Gabriele Mitelli Three Tsuru Origami: Colapesce

The second release from Gabriele Mitelli's Three Tsuru Origami ensemble shifts from the literal to the symbolic, expanding both in concept and personnel. Their debut, Three Tsuru Origami (We Insist!, 2022), was a meditation on birds and migration. This follow-up, Colapesce, draws inspiration from the 12th-century Sicilian legend of a half-man, half-fish who sacrifices himself to save his island. The tale, a fixture of Mediterranean folklore, resurfaced in pop culture through the 1964 film The Incredible Mr. Limpet, in which Don Knotts' meek bookkeeper-turned-fish ends up helping defeat the Nazis. While the film takes a whimsical approach, Colapesce is steeped in deeper, more contemplative waters.

Initially, a trio pairing Mitelli's trumpet, saxophone and electronics with the revered British rhythm section of bassist John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders, this incarnation of the ensemble expands to a quartet with the addition of Argentinian tenor saxophonist Camila Nebbia. The result is a broader dynamic range and a richer harmonic vocabulary.

Mitelli might be seen as a European counterpart to American cornetist and sonic explorer Rob Mazurek. Both artists work across the acoustic-electronic divide, each pushing their instruments into new expressive territories. Their creative paths have even crossed on collaborative releases like Star Splitter (Clean Feed, 2019) and Star Splitter: Medea (We Insist!, 2024).

With seasoned veterans Edwards and Sanders anchoring the group and rising force Nebbia contributing both muscle and sensitivity on saxophone, Mitelli crafts an evocative sonic narrative. The fifteen compact pieces deftly balance composed form and spontaneous invention. The title track sets the tone with Mitelli's fluttering piccolo trumpet and Nebbia's overblown saxophone engaged in a frantic dialogue, underpinned by Edwards' forceful string plucks and Sanders' kinetic percussion. The longer "The King and the Challenge" builds tension as the four voices spiral outward, only to be drawn back into a unified statement—a testament to their collective intuition.

Many of the pieces are miniatures, but none feel underdeveloped. Instead, the brevity allows for vivid, focused expressions. On "Shadows in the Depths," Mitelli and Nebbia first communicate through breath and brass before shifting to spoken word, creating a layered, impressionistic narrative. "Voices of the Sea" pairs ambient electronics with Edwards' resonant bass and spare percussion, while "Songs of Sea and Land" contrasts militaristic drumming with honking, overblown saxophone and smeared trumpet tones.

Through its mythological lens, Colapesce dives deep into themes of sacrifice, transformation, and rebirth—using improvisation not just as a vehicle for musical expression, but as a means to evoke the fluid mysteries of the sea itself. This is a recording that invites repeated listening, revealing new details with each immersion.