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Francesco Turrisi: Songs of Experience
ByDrummer Joao Luis Lobowho has collaborated with trumpeter Enrico Rava and pianist Giovanni Guidishowed on Fotografia that he plays more like an improvising percussionist than a conventional drummer and his very unpredictability is a key element in the trio chemistry. While Lobo's subtle atmospherics are keenly felt throughout, the main rhythmic pulse often stems from Turrisi's compelling ostinatos. This set-up is heard and felt to great effect on "Nel Mezzo"; Turrisi's motif never wavers for the full six minutes, conveying almost Hitchcock-esque suspense under Sigurtà's sweetly melancholic melody, while Lobo's wonderfully impressionistic accents rustle and stir like an unexpected breeze.
"Uppon Lamire"an anonymous 16th century keyboard pieceis a gently voiced duet between Turrisi and Sigurtà and acts like a coda to "Nel Mezzo," fading out teasingly. "Le (Lullaby for Aoife Naima)" begins as a tender ballad with Turrisi's susurrus lyricism central; an edgier vein gradually intrudes, with trumpet sounding strident and piano and drums restless, before Sigurtà and then Turrisi restore calm by revisiting the pretty opening melody. Sigurtà's muted drawl of a solo on "Incubo n.1" is peppered with squeaks, growls and kissing noises. Lobo's slow rhythm and Turrisi's prodding of the piano innards lend atmospheric support and the whole thing conjures a heat-drunk desert caravan.
"Toccata Arpeggiata nello Stile Cromatico" is a mouthful of a title for a lovely, classically influenced piece for piano and trumpet, with Lobo's pressed rolls a rumbling sotto voce presence. The striking "Incubo n.2" is based around Turrisi's succession of single notes and Sigurtà's mournful melody, though Lobo's minimal interventionsdrum and cymbal shots in isolationhave an undoubtedly dramatic effect. "Incubo n.3" is a darker piece, with muted trumpet, damped piano strings and percussive rummaging creating unease.
"Birth"an intoxicating slow bluesstems from a simple piano motif and Lobo's gently employed mallets. Turrisi's solohis most extended of the setis spare and haunting; Sigurtà's blues-drenched phrasing is bolder, but for the most part pianist and trumpeter converse in intimate, compelling manner. With hints of the Middle East, the Maghreb and medieval choral tradition, the episodic "Canto" shares a little of Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil's penchant for mining the confluence of influences where diverse cultures meet. Melodic and dynamic, there is however, no clue that a delightful coda follows a full minute of silence at what appears to be the song's end.
With deeply personal music that is at once serene and edgy, soothing and yet always emotionally engaging, Turrisi has crafted an original work that is simply sublime.
Track Listing
Nel Mezzo; Uppon Lamire; Le (Lullaby for Aoife Naima); Incubo n.1; Toccata Arpeggiata nello Stile Cromatico; Incubo n.2; Birth; Incubo n.3; Canto.
Personnel
Francesco Turrisi
pianoFrancesco Turrisi: piano; Fulvio Sigurtà: trumpet & flugelhorn; João Lobo: drums.
Album information
Title: Songs of Experience | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Taquin Records
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About Francesco Turrisi
Instrument: Piano
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