Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Michael Rossetto: Intermodal Blues

1

Michael Rossetto: Intermodal Blues

By

View read count
Michael Rossetto: Intermodal Blues
Michael Rossetto is a self-taught banjoist and guitarist, whose musical travels have taken him into global music. The focus of Intermodal Blues is the five string banjo, an instrument steeped in traditional American folk and bluegrass music. But Rosetto finds his inspirations elsewhere: in the West African kora and other instruments that were ancestors to the modern banjo; in neo-classical music; and in Italian/Sicilian/Tunisian music.

The title track opens the album with the connection to West Africa. Driven by banjo and overdriven guitar, it has a groove reminiscent of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré and American guitarist/producer Ry Cooder on Talking Timbuktu (World Circuit, 1993). "Three on the Five" features Jim Anton's doshpuluur (a fretless long-necked Tuvan lute) as a foil to the banjo, and a shift to an almost neoclassical style, the banjo part reminiscent of a classical guitar.

As the title implies, "Infrica" returns to a more African sound. It features Rossetto's acoustic guitar, in a reflective mood (as well as echoed electric guitar swells for accompaniment). "Something Familiar" goes into more familiar bluegrass territory, the banjo in dialog with Anton's tres (a small Cuban guitar with double courses, placing the sound somewhere in between the guitar and the mandolin). He traces the migration of his parents from the Italian alps in northern Italy through Sicily to Tunis on the two-part sequence "Down from Moncenisia" and "Ferry to Tunis." These tracks again feature the doshpuluur in dialog with the banjo (and the guitar, which is prominently used on the second track). "Magari" concludes the album with a lyrical banjo tune, played more like fingerstyle guitar than bluegrass.

Rossetto has a unique voice on the banjo, but the real star here is the group's approach to his compositions. It is an engaging sound, favoring the big picture over individual virtuosity, and spotlights an interesting blend of (mostly) acoustic instruments as well. A most enjoyable album, and a significant contribution to the "world music" genre.

Track Listing

Intermodal Blues; Three on the Five; Infrica; Smething Familiar; Thornward & Heartland; Two from still; Down from Moncenisio; Ferry to Tunis; Magari.

Personnel

Michael Rossetto: banjo, guitars; JT Bates: drums, percussion; Chris Bates: bass; Jim Anton: doshpuluur, tres.

Album information

Title: Intermodal Blues | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Shifting Paradigm Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.