Record Reviews

FRANCESCA PALAMIDESSI ~ AMBER HAZE HEVHETIA 0137 (Barcode: 8588005257954) ~ ITALY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Italian (resident in Belgium) vocalist Francesca PalamidessiFind albums by this artist, recorded with Belgian keyboardist Hendrik LasureFind albums by this artist and drummer Casper Van De VeldeFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original compositions, all except one composed by Palamidessi, some of which feature lyrics (in English) also all except one written by her as well. Six of the tracks are described as being freely improvised. The music floats somewhere between Avant-Garde Pop and Improvised Music, creating some of the most unique and bizarre soundscapes, which even the most experienced music listeners come across pretty rarely. Very minimalistic on one hand but deeply expressive on the other, this is a formidable example of uncompromised artistic chase for individualism and originality. Although the vocalist uses texts, she treats her voice just like an instrument, singing also improvised melodic bits and vocalese. The accompaniment becomes merged with the vocal parts, creating a fluid tapestry which changes in intensity from whisper to shout. Although there is almost no melody in the conventional sense, the music has an intrinsic continuity and fluidness that lets the listener follow the sonic developments on a lucid path. Overall this is a very unique piece of music, which requires open mindedness and several listening sessions to get into, but which exemplifies the everlasting urge of Artists to pursue their own visions, even when this results in staying well outside the mainstream. A wonderful, challenging experience, which I wholeheartedly recommend!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 04/04/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

FRANCESCA PALAMIDESSI ~ IN OTHER WORDS I AM THREE RAGTIME 003 ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a vocal tribute album to the music of Charles MingusFind albums by this artist by Italian (resident in Belgium) singer / arranger Francesca PalamidessiFind albums by this artist, who is accompanied by an excellent quintet consisting of pianist Hendrik LasureFind albums by this artist, clarinetist Matteo PastorinoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Simone SchirruFind albums by this artist, bassist Francesco GalatroFind albums by this artist and drummer Armando LuongoFind albums by this artist. It presents six classic pieces by Mingus, arranged by Palamidessi. This is her debut album. Palamidessi treats the Mingus material with a lot of flair and individual elucidation, which allows her and the quintet members to spread their wings and play their hearts out, rather than present yet another mainstream interpretation of this music, which has been done so many times before. As a result this album is full of surprises and unexpected quirks, which every great Jazz album should be full off. She has a strong, clear voice and a lot of bold ideas, which she´s not afraid to try out. She sings both lyrics and vocalese, which is her true forte. The long improvised vocalese passages are a true inspiration. She gets a superb and sympathetic support form her band mates, who all contribute to the overall effect of this album. Lasure is with her literally hand in hand, Pastorino plays some naughty bass clarinet inserts that send sparks down your spine, Schirru is all about ambient mysticism, which creates a beautifully weird background, and of course the rhythm section carries all that craziness bravely forward, with Galatro in charge of the pulsation and Luongo keeping everybody in the right timeframe. This music might not be very easy for the less experienced listeners. Mingus was a space alien as far as his twisted melody lines are concerned, so even before the musicians here start to go all over the place this is already far from trivial and when the ensemble moves away from the basic melody lines, things get a bit twisted, in a wonderful way of course. So if you don´t "get it" in the fist attempt, listen again as this music is definitely too good to be left aside. Respecting the Masters and stretching their music to new vicinity is the perfect recipe for making good music. I´m glad it was used here and happy it worked as well as it did. In view of so many mediocre vocal albums released in the Jazz idiom, this album is a breath of fresh air, not to be missed. If this is her debut recording, she is surely going to surprise us again, soon I hope.

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend