Jazz Articles about Zu

Zu: Carboniferous

by Troy Collins
March 4, 2009

In the past decade, the Rome-based power trio Zu has grown into a truly fearsome beast. Kindred spirits with extreme noise merchants like the Flying Luttenbachers, Last Exit, Lightning Bolt and Painkiller, baritone saxophonist Luca T. Mai, electric bassist Massimo Pupillo and drummer Jacopo Battaglia channel riotous improvisational freedom into a tireless DIY punk rock aesthetic that champions collaboration above insular development.

Making their high profile debut on vocalist Mike Patton's Ipecac Records, Carboniferous is the trio's fifteenth ...

Zu & Nobukazu Takemura: Identification With The Enemy: A Key To The Underworld

by Troy Collins
February 23, 2007

The Italian power trio Zu has made quite a career out of high-profile guest artist collaborations. Joint albums with Eugene Chadbourne, Ken Vandermark, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Mats Gustafsson have bolstered the group's impressive discography in the past few years. Identification With The Enemy is a different sort of meeting for the flexible trio, which joins forces this time with Japanese electronica artist Nobukazu Takemura.

One of the first club DJs to introduce hip-hop to Japan in the mid-1980s, ...

Zu with Mats Gustafsson: How To Raise An Ox

by Troy Collins
January 18, 2006

Hailing from Rome, the free jazz power trio Zu has been making considerable waves in the indie underground. With a resume boasting numerous tours and collaborative recording sessions with Eugene Chadbourne, Dälek, The Ex, Nomeansno and Ken Vandermark, the members of Zu have proven themselves capable of holding their own against the underground's heaviest contenders, regardless of genre. The group's most recent endeavor, How To Raise an Ox, also features a guest improviser, saxophonist Mats Gustafsson.

Heavily amplified ...

Zu: Igneo

by Glenn Astarita
October 1, 2002

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 ...

ZU + Eugene Chadbourne: Motorhellington

by Glenn Astarita
July 1, 2001

On this new release we are once again treated to the collaboration of American guitarist, humorist and steadfast improviser, Eugene Chadbourne with the dynamic hard hitting Italian modern jazz quartet known as “Zu”. For their second effort, wittily titled Motorhellington, this quintet now sees good reason to parody leather clad heavy metal warriors; “Black Sabbath” and “Motorhead” along with pieces by Jobim, Mingus and others. Essentially, “ZU” pursues somewhat of an unlikely track mix, as the liners indicate that the ...

Zu: Bromio

by Glenn Astarita
June 1, 2000

Released in 1999, prior to their – superfine - outing featuring American avant-garde guitarist Eugene Chadbourne titled, Th Zu Side Of The Chadbourne (see May ‘2000 AAJ reviews), Bromio presents a clear snapshot of this exhilarating and thoroughly hard-core modern-jazz quartet. Based in Italy, “Zu” have become a notoriously eye-popping, hair-raising band who have been thrilling audiences throughout Europe and thanks to word-of-mouth and extensive touring abroad, the band is presently enjoying an elevated degree of popularity.

With Bromio, the ...

Zu & Eugene Chadbourne: The Zu Side Of The Chadbourne

by Glenn Astarita
April 1, 2000

You know you’re in for a major surprise when the CD artwork displays guitarist/composer and sometimes humorist, Dr. Eugene Chadbourne dressed up in garb that might insinuate he was some hierarchical luminary of the Catholic Church. - Along with snippets and graphics that contain religious overtones, the Italian band who go by the moniker of “Zu”, featuring guitarist Eugene Chadbourne have assembled a bold, adventurous and somewhat intimidating affair, titled The Zu Side Of The Chadbourne.

“Zu” is: Roy Paci; ...