Gianluigi Trovesi Ottetto: Fugace (2003)

Dan McClenaghan

Senior Contributor since 2002

A lover of sounds, and the way they fit together.

Recent articles (792 total)

Published: October 7, 2003

The word "eclectic" gets batted around quite a bit to describe things that are, according to the New Mirriam-Webster Dictionary: "...made up of what seems best of varied sources."

The word fits well with the music of the Gianluigi Trovesi Octet on Fugace. The Italian reedman/bandleader is possessed of a broad array of influences: New Orleans, European classical forms, Duke Ellington (on "African Trptych"), W.C. Handy, and new millennium electronics.

The octet is an unusual formation of sounds, with a front line of trombone, trumpet, and Trovesi's reeds, with cello, two basses, and drums and percussion, bringing Ornette Colman's Free Jazz configuration to mind. It's a line-up that can weave substantial textures, aided by the occasional electronics – harpsichord and guitar sounds – that ramble from free jazz atmospheres to very tight, contemporary grooves.

The octet is very good at what it does, but this effort feels a little unfocused for this listener. They are perhaps too good at too much for one CD. A stronger outing – reviewer's bias here – might have concentrated on one aspect of their sound or another. The disparity in styles can be, for some, a bit distracting, no matter how well rendered each style.

Visit ECM Records at www.ecmrecords.com .

Track Listing: As Strange as a Ballad, Sogno d'Orfeo, Wide Lake, Scarlet Dunes, Western Dream, Canto di Lavoro, Clumsy Dancing Fat Bird, Siparieto I, Blues and West, Siparieto II, Il Domatore, Ramble, Siparieto III, Fugace, Siparieto IV, Tot nei Caraibi

Personnel: Gianluigi Trovesi, alto sax, piccolo, alto clarinet; Beppe Caruso, trombone; Massimo Greco, trumpet, electronics; Marco Remondini, violincello, electronics; Roberto Bonati, bass; Marco Micheli, bass and electric bass; Fulvio Maras, percussion, electronics; Vittorio Marinoni, drums

Record Label: ECM Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream