こっこれは非常にかっこいい楽しい面白い！　今とても注目しているイタリアのマルチリード奏者Piero Bittolo Bon（以下、PBB）と、現代最高のトランペッターPeter Evansの共演とあって、リリース情報を知った時から楽しみにしていた。そして届いてみれば期待に違わぬ、というより、上回る好内容だった。

PBBの魅力は何と言っても音だ。エッジが立っていて、芯が詰まっていて、でもとても温かな包容力ある音。聴いていると、梅津さんやジョン・ゾーンやアンドリュー・ディアンジェロを思い出させたりする。対するPeter Evansは今や言わずもがな説明不要だが、どんどん世界を股にかけ、私が共演してほしい人たちと次々共演していろんな音源を残してくれて、ありがたい。

PBBに関して、これまでに聴いたアルバムはいずれも、ノリのよい楽曲上で暴れまくるといったものが多く、Peter Evansとの共演でどうなるか、というのがやや心配だったものの、当然というかなんというか杞憂で、この人もやっぱり硬軟緩急静動自在の即興演奏家なのであった。Peter Evansの超絶技巧と張り合うというのでなく、自然に、長年連れ添ったコンビのように丁丁発止を繰り広げる。いいなあ。

アルバム全体を通じ、ジャケ通りのポップなフリージャズという印象。インプロもあるが、あくまで曲展開の一部。他のメンバーはPBB側の欧州人材であろうが、３人ともしっかり個性を発揮していて、サックスとトランペットの伴奏ではないし、誰ひとりサウンドに埋もれることなく、正五角形を保つ。これはオススメ。こっこれは非常にかっこいい楽しい面白い！　今とても注目しているイタリアのマルチリード奏者Piero Bittolo Bon（以下、PBB）と、現代最高のトランペッターPeter Evansの共演とあって、リリース情報を知った時から楽しみにしていた。そして届いてみれば期待に違わぬ、というより、上回る好内容だった。

PBBの魅力は何と言っても音だ。エッジが立っていて、芯が詰まっていて、でもとても温かな包容力ある音。聴いていると、梅津さんやジョン・ゾーンやアンドリュー・ディアンジェロを思い出させたりする。対するPeter Evansは今や言わずもがな説明不要だが、どんどん世界を股にかけ、私が共演してほしい人たちと次々共演していろんな音源を残してくれて、ありがたい。

PBBに関して、これまでに聴いたアルバムはいずれも、ノリのよい楽曲上で暴れまくるといったものが多く、Peter Evansとの共演でどうなるか、というのがやや心配だったものの、当然というかなんというか杞憂で、この人もやっぱり硬軟緩急静動自在の即興演奏家なのであった。Peter Evansの超絶技巧と張り合うというのでなく、自然に、長年連れ添ったコンビのように丁丁発止を繰り広げる。いいなあ。

アルバム全体を通じ、ジャケ通りのポップなフリージャズという印象。インプロもあるが、あくまで曲展開の一部。他のメンバーはPBB側の欧州人材であろうが、３人ともしっかり個性を発揮していて、サックスとトランペットの伴奏ではないし、誰ひとりサウンドに埋もれることなく、正五角形を保つ。これはオススメ。

Brio is Gordon Krajacic on electric & acoustic guitars and Neven Krajacic on drums & percussion. Nope, I never heard of these two brothers (?) before this disc, which is recorded in Croatia. Still, I am quite impressed. A powerful, focused, way intense jazz/rock/free duo! I don’t have time to finish this review as I am leaving to see the Nels Cline Singers at Poisson Rouge in a short while (5/1/14). This is mind-blowingly great! The total of this disc and a few of the song titles are somewhat questionable taste-wise but other than that, I am knocked out. A strong, focused throttling sound for two bros!Brio is Gordon Krajacic on electric & acoustic guitars and Neven Krajacic on drums & percussion. Nope, I never heard of these two brothers (?) before this disc, which is recorded in Croatia. Still, I am quite impressed. A powerful, focused, way intense jazz/rock/free duo! I don’t have time to finish this review as I am leaving to see the Nels Cline Singers at Poisson Rouge in a short while (5/1/14). This is mind-blowingly great! The total of this disc and a few of the song titles are somewhat questionable taste-wise but other than that, I am knocked out. A strong, focused throttling sound for two bros!

Non credo ci sia bisogno di dilungarsi troppo su chi sia ELLIOTT SHARP. Dalla fine degli anni ’70 ad oggi, il suo nome sarà apparso in un centinaio di dischi almeno, a volte intestati a lui, a volte ad ensemble quali i Carbon, i Terraplane o l’Orchestra Carbon, oppure in qualcuna delle sue numerosissime collaborazioni, in formazioni a due, in quartetto, o in gruppi maggiormente compositi. Multistrumentista e grande sperimentatore Elliott Sharp, sempre in bilico tra avanguardia, jazz, blues, rock e qualsiasi altro tipo di musica sia riuscito ad attirare la sua inesauribile curiosità. Con Hapticon si presenta da solo, essenzialmente nelle vesti di funambolico chitarrista, ma impegnato pure al basso, agli electronics, ai campionamenti e al drum programming. Il suono è quello di una band, fortemente materico e tattile, come in qualche modo il titolo allude. Lunghe jam chitarristiche, mai sotto i sette minuti, in alcuni frangenti anche più dilatate, che esplorano i suoni della sei corde muovendosi fra mondi diversi, facendoli alla fine risultare liminari. E se quindi in Umami pare sia il blues acustico a voler prendere il sopravvento, nell’allucinata Phosphenes sembra Hendrix reincarnatosi nel Robert Fripp più furioso, in Sigil Walking ci fa perdere in scenari avant privi di confine, in Messier 55ingloba risvolti etno, giusto quell’attimo prima di concedere un’oasi di maggior meditatezza tramite i paesaggi desertici dell’evocativa Finger Of Speech. Da sentire!Non credo ci sia bisogno di dilungarsi troppo su chi sia ELLIOTT SHARP. Dalla fine degli anni ’70 ad oggi, il suo nome sarà apparso in un centinaio di dischi almeno, a volte intestati a lui, a volte ad ensemble quali i Carbon, i Terraplane o l’Orchestra Carbon, oppure in qualcuna delle sue numerosissime collaborazioni, in formazioni a due, in quartetto, o in gruppi maggiormente compositi. Multistrumentista e grande sperimentatore Elliott Sharp, sempre in bilico tra avanguardia, jazz, blues, rock e qualsiasi altro tipo di musica sia riuscito ad attirare la sua inesauribile curiosità. Con Hapticon si presenta da solo, essenzialmente nelle vesti di funambolico chitarrista, ma impegnato pure al basso, agli electronics, ai campionamenti e al drum programming. Il suono è quello di una band, fortemente materico e tattile, come in qualche modo il titolo allude. Lunghe jam chitarristiche, mai sotto i sette minuti, in alcuni frangenti anche più dilatate, che esplorano i suoni della sei corde muovendosi fra mondi diversi, facendoli alla fine risultare liminari. E se quindi in Umami pare sia il blues acustico a voler prendere il sopravvento, nell’allucinata Phosphenes sembra Hendrix reincarnatosi nel Robert Fripp più furioso, in Sigil Walking ci fa perdere in scenari avant privi di confine, in Messier 55ingloba risvolti etno, giusto quell’attimo prima di concedere un’oasi di maggior meditatezza tramite i paesaggi desertici dell’evocativa Finger Of Speech. Da sentire!

On Haptikon, Elliott Sharp moves into the more mainstream world of jazz fusion, with obvious influences from rock and Indian music. Sharp has a tendency on other albums to present too self-indulgent music, as with many fusion guitarists and tenor opera singers, yet that’s less the case here. Assisted by programmed music on computer, with recognisable bass and drums, the guitarists plays layers of electric guitar in loops and manipulated sound, and the end result is really compelling, hopefully also to non-jazz fans. David Torn comes to mind at times, and that’s a good reference, and on “Phosphenes” the most bluesy of the tracks, Hendrix comes to mind, and that’s not a bad reference either, on “Pireps“, his high bended and sustained notes are reminiscent of David Gilmour, and that’s equally not a bad reference. Sharp avoids high speed solos and the kind of look-what-I-can pyrotechnics, rather focusing on creating great compositions and sound experiences, and at times incredibly strong dramatic effects. The joy of electric guitar.On Haptikon, Elliott Sharp moves into the more mainstream world of jazz fusion, with obvious influences from rock and Indian music. Sharp has a tendency on other albums to present too self-indulgent music, as with many fusion guitarists and tenor opera singers, yet that’s less the case here. Assisted by programmed music on computer, with recognisable bass and drums, the guitarists plays layers of electric guitar in loops and manipulated sound, and the end result is really compelling, hopefully also to non-jazz fans. David Torn comes to mind at times, and that’s a good reference, and on “Phosphenes” the most bluesy of the tracks, Hendrix comes to mind, and that’s not a bad reference either, on “Pireps“, his high bended and sustained notes are reminiscent of David Gilmour, and that’s equally not a bad reference. Sharp avoids high speed solos and the kind of look-what-I-can pyrotechnics, rather focusing on creating great compositions and sound experiences, and at times incredibly strong dramatic effects. The joy of electric guitar.