FULVIO SIGURTA with Steve Swallow & Frederico Casagrande-The Oldest Living Thing
Cam Jazz Records – CAMJ 7886-2
Recorded and mixed in Cavalicco, Italy, 14th & 15th July 2014
Fulvio Sigurta (trumpet, flugelhorn) Steve Swallow (electric bass) Federico Casagrande (acoustic guitar)
There is a `music of the spheres` serenity about this peerless chamber jazz set that perhaps accounts for its cryptic title. The cover portrait appears to depict Sigurta , head held back, seeking transcendence in the sound generated by wind blowing through overhead cables, something similar perhaps to the primal and pure sounds that might have existed at the very beginning of time itself. There is, however, nothing cryptic or obscure about the music itself which communicates with a clarity of purpose that emphasises the beauty of harmony and seamless melody.
Sigurta and guitarist, Casagrande both come from a background of classical music leading to periods of jazz education in the USA and subsequent professional engagements with high profile contemporary figures as well as pursuing individual recording careers. This release is the trumpeter’s fourth recording for Cam Jazz. Steve Swallow, of course, needs no introduction having re-invented the sound of electric bass playing and followed a distinguished career in mainly small group settings where the emphasis has been on musical creativity & improvisational dialogue of a high order.
The music performed here draws on a number of influences but melds them together in way that preserves unity and form. There are no obvious eclectic shifts to disturb the flow and jolt the listener out of a general comfort zone but at the same time there is sufficient in the way tonal variation and improvisational incident to ward off any feelings of lassitude. Sigurta produces a beautifully mellow sound that employs the minimum amount of vibrato but manages a diversity of timbre that holds the listener’s attention throughout. Set against this the acoustic guitar harmonics, including the sound of the fret board mechanics, produce a brittle, metallic backdrop in accompaniment whilst the several extended solos recall the florid style of players like Segovia and Laurindo Almeida but without actually sounding Spanish or Brazilian. Indeed, the music , apart from a mellifluous version of Morricone’s `Nuovo Cinema Paradiso` doesn’t even sound overtly Italian but displays a neutral classicism incorporating organically generated lines of improvisational development . Even Swallow’s elegant solo contributions and restrained ostinati do nothing to usurp the prevailing mood by taking off in a Trans-Atlantic direction but serve to enhance the music’s fluent purpose.
Most of the pieces are elegiac and song –like in nature but there are a couple of brighter tunes which employ perky themes riding on choppy ostinati and punchy chord patterns. These are very welcome and neatly round out what is a most desirable recording and one that will bring great pleasure to those who enjoy beautifully executed music that has both melodic appeal and intellectual depth.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
Cam Jazz Records – CAMJ 7886-2
Recorded and mixed in Cavalicco, Italy, 14th & 15th July 2014
Fulvio Sigurta (trumpet, flugelhorn) Steve Swallow (electric bass) Federico Casagrande (acoustic guitar)
There is a `music of the spheres` serenity about this peerless chamber jazz set that perhaps accounts for its cryptic title. The cover portrait appears to depict Sigurta , head held back, seeking transcendence in the sound generated by wind blowing through overhead cables, something similar perhaps to the primal and pure sounds that might have existed at the very beginning of time itself. There is, however, nothing cryptic or obscure about the music itself which communicates with a clarity of purpose that emphasises the beauty of harmony and seamless melody.
Sigurta and guitarist, Casagrande both come from a background of classical music leading to periods of jazz education in the USA and subsequent professional engagements with high profile contemporary figures as well as pursuing individual recording careers. This release is the trumpeter’s fourth recording for Cam Jazz. Steve Swallow, of course, needs no introduction having re-invented the sound of electric bass playing and followed a distinguished career in mainly small group settings where the emphasis has been on musical creativity & improvisational dialogue of a high order.
The music performed here draws on a number of influences but melds them together in way that preserves unity and form. There are no obvious eclectic shifts to disturb the flow and jolt the listener out of a general comfort zone but at the same time there is sufficient in the way tonal variation and improvisational incident to ward off any feelings of lassitude. Sigurta produces a beautifully mellow sound that employs the minimum amount of vibrato but manages a diversity of timbre that holds the listener’s attention throughout. Set against this the acoustic guitar harmonics, including the sound of the fret board mechanics, produce a brittle, metallic backdrop in accompaniment whilst the several extended solos recall the florid style of players like Segovia and Laurindo Almeida but without actually sounding Spanish or Brazilian. Indeed, the music , apart from a mellifluous version of Morricone’s `Nuovo Cinema Paradiso` doesn’t even sound overtly Italian but displays a neutral classicism incorporating organically generated lines of improvisational development . Even Swallow’s elegant solo contributions and restrained ostinati do nothing to usurp the prevailing mood by taking off in a Trans-Atlantic direction but serve to enhance the music’s fluent purpose.
Most of the pieces are elegiac and song –like in nature but there are a couple of brighter tunes which employ perky themes riding on choppy ostinati and punchy chord patterns. These are very welcome and neatly round out what is a most desirable recording and one that will bring great pleasure to those who enjoy beautifully executed music that has both melodic appeal and intellectual depth.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
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