Record Reviews

GIORGIO GASLINI ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON DISCHI DELLA QUERCIA CAM JAZZ 5001 (Barcode: 8052405140708) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1976 - 1985 Released: 2013 This superb Box Set collects all the recordings by legendary Italian pianist / composer / bandleader Giorgio GasliniFind albums by this artist, released on his own Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label label. The set includes eleven albums featuring various Gaslini´s ensembles (quartet, quintet, sextet and octet) as well as his duos with American musicians like Roswell RuddFind albums by this artist, Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist and Anthony BraxtonFind albums by this artist. Gaslini (who died in 2014) was one of the pillars of modern Italian Jazz, recorded dozens of albums and led countless ensembles during his career that spanned almost seven decades. In parallel to his Jazz activities he also composed music for cinema and contemporary Classical Music. He was one of the few Italian musicians known outside of his country and a tireless and prolific Jazz propagator in his country. In retrospect he is one of the Godfathers of European Jazz. Gaslini played modern Jazz, which often stood on the verge of Free, always challenging the boundaries of the genre, as can be heard well on the albums included here. His ensembles were always a breeding ground for generations of young Italian musicians, like the ones found here: Gianni BedoriFind albums by this artist, Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist, Daniele Di GregorioFind albums by this artist and many others. This music is an absolute must to all European Jazz enthusiasts, and the fact that it is available again is pure joy. Gaslini was a genius composer and pianist and his legacy must be preserved and studied by the new generation of Jazz musicians. Remastered, mini-sleeved and with a great bargain price – this Box Set is an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

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