Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Carlo Morena: ...Some Portraits

238

Carlo Morena: ...Some Portraits

By

Sign in to view read count
Carlo Morena: ...Some Portraits
Some Portraits is the debut of Italian pianist/composer Carlo Morena's trio. A student of both jazz and the 20th century European classical tradition, Morena has collaborated with a long list of jazz notables such as saxophonists Charlie Mariano and Iain Ballamy, guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and John Abercrombie, and trumpeter Enrico Rava, in a twenty-year career. Morena has sympathetic company in bassist Yuri Goloubev— formerly one of the world's premier classical bass players, who switched to jazz— and drummer Michele Sagarello, whose subtle rhythms and accents color the music to an equal degree. An almost total lack of a blues vein does not detract from music which weighs and balances thoughtful composition against an improvisational spirit. The result is music which is elegant, lyrical and challenging.

Four miniatures ranging from under a minute to just over two, serve almost as little stepping stones between the more substantial compositions. There are, however, good reasons to pause and consider these shorter works, including Goloubev's wonderfully resonant, singing arco on "Poem II," and Morena's understated, yet probing playing on "Poem IV, a kind of coda to the lyrical, subtly building "Paert." Here, the pianist's playing grows slowly in confidence though, like all the music on ...Some Portraits, there is a flow to the trio's sound which precludes bold exclamation or climax.

Morena's approach to the piano is lyrical, though never sentimental, and his quite distinctive sound is, no doubt, cemented by the decision to play only original material. On "Her Eyes," he gives the impression of continuous, unfolding improvisation stemming from simple, yet attractive melodic foundations. On "Lieb," Morena's left hand alternates between strolling reverie and strongly rhythmic chord interjections, while his right executes weaving runs and gently rippling flourishes. His playing, and the trio's sound, flows and tumbles like a little stream negotiating rocks and troughs along its course.

The episodic "Auf dem Floss" births tentatively, with Morena exploring his ideas slowly at first, though they soon gain currency, and, before you know it, the trio is is in full flight. Morena takes one of his most impressive solos, shadowed and coaxed by the intuitive Goloubev and Salgarello.

Goloubev's contribution to this recording is considerable; his constructive bass lines are a narrative in themselves and his mesmerizing arco work is almost without peer. His compositions "C_C:DM!" —a vehicle for an extended, more dissonant Morena solo—and the elegant "Telves & Tunes," are a reminder of the depth of his compositional talents, showcased more fully on his excellent Metafore SempliciMetafore Semplici. (EmArcy, 2009)

"Would You Dance?"—a lilting tune where Morena displays a logic and touch reminiscent of Brad Mehldau —sees the trio dance nimbly around the melody, and closes out an altogether impressive debut. ...Some Portraits provides evidence of a significant talent in Morena, and equally, announces the arrival of a trio that navigates its own waters in some style.

Track Listing

Her Eyes; C_C:BM!; Poem I; Paert; Lieb; Poem II; Telves & Tunes; Poem III; Auf dem Floss; Poem IV; Would You Dance?

Personnel

Carlo Morena: piano; Yuri Goloubev: acoustic bass; Michele Sagarello: drums.

Album information

Title: ...Some Portraits | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Music Center

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.