tiziano Tononi, who has done three great tribute discs for Coltrane, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman and whose bands have included Cavallanti and Maier from this project. Daniele composed or co-composed five of the six songs here, with one by bandmember Massaron. “Cline’s Line” opens with an intense, jazz/rock power trio featuring Nels, but soon gets into a great, somewhat funky groove with Giovnni’s acoustic bass buzzing quickly as Simone plays some fine wah-wah electric piano. A bit Weather Report-like, from their early days. “Ahimsa/The Long Song Blues” has a superb, freer electric Miles-like vibe, with a fine laid-back tenor solo from Daniele and great electric piano sizzling underneath. “Moods for Dewey” was written for the late Dewey Redman many years back, long before his recent passing. That sly melody is infectious and both guitarists swirl layers of lines underneath the sax solo and Nels taking an amazing jazz guitar solo. In many ways this disc is reminiscent of the better electric jazz or fusion records of the seventies without many of the cliches and the sax as the central soloist on much of this. Both guitars and electric piano do a great deal of weaving their note around one another and creating sumptuous moods. The player that often stands out here besides Nels is contabassist, Giovanni Maier, who consistently spins a web of dynamic acoustic bass creativity. Nels takes one those “Holy shit!” guitar solos on “Fabrizio’s Mood” as Tiziano’s powerful drums and Daniele’s smokin’ sax answer the call. We never know where our next gem will come from, but this week it is from somewhere in Italy. – BLG

Zeno De Rossi

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Nasce a Verona nell’anno del cane il 9 Elul 5730 nel segno della vergine. Era un giovedì. L’arrivo fu evidentemente devastante, il giorno dopo un tornado colpisce la città di Venezia e causa 30 vittime, otto giorni dopo il celebre chitarrista e cantante Jimi Hendrix viene trovato morto a Londra in una camera d’albergo (il Samarkland Hotel). Lo seguiranno presto la cantante Janis Joplin ed il sassofonista Albert Ayler, ripescato nell’East River a New York. Quello fu anche l’anno però della partita del secolo, la ormai leggendaria Italia – Germania 4 a 3 che il nostro segue immerso nel liquido amniotico. Poco prima le isole Tonga, già protettorato britannico, ottengono la piena indipendenza, I Beatles si sciolgono ed il Cagliari vince lo scudetto.
Cresce serenamente ricoprendo il ruolo di portiere per poi passare alla batteria. In effetti il passo è più breve di quel che si pensi, entrambi I ruoli sono fondamentali, oltrettutto offrono la medesima visuale del gioco. Il suo stile in effetti si può definire una sintesi tra Shelly Manne ed Ivano Bordon.
Vive leggermente al di sopra delle sue possibilità tra Napoli e Berlino in pratica a Verona. Zeno de Rossi was born in Verona, Italy in the year of the dog on Elul 9, 5730 under the sign of virgo. It was a thursday.

Zeno plays drums in the following bands: SULTRY, SHTIK, KRIMINAL MUSEUM, MESHUGE KLEZMER BAND, ROPE, FULL METAL KLEZMER, WERGELD, MICKEY FINN, HENRY TAYLOR, GALLO AND THE ROOSTERS, ENRICO TERRAGNOLI ORCHESTRA VERTICAL, FRANCO D’ANDREA NEW QUARTET/NEW ELEVEN/FIVE, VINICIO CAPOSSELA, JESSICA LURIE TIGER TIGER, ALFONSO SANTIMONE LASER PIGS, GUANO PADANO, HOUDINI’s CAGE, EL GALLO ROJO, FRANCESCO BEARZATTI TINISSIMA, GIOVANNI MAIER TECHNICOLOR a.o.

His stylistic versatility have been featured with Chris Speed, Cuong Vu, Briggan Krauss, Anthony Coleman, Josh Roseman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Ben Street, Jay Rodriguez, Jamie Saft, Ted Reichman, Oscar Noriega, Frank London, Dave Harris, Pete Fitzpatrick, Ralph Alessi, Jessica Lurie, Danijel Zezelj, Kyle Gregory, Paolo Birro, Giovanni Maier, Francesco Bearzatti, Gianluca Petrella, Simone Guiducci, Franco D’Andrea, Stefano Battaglia, Gianni Gebbia, Vincenzo Vasi, Domenico Caliri, Daniele D’Agaro, Marco Cappelli, Cristina Zavalloni, Giovanni Falzone, Vinicio Capossela, Roy Paci, Matteo Salvatore, Marc Ribot, Flaco Jimenez, Shane Mac Gowan, Vinicius Cantuaria, Mario Brunello, Mark Orton, Gary Valente, David Murray, Amy Denio, Paul Shapiro, Papos Manolis, Simone Massaron, Xabier Iriondo, Carla Bozulich a.o.

From 2005 he is a member of the El Gallo Rojo collective.

Zeno has toured in Italy, Finland, Austria, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Slovenja, Croatia, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Perù, China, Greece, Cuba, Ethiopia, Canada, Portugal, Serbia and the USA.

Xabier Iriondo

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Xabier Iriondo (Milano, febbraio 1971) è un chitarrista italiano.
Nasce nel quartiere Isola a Milano nel 1971, da padre basco e madre italiana.
All’età di 17 anni inizia a suonare la chitarra da autodidatta. Questa passione per le corde lo accompagna tuttora.
Tra il 1992 ed il 2001 collabora alla realizzazione di 5 album e centinaia di concerti con la alternative rock band Afterhours, 3 album con la indie/rock band Six Minute War Madness e 3 album + 2 miniCD con il progetto A Short Apnea.
Nel 2005 apre a Milano “Soundmetak”, un negozio/laboratorio dove vende strumenti musicali particolari ed organizza performances musicali.
In questi ultimi tempi è coinvolto come chitarrista/manipolatore sonoro in progetti quali Uncode Duello, The Shipwreck Bag Show e No Guru.
Ha suonato dal vivo in Europa e Giappone e collaborato (dal vivo ed in studio) con svariati artisti tra cui: Damo Suzuki, ZU, Sinistri, Wu Fei, Gianni Gebbia, Steve Piccolo, Eraldo Bernocchi, Cristiano Calcagnile, Bruno Dorella, Elio Martuscello, Vincenzo Vasi, Alberto Morelli, Verdena, Simone Massaron, Gak Sato, Franceco Cusa, Gianni Mimmo, Mirko Sabatini, Juan Mordecai, aka_Bondage, Cristina Donà, Stefano Giust, Angelo Contini, Stefania Pedretti, Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, Diego Sapignoli, Olivier Manchion, Claudio Rocchetti, Christian Alati, Andrea Belfi, Madame P, Nicola Ratti, Antonio Gramentieri, Carla Bozulich e tanti altri.
Nel tour estivo del 2010, dopo anni di lontananza dagli Afterhours, Xabier torna a suonare con la sua storica band, ma ancora non è noto se è solo una collaborazione provvisoria, o una rientro in via definitiva.Xabier Iriondo born in the Isola area in Milan (Italy) in the early seventies from basque father and italian mother.
At the age of seventeen he began to amuse himself with an electric guitar and he still does now.
Between 1992 and 2001 he made 5 albums and hundreds of concerts with the pop/rock band Afterhours, 3 albums with the indie/rock band Six Minute War Madness and 3 albums + 2 miniCDs with the A Short Apnea project.
In 2005 he opens in Milan SOUND METAK, a vintage/collector instruments and musical objects shop where he organize concerts/performances.
In these times he’s involved as guitarist/sound manipulator in the projects Uncode Duello, Polvere, Tasaday, etc
Xabier Iriondo has played live around Europe and Japan and collaborated (live and studio) with the following bands as musicians: Damo Suzuki, ZU, Sinistri, Wu Fei, Gianni Gebbia, Steve Piccolo, Eraldo Bernocchi, Cristiano Calcagnile, Bruno Dorella, Elio Martuscello, Vincenzo Vasi, Alberto Morelli, Verdena, Simone Massaron, Gak Sato, Franceco Cusa, Gianni Mimmo, Mirko Sabatini, Juan Mordecai, aka_Bondage, Cristina Donà, Stefano Giust, Angelo Contini, Stefania Pedretti, Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, Diego Sapignoli, Olivier Manchion, Claudio Rocchetti, Christian Alati, Andrea Belfi, Madame P, Nicola Ratti, Antonio Gramentieri, Carla Bozulich and many others.

Scott Amendola

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Dallo sbarco a San Francisco nel 1992, Scott Amendola è stato nominato per un Grammy con la band TJ Kirk, ha registrato tre dischi con Charlie Hunter per la Blue Note, ha girato il mondo ed è apparso sulla televisione nazionale con il quartetto di Charlie Hunter, forma il suo personale creativo, quintetto , e ha inciso o performato con decine di musicisti, tra cui Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Tony Furtado, Noe Venable e Jacky Terrasson, fra molti altri. Amendola l’ispirazione scaturisce da una grande quantità di influenze stilistiche come la musica africana, jazz, blues, spirituals, rock, e l’avanguardia. Scott non è mai stato soddisfatto di essere solo un batterista . Ha trascorso la sua carriera musicale spingendo verso nuove direzioni, in particolare con il suo ultimo progetto: la Scott Amendola Band, per il quale è il direttore d’orchestra e compone e organizza tutta la musica. Il CD di debutto omonimo vede la collaborazione di Jenny Scheinman al violino, il chitarrista Dave Mac Nab, il bassista Todd Sickafoose, e Eric Crystal sulle canne. Scott spazia dalla musica dal groove incisivo alle ballate , e dalle sue composizioni originali a cover di artisti come Jimi Hendrix, Fela, e Nick Drake.Scott AmendolaSince landing in San Francisco in 1992, Scott Amendola has been nominated for a Grammy with the band T.J. Kirk, recorded three records with Charlie Hunter for Blue Note, toured the world and appeared on national television with The Charlie Hunter Quartet, formed his own inventive, house-packing quintet, and has recorded or performed with dozens of musicians, including Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Tony Furtado, Noe Venable and Jacky Terrasson, among many others. Amendola’s inspiration stems from such stylistic influences as African music, jazz, blues, spirituals, rock, and the avant garde. Scott has never been satisfied with just being a masterful drummer. He has spent his career pushing music in new directions; most notably with his latest project: The Scott Amendola Band, for which the bandleader composes and arranges all the music. The self-titled debut CD features Jenny Scheinman on violin, guitarist Dave Mac Nab, bassist Todd Sickafoose, and Eric Crystal on reeds. Scott’s music ranges from hard-hitting grooves to lush ballads, and from his original compositions to covers by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Fela, and Nick Drake.
“One thing for certain, the music doesn’t sound quite like anything else,” describes Steven Raphael of Modern Drummer magazine. “There is a phenomenal interaction of five distinct musical voices. Amendola and his hand-picked crew take responsive improvisation to new heights.” For Amendola, “it’s all about improvisation and opening up the music so that anything can happen.” Just as importantly, Scott strives to create a “band sound,” a oneness among the players that at once challenges and complements each musician. Once the band is in that deep pocket, the audience can’t help feeling it.
In addition to his own new release, some other recent recordings that Scott can be heard on are: The Nels Cline Singers Instrumentals (Cryptogramophone), Jenny Scheinman Quartet Live at Yoshi’s (Tzadik), The Tony Furtado Band (Cojema), Jim Campilongo’s Live at the Du Nord (Ethic), Noe Venable’s Boots (Petrydish), Paul Sprawl’s Blue Suitcase (Intuition), and Paul Plimley’s Safe-Crackers (Victo). Over the past ten years Scott has toured, recorded, or performed with Bill Frisell, Dave Liebman, John Zorn, Wadada Leo Smith, Jacky Terrasson, Shweta Jhaveri, Larry Goldings, Sex Mob, Robin Holcomb and the Joe Goode Dance Group, Wayne Horvitz, Johnny Griffin, Viktor Krauss, Paul Plimley, Tony Furtado, Jack Walrath, Julian Priester, Sonny Simmons, ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Pat Martino, Nels Cline, Peter Apfelbaum, Jim Campilongo, Bobby Black, Paul McCandless, Ben Goldberg, Mark Turner, Michael Franti, Primus, Nina Hagen, Phil Lesh, Leight and Matt from Six Pence None the Richer, and others, and has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, and Australia.

Nels Cline

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Nels Cline (nato a Los Angeles nel 1956) è un chitarrista e compositore, attualmente chitarrista dei Wilco alternative rock band. È stato definito come “uno dei migliori chitarristi di ogni genere.”Nels Cline is one of the most versatile, imaginative, and criminally unheralded guitarists active today, a dubious distinction he shares with Christy Doran, James Emery, and a handful of others. Combining jaw-dropping chops with a keen musical intelligence, Cline displays an encyclopedic mastery of guitar styles that encompasses delicate lyricism, sonic abstractions, and skull-crunching metallic flights.
In the late 1970s, Cline played in the chamber-jazz group Quartet Music with his brother, percussionist Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier and Eric von Essen. He emerged from several years in relative obscurity with his 1987 release, Angelica, which added acid-toned New York City altoist Tim Berne to a roster of longtime Cline collaborators. In the early 1990s, the guitarist formed the amped-up Nels Cline Trio, perhaps the best vehicle to date for Cline’s guitar excursions, which range from probing, reflective balladry to knotty riffing to bracing freeform assaults. In addition to his trio, Cline regularly performs with his brother and the constellation of creative musicians associated with reedsman Vinny Golia’s adventurous Nine Winds record label.
He is also active in the rock domain, collaborating with ex-Minuteman Mike Watt, avant country-rockers Geraldine Fibbers, and Sonic Youth guitar terrorist Thurston Moore, among others.

Giovanni Maier

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Nel giugno del 1988 si diploma in contrabbasso presso il Conservatorio “G. Tartini” di Trieste.

Attualmente sta sviluppando un proprio progetto basato sul contrabbasso solo che è iniziato nel 1994 e che è documentato dai CD: “Polaroid”, “Exposure”, “Audiosmog”, “Domino 02”, “The face of the bass”.

Dal 1989 ad oggi ha partecipato (anche con gruppi guidati da lui stesso o in solo) a svariati jazz festival in tutto il mondo (Francia, Yugoslavia, Cecoslovacchia, Grecia, Macedonia, Germania, Austria, Belgio, Slovenia, Finlandia, Croazia, Svizzera, Tunisia, Spagna, Inghilterra, Canada, Giappone, Olanda, Danimarca, Norvegia, U.S.A., Turchia, Giordania, Brasile).

Ha preso parte nel 1995 alla realizzazione della Colonna Sonora (musiche di T. Tononi) del film “Ketchup”, che ha ricevuto il Primo Premio al Festival di Venezia nella sezione Cortometraggi.

Nel settembre del 1996 ha partecipato alla “Conduction n° 61” di Butch Morris al Teatro Podewil di Berlino.

Ha collaborato inoltre con l’orchestra del Teatro “G. Verdi” di Trieste e al Laboratorio Lirico di Alessandria (esecuzione in prima nazionale di un’opera del compositore tedesco S. Matthus) ed è stato selezionato per la partecipazione all’Orchestra Internazionale di Alpe Adria.

Nel 1991 ha partecipato ai Seminari Jazz di Siena e nel 1993 ha preso parte ad un Workshop con Roscoe Mitchell e Muhal Richards Abrams.

Ha inoltre suonato con molti musicisti di fama internazionale:

Enrico Rava, Gianluigi Trovesi, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Roswell Rudd, Han Bennink, Franco D’Andrea, Tim Berne, Chris Speed, Benny Golson, Ernst Reijseger, Willem Breuker, Tristan Honsinger, Wolter Wierbos, Massimo Urbani, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Carlo Actis Dato, Antonello Salis, Maria Pia De Vito, Daniele Cavallanti, Tiziano Tononi, Claudio Roditi, Naco, Richard Galliano, Ellen Christi, Laura Culver, Sean Bergin, Tone Jansa, Roberto Gatto, Herb Robertson, Piero Leveratto, Renato Geremia, Guido Mazzon, Tony Scott, Lauro Rossi, Umberto Petrin, Stjepko Gut, Sandro Satta, Roberto Ottaviano, Yves Robert, Paolo Damiani, David Shea.

Nel dicembre del 1996 ha partecipato alla realizzazione dello spettacolo “Ragazzi Selvaggi”, balletto su musiche di E. Rava e coreografie di R. North, tenutosi nei teatri di Rovigo e Treviso in prima mondiale con la partecipazione di Tony Scott e dell’Orchestra Sinfonica del Teatro Sociale di Rovigo.

E’ stato votato come uno dei dieci migliori nuovi talenti dell’anno 1996 dai critici della rivista “Musica Jazz”. Nell’ambito dello stesso referendum, per l’anno 2001 il suo CD “Mosaic Orchestra vol. 1” è stato votato come uno dei dieci migliori dischi di Jazz italiano e il suo gruppo, la Mosaic Orchestra, si è classificato al quinto posto tra i migliori gruppi italiani.

Nel giugno 2003 ha partecipato con il suo gruppo MOSAIC ORCHESTRA, nell’ambito della trasmissione radiofonica Radio Tre Suite, ad un concerto in diretta della durata di novanta minuti.

Ha scritto le musiche per lo spettacolo teatrale “Lo Sciamano Mite”, di Ferruccio Merisi, dedicato al pittore Zoran Music e rappresentato nell’ottobre 2003 in occasione dell’apertura della mostra antologica dedicata al pittore goriziano presso i Musei Provinciali di Gorizia.

Il suo arrangiamento del brano “Il Burattino”, per Big Band Jazz, è stato uno dei 6 finalisti del 16° Concorso di Arrangiamento e Composizione per Orchestra Jazz” di Barga (LU).

Il giorno 29 aprile 2004 ha diretto l’Orchestra PHOPHONIX presentando (nella giornata di apertura del festival MITTELFEST di Cividale) in anteprima mondiale la sua composizione “Scrivere a matita”, dedicata al compositore Piero Pezzè.

Nel 2004 ha registrato con il trio “TRIOSONIC”, formato, oltre che da egli stesso, da Stefano Battaglia al pianoforte e da Michele Rabbia alle percussioni, un C.D. che è uscito nell’anno 2005 per la prestigiosa etichetta discografica tedesca ECM.

Oltre all’E.C.M., ha pubblicato incisioni discografiche per numerose importanti etichette, tra le quali vanno ricordate: ENJA (Germania), Fonit Cetra (Italia), Soul Note (Italia), Black Saint (Italia), Venus (Giappone), CAM Jazz (Italia), Label Bleu (Francia), BMG Ricordi (Italia), Symphonia (Italia), Wide Sound (Italia), Splasch (Italia),

Nell’anno 2007, nell’ambito del referendum TOP JAZZ indetto dalla rivista Musica Jazz, è stato votato al secondo posto nella categoria comprendente contrabassisti, batteristi e cantanti.

Dal 2006 insegna Contrabbasso e Musica d’Insieme ai “Seminari Senesi di Musica Jazz”. Ha preso parte inoltre, come insegnante di contrabbasso, basso elettrico e musica d’insieme, a diversi workshop e seminari, in Italia e all’estero.

Dal 2009 è docente di Jazz presso il Conservatorio “G. Tartini” di Trieste.Born on august 26, 1965, he graduated at the Conservatory “G. Tartini” of Trieste in 1988. In 1991 he attended the summer courses at Siena Jazz and in 1993 he took part in a workshop with Roscoe Mitchell and Muhal Richards Abrams. In 1995 he took part in realization of the sound track (music by T. Tononi) of the film “Ketchup”, which was awarded the first prize at “Festival of Venice”, in the section concerning short films. On September 1996 he took part in a “Conduction” by Butch Morris at Podewil Theatre of Berlin. He also cooperated with the orchestra of Theatre “G. Verdi” of Trieste and Lyric Workshop of Alessandria (the first performance in Italy of a work of the german composer S. Matthus); he was also selected for the international Orchestra of Alpe Adria. On dicember 1996 he collaborated at the realization of the show “Ragazzi Selvaggi”, ballet on music by E. Rava, coreographer R. North, which was fist performed in Italy in the theatres of Rovigo and Treviso, with the participation of Tony Scott and of the Symphony Orchestra of “Teatro Sociale of Rovigo”. He played with world-wide renown musicians: Enrico Rava, Gianluigi Trovesi, Cecil Taylor, Han Bennink, Franco D’Andrea, Tim Berne, Ernst Reijseger, Willem Breuker, Tristan Honsinger, Wolter Wierbos, Massimo Urbani, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Carlo Actis Dato, Antonello Salis, Maria Pia De Vito, Daniele Cavallanti, Tiziano Tononi, Claudio Roditi, Naco, Richard Galliano, Ellen Christi, Laura Culver, Sean Bergin, Tone Jansa, Roberto Gatto, Herb Robertson, Piero Leveratto, Renato Geremia, Guido Mazzon, Tony Scott, Lauro Rossi, Umberto Petrin, Stjepko Gut, Sandro Satta, Roberto Ottaviano, Yves Robert, Paolo Damiani, David Shea, Michele Rabbia. He has played in many festivals and reviews in all Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Greece, Czech Republic) in Africa (Tunisia) and Canada/U.S.A. He is permanent member of the following groups: Rava Electric Five (E.Rava, R.Cecchetto, D.Caliri, U.T.Ghandi), Nexus, Jazz Cromatic Ensemble, Quatuor (G.Trovesi, M.De Mattia, G.Pacorig, E.M.Ghirardini), Claudio Lodati Trio, Claudio Lodati “Vocal Desires” (C.Lodati, E.Christi, A.Rolle, U.T.Ghandi), Daniele Cavallanti Quartet, Saverio Tasca Trio, Lauro Rossi Quartet, Umberto Petrin Trio, Ettore Fioravanti “Belcanto”, Open Sound Ensemble. He also plays occasionally with the “Italian Instabile Orchestra”. At the present he is also working at a project for solo contrabass. On 1996 he was elected one of the best ten talents for year 1996, by critics of the magazine “Musica Jazz”.

Gianni Mimmo

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Sassofonista e compositore attivo nel campo del jazz e della sperimentazione da oltre 25 anni, con una serie di progetti originali con organici disparati. Interessato da sempre alla contaminazione fra le arti ha partecipato a numerose attività interdisciplinari, con particolare attenzione al rapporto musica-testo e musica-immagine. Numi tutelari paiono essere nomi del jazz come Steve Lacy e Roscoe Mitchell, della musica contemporanea come J.Cage e Robert Ashley, dell’arte J.Pollock e Toti Scialoja.
“Ricerca” sembra la parola chiave che accompagna il suo lavoro, che spesso privilegia collaborazioni con elementi di distante collocazione. La cura del timbro musicale e delle tecniche avanzate del sax soprano al quale si è monacalmente dedicato negli ultimi anni è divenuta essa stessa la cifra di riferimento del suo stile. Negli ultimi anni ha fondato Stanze laboratorio di musica e parole poi divenuto Al3ali gruppo con organico dal timbro contemporaneo(voce soprano, contrabbasso, sax soprano, voce recitante, live electronics) dall’ampio catalogo.
Si dedica sempre più spesso alla solo performance nella quale ama investigare il rapporto dello strumento monodico con il silenzio.
Nel 2000 apre una feconda collaborazione con Chandra Livia Candiani ( premio Montale ) che porta alla performance “Lettere mai scritte”, nella quale poesia e musica trovano un modo veramente stimolante di specchiarsi. Collabora con la scrittrice e traduttrice Anna Ruchat per il suo lavoro su testo di Victor Klemperer “Una fossa nell’aria” che diviene poi una lettura musicata presentata in Italia e Svizzera. Recente la collaborazione con Lorenzo Dal Ri (campionamenti, sound treatments) con il quale fonda Bespoken nel quale relazione fra strumento acustico ed elettronica porta a stimolanti sound-tales, colonne sonore (ultima delle quali è “Luce bagna i binari” per un video di Alessandro Nassiri Tabibzadeh, edito da Icona Contemporanea), ambientazioni per mostre d’arte ed eventi (Biennale architettura Venezia 2002, conferenza sulla”Reverie”, Modena) .
Proprio verso l’interazione con l’immagine sembrano orientarsi anche due più recenti progetti :
“OBLIQUIVIALI” un volume frutto di intensa collaborazione, edito da CLU nel 2003. Nell’estate dello stesso anno diviene una istallazione interattiva, una sonorizzazione visuale adatta ad ambienti pubblici e privati di vario genere: stazioni ferroviarie, metropolitana , bus, cortili, ospedali, sale d’aspetto in genere, gallerie d’arte etc.. con musiche di Bespoken, la voce recitante di Aldo Cassano, l’elaborazione visuale di Acmevideo, nel quale i suoi racconti originali e le fotografie- immagini di Elda Papa si cercano per vie traverse, per Obliqui viali, appunto. Tight Corners nato per studiare connessioni creative tra musica e la fotografia di Stefano Galvani (performance di proiezione e musica live).
Nel 2004 la collaborazione con il trombonista Angelo Contini, un duo stimolante nel quale l’improvvisazione e la partitura si integrano agilmente e nel quale la frammentazione e la formazione del suono vengono investigate con curiosa sincerità, frutta una registrazione molto intensa e diverse performance live : two’s days/tuesdays. Una formula nuda, giocata sul filo di una espressività molto varia e senza supporti armonico ritmici, un dialogo serrato e raffinato, aperto a spazi improvvisati e strutturati grazie ad un sincero interplay.
Dello stesso anno, il primo volume di Etica fonetica: “la lettera S”, un lavoro commissionato da ITA2 istituto per l’insegnamento della lingua italiana agli stranieri, indaga musicalmente cellule fonetiche della lingua curandone testi e musica in duo con la soprano lirica Susie Georgiadis.
Nel 2005 approfondisce la relazione con il sound treatments, recentissima la registrazione ambientale di un live concept sulla tragica epopea del sottomarino russo Kursk in collaborazione con Angelo Contini, Lorenzo dal Ri e Xabier Iriondo, che diverrà un dvd con le immagini curate da Acmevideo. Torna in studio per un lavoro in solo dal titolo One way ticket di prossima pubblicazione, nel quale troviamo una summa della sua ricerca sul sax soprano con musiche originali e di Monk, Mingus, Webern, R.Mitchell,F.Cumar, D.Ellington. Nell’estate dello stesso anno riprende il duo con Chandra Livia Candiani per un recital su testi della poetessa tratti dal libro “io con vestito leggero” edito nello stesso anno da Campanotto. Il lavoro approfondisce la comunicazione iniziata con “lettere mai scritte”, sviluppando il rapporto suono-parola in un’intensa performance che ha già al suo attivo vari live sia in rassegne che in “house concert”. Anche il progetto Bespoken riprende la sua attività allargando il proprio organico a Xabier Iriondo al sound treatment, crackle box, table giuitars per un nuovo progetto di interazione tra acustica ed elettronica.A saxophonist and composer in the fields of jazz and experimentation for over 25 years, he has produced a series of original projects with highly disparate groups. His interest in the contamination between the arts has lead him to participate in numerous interdisciplinary activities, in particular those which examine the relationship between music-text and music-image.
Presiding influences include jazz names like Steve Lacy and Roscoe Mitchell, contemporary musicians like J.Cage and Robert Ashley, and artists such as J.Pollock and Toti Scialoja.
“Quest” is the key word that accompanies his work, which often gives priority to the collaboration of very different elements. The treatment of musical timbre and of advanced technique on the soprano sax, to which he has monastically dedicated himself in recent years, have become the distinguishing features of his style. In the last few years he founded Stanze a music and word laboratory which has since become the contemporary group Al3ali (soprano voice, double bass, soprano sax, reading voice, live electronics).
He is dedicating himself more and more to solo performance and to the investigation into the relationship between the monodic instrument and silence.
In 2000 he began a rich collaboration with Chandra Livia Candiani ( Montale prize) that lead to the performance “Lettere mai scritte”, in which poetry and music find a truly stimulating way of looking at each other. He collaborated with the writer and translator Anna Ruchat for his work on the text of Victor Klemperer “Una fossa nell’aria” that later became a musical reading, presented in both Italy and Switzerland.

In 2002 his collaboration with Lorenzo Dal Ri (sampling, sound treatments) with whom he founded Bespoken, a collaboration that examines the relationship between acoustic and electronic instruments, lead to stimulating sound-tales, sound tracks (the latest is “Luce bagna i binari” for a video by Alessandro Nassiri Tabibzadeh, published by Icona Contemporanea), and mood settings for art exhibitions and events (Venice Architecture Biennnial 2002, a conference on”Reverie”, Modena)

Two recent projects are also oriented towards the interaction of music and image:
“OBLIQUI VIALI” a volume which was the result of an intense collaboration, was published by CLU in 2003. In the summer of the same year it became an interactive installation, a visual sound track suitable for public and private places of many types: railway stations, undergrounds, buses, courtyards, hospitals, waiting rooms, art galleries, etc… with music by Bespoken, the reading voice of Aldo Cassano, and the visual elaboration of Acmevideo, whose original stories together with the photographs-images of Elda Papa search for each other in the By Ways, or “Obliqui viali”.

Tight Corners came about to study the creative connections between the music and photography of Stefano Galvani (live music and projection performance).
In 2004 a collaboration with the trombonist Angelo Contini, a stimulating duo in which improvisation and the score are nimbly integrated and the fragmentation and formation of sound are examined with sincere curiosity, produced a very intense recording and several live performances: two’s days/tuesdays. A naked form, based on a very varied expressiveness without rhythmic harmonic support, a tight knit and refined dialogue, open to improvisations that take their form from an open and sincere interaction.
In the same year, ITA2, a school for foreign learner’s of Italian, commissioned the first volume of a work entitled Etica fonetica: “la lettera S”, which, in collaboration with the lyric soprano Susie Georgiadis, examines phonetic cells of the language musically.
In 2005 he deepened his relationship with sound treatments, this resulted in the very recent environmental recording of a live concept about the tragic epic of the Russian submarine Kursk in collaboration with Angelo Contini, Lorenzo dal Ri and Xabier Iriondo. It is due to become a DVD with images by Acmevideo.
The new record label amirani records’ first release is his One way ticket, a compendium of his quest on the soprano sax, it contains both original music as well as music by Monk, Mingus, Webern, R.Mitchell, F.Cumar, and D.Ellington.
In the summer of the same year he took up the duo with Chandra Livia Candiani again, for a recital of the poetess’ texts from the book “io con vestito leggero” published in the same year by Campanotto. The work looks more deeply into the communication begun with “lettere mai scritte”, and develops the relationship between sound-word in an intense performance that has already been presented both in exhibitions and “house concerts”.
The project Bespoken also started its activity again. It was joined by Xabier Iriondo and added the crackle box and table guitars to the sound treatment for a new acoustic and electronic interaction project.