Record Reviews

GIANLUIGI TROVESI ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1032 (Barcode: 8052405141378) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 - 2004 Released: 2014 This superb Box Set collects all the recordings by legendary Italian clarinetist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist released on the Black SaintFind albums on this label, Soul NoteFind albums on this label and Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label labels (the album´s title is a bit misleading in that respect). The set includes nine albums featuring various recordings by Trovesi as a leader and sideman over a span of twenty five years made alongside the top Italian Jazz players active in the 1980s and 1990s and is therefore a superb document of the era. Trovesi, who is today one of the pillars of modern Italian Jazz, started his career in early 1970s, playing first as a member of ensembles led by legendary Italian Jazz Godfathers like Franco CerriFind albums by this artist and Giorgio GasliniFind albums by this artist. From the mid 1970s he recorded dozens of albums as a leader, co-leader, guest and sidemen, becoming one the major forces of Italian and European Jazz. He often cooperates with other European musicians and his unique voice as an instrumentalist, as well as magnificent compositions, are classic examples of the scope and sophistication of European Jazz. Trovesi plays modern Jazz, which often stands on the verge of Free, always challenging the boundaries of the genre, often also including World Music and contemporary Classical influences, as reflected on the albums included here. His ensembles, the most notable of which was the octet featuring two bass players, always included the absolute crème de la crème of the Italian Jazz scene, such as trumpeters Pino MinafraFind albums by this artist, Paolo FresuFind albums by this artist and Enrico RavaFind albums by this artist, pianist Guido ManusardiFind albums by this artist, drummer Furio Di CastriFind albums by this artist and numerous others. This music is an absolute must to all European Jazz enthusiasts, and the fact that it is available again is pure joy. Trovesi is a genius composer and instrumentalist and his legacy is well worth to 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: 05/05/2020Posted:

CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

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:

CD 11 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend

FABIO ZEPPETELLA ~ MOVING LINES DISCHI DELLA QUERCIA 128017 (Barcode: 027312801729) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1995 Released: 1995 This is an album by Italian guitarist / composer Fabio ZeppetellaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with bassist Ares TavolazziFind albums by this artist, drummer Fabrizio SferraFind albums by this artist and British trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, five by the leader and two by Tavolazzi. It was released on the splendid Italian Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label label, which released absolutely marvelous Jazz albums, but sadly is no longer active but was bought by the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, which reissued most of that material. This is one of many albums Wheeler recorded in Italy with Italian musicians, where he was highly regarded, had many friends and frequently performed. This is one of Wheeler’s recordings, which remains almost completely obscure and does not appear in most of his discographies. I was very lucky to get it from Kenny’s private collection. The music is a marvelous example of modern European Jazz, based on melodic, somewhat melancholic (as appropriate for Italian Jazz) theme, but performed with a lot of Freedom, which suites Wheeler’s stylistic approach ideally. Due to the intimate format of this recording and the fact that Wheeler has a lot of opportunity to solo, this album offers some of Wheeler’s best work ever captured on record (if such thing is possible). The pairing of guitar and trumpet is quite unusual, but works perfectly here. Overall, this is an excellent modern European Jazz album, performed by first class musicians, which is absolutely worth digging for, not only for the great contributions by Kenny Wheeler, but no less importantly for the splendid music and superb performances by the entire team.

Updated: 05/04/2023Posted: 05/04/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend