Centazzo - Coxhill - Koglmann - Schiaffini: Situations

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: December 1, 2000

Centazzo - Coxhill - Koglmann - Schiaffini: Situations

Situations represents material culled from the archives of percussionist Andrea Centazzo's old 'ICTUS' label. The previously unreleased tracks, titled 'Situations: 'I-VII', were recorded in 1982, featuring trumpeter/flugelhornist Franz Koglmann, soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill and Centazzo as this multinational aggregation of modern jazz/improvising superstars pursue a subdued search and destroy musician via supple dialogue and animated call and response digressions. With these pieces, the instrumentalists delve into softly stated themes of an often-climactic nature. Soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill's spiraling, extended notes on the piece simply titled, 'II' emits a surreal or perhaps liquefying effect as few will debate his now historic significance within this genre. Yet Centazzo's daintily executed polyrhythms and multihued textures on 'V', provides Koglmann and Coxhill with a launching pad for yearning lines and the soloist's introspective dialogue.

The works titled, 'Moot # 2' through 'Moot # 5' were originally recorded and issued in 1978 on the 'ICTUS' LP titled, Moot. These pieces feature Centazzo and Coxhill performing with trombonist Giancarlo Schiaffini for a series of improvisations that are marked by linear passages and fervent three-way dialogue enhanced by Centazzo's crisp percussion statements and resplendent cymbal work. No doubt, Situations is a noteworthy entry into the annals of the oft fabled Euro-Jazz improvisational scene.

Track Listing: Tracks 1-7 (Situations: I-VII) recorded & mixed by Andrea Centazzo in Bologna, Italy June 1982. Tracks 8-11 (Mott # 2 ? Moot # 5) recorded and mixed by Andrea Centazzo in Pistoia, Italy July-September 1978

Personnel: Franz Koglmann; trumpet, flugelhorn: Andrea Centazzo; percussion: Lol Coxhill; soprano sax (1-7): Giancarlo Schiaffini; trombone: Andrea Centazzo; percussion: Lol Coxhill; soprano sax (8-11)

Record Label: New Tone
Style: Modern Jazz