Quantcast
NEWS: Feature a Daily Jazz Musician at Your Website or Blog! SHOP:   CDs/DVDs/Vinyl/Sleeves | Downloads | Poster Art
jazz
HOME NEWS REVIEWS ARTICLES MUSICIANS PHOTOS FORUMS
  Login   |   MY AAJ Signup  
Intro Site Map Shows Free Daily MP3s Videos Upcoming Releases Guides Editorial Calendar Contests Help Wanted  
Advanced
Contact Us   |   Advertise   |   For Contributors   |   For Musicians





Tough Guys
The Generations Band with Jimmy Cobb and Eric Alexander
Dreams Are Meant For Two
PJ Parker
Storyteller
Rob Mullins
Jazz In Bel Air
Alphonse Mouzon
Time Away
The Bob Brough Quartet
Tuesday's Blues
Idit Shner
Advertise Here




Jazz Excursion Radio



"Jigsaw"
Jeremy Pelt
Profile

Listen Now






Push AAJ Content
AAJ Live | RSS | Widsets

Igneo
Zu | Wide Records (2002)


By Glenn Astarita Discuss        

Upon their first tour of the United States this power packed Italian band sojourned into a Chicago studio to record with saxophonist Ken Vandermark and trombonist Jeb Bishop. While modern jazz cellist Fred Lomberg-Holm adds another dimension to this quartet’s high octane melding of progressive rock, free jazz and more. The band’s previous two releases featured avant-guitarist Eugene Chadbourne amid a tour of Europe, yet this outing perhaps summarizes what the quartet is all about!

The group and Lomberg-Holm come at you with a vengeance during the opener “The Elusive Character of Victory.” Here and throughout, the musicians seemingly, deploy and conquer a plethora of difficult time change to coincide with their succinctly stated choruses and pungently devised frameworks. Electric bassist Massimo Pupilla’s thick metallic tone and fluent lines provides an ominous bottom to complement drummer Jacopo Battaglia’s disciplined polyrhythmic attack. At times, they spark notions of a 70s King Crimson fusing free jazz with thrash rock to coincide with the windswept intensity of a tornado. Saxophonist Luca Tommaso Mai serves as a catalyst of sorts, via his propulsive attack and penchant for injecting sub-themes and rhythmic augmentations into these variegated scenarios. Vandermark and Bishop add fuel to the fire on “Tikkun Olam.” Whereas the band engages a rumbling and tumbling approach, complete with free-blowing mayhem and abrupt breaks in the action, during “Muri Torto.”

They’ve already made a name for themselves over in Europe, thanks to a robust touring schedule and guest appearances with household jazz names. As the group stands on its own in a rather prolific way! (To whom it may concern, this outfit warrants much more exposure here in the States.)…Strongly recommended

Wide Records

General information: info@zuism.com


Track listing: 1.The Elusive Character of Victory 2.Solar Anus 3.Eli, Eli, Elu 4.Arbol de la Esperanza Mantente Firme 5.Monte Zu 6.Untitled Samba for Kat Ex 7.Muro Torto 8.Tikkun Olam 9.Mar Glaciale Artico

Personnel: Jacopo Battaglia: drums – Luca Tommaso Mai: baritone & alto sax – Massimo Pupilla: bass – Alberto Mattaroccia: live sound – Guests: Ken Vandermark: tenor sax (# 5,9) – Jeb Bishop: trombone (#9) – Fred Lomberg-Holm

Style: Modern Jazz
Published: October 01, 2002


Discuss         Add to Google  




Articles by Glenn Astarita
Intrinsic Evolution
Ecstasis
3
Caprichos
Tightly Unwound
A Box And A Word
Anomalies
Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX More about Glenn...



Recent CD Reviews | More CD Reviews
Sean O'Bryan Smith - Tapestry Sean O'Bryan Smith
Tapestry
Planet Safety - Planet Safety Planet Safety
Planet Safety
Evan Christopher - Django a la Creole Evan Christopher
Django a la Creole
Connie Crothers / Bill Payne - Conversations Connie Crothers / Bill Payne
Conversations
Shakers N' Bakers - YFZ (Yearning For Zion) Shakers N' Bakers
YFZ (Yearning For Zion)
Eliane Elias - Bossa Nova Stories Eliane Elias
Bossa Nova Stories



CD Review Search
Artist Name  
Album Title  
Record Label  
Author  
 

Most Read Reviews
Last 30 Days | All Time
Most Read Articles
Last 30 Days | All Time
Recommended Reviews
Last 30 Days | All Time
Recommended Articles
Last 30 Days | All Time


 



Idit Shner
Yellow Moon
From Tuesday's Blues


More | Recent | Top




Bob Brough
New CD: Time Away











Make a donation and support All About Jazz
Contribute to the continued operation of
jazz's most important online resource.
  Privacy Policy | Dedicated Servers All material copyright © 2008 All About Jazz and/or contributing writers/visual artists. All rights reserved.