Margorani / Newhouse / Zenoni — Beauty Is in the Distance

Margorani / Newhouse / Zenoni — Beauty Is in the Distance
(ADN DNN 006 C, 2016, CD)

Guitarist Luciano Margorani has been active in the Italian experimental music scene since the mid-80s, as a solo artist, as a member of La 1919, Ferdinando Farao’s Archipel Orchestra, and Fracture, as well as collaborations with the likes of Chris Cutler, Derek Bailey, Elliott Sharp, Henry Kaiser, Ferdinand Richard, Bruno Meillier, Charles Hayward, Giovanni Venosta, Roberto Musci, Gregg Bendian, and many others. For this 40-minute improvisation he has teamed up with his drummer from La 1919, Federico Zenoni, laying down the basic track, and invited The Muffins’ Dave Newhouse to lay down additional tracks of clarinet, bass clarinet, and keyboards to complete the piece. Launching somewhere on the rock side of fusion, the initial burst of energy is a powerful trio of guitar, electric piano, and drums, winding down into some interesting percussive play with strange noise accompniment. While the piece is indeed 40 minutes non-stop, there are a number of index points breaking it down into nine distinct sections, the second of which is slower paced, introducing the bass clarinet to the overall mix over bursts of sparkling electric piano, leading directly into a playful conversation between guitars and bass clarinet, with Zenoni’s drums erupting into splendid chaotic brilliance midway through. By the beginning of the fourth section we are again in a more laid-back mode with a conversation between drums and piano, with guitar adding the highlights as the piece builds. These alternating and contrasting dynamics that follow through the piece with different instrumentation taking lead roles at different times as it goes is the glue that holds it all together and keeps the piece interesting from beginning to end. While there are many highly energized full-throttle sections to grab the listener by the jugular, with repeated listens the beauty of the slower parts where there is a more spacious approach come to light and reveal themselves (all of section six, and a good chunk of section eight, for example) for their subtle and magical intensity. All taken, as far as improvisation goes, Beauty Is in the Distance is firing on all cylinders for its entire 40 minute duration.

by Peter Thelen, Exposè, Published 2016-11-30

AVANT-JAZZ-PROG

FEDERICO ZENONI – DAVE NEWHOUSE – LUCIANO MARGORANI

Beauty is in the distance 

CD – ADN – 1t-39:48

Un tempo registrare a distanza con altri musicisti era operazione difficoltosa e inconsueta ma oggi, con la rapidità di trasmissione dati della rete, è solo una delle molte opzioni a disposizione. Il chitarrista Luciano Margorani, dopo un album in trio con la collaborazione “telematica” di Chris Cutler, ha pensato di coinvolgere allo stesso modo Dave Newhouse, tastierista/fiatista leader dei Muffins, considerati i “cugini americani” degli Henry Cow. Col batterista Federico Zenoni, il musicista milanese ha approntato quindi in presa diretta una lunga traccia tra avant-jazz e prog, quaranta minuti di passaggi cangianti tra concitate ed estrose improvvisazioni, complesse strutture alla Rock In Opposition, climi rarefatti da musica contemporanea e liriche aperture un po’ alla King Crimson. Su questo canovaccio già estremamente coeso, Newhouse ha poi inserito dal suo studio negli USA sostanziose parti di tastiere elettriche e clarinetto, riuscendo a calarsi nel mood della registrazione al punto che il lavoro pare a tutti gli effetti il frutto di un live trio. Con giocatori di questo stampo, distante è bello.

(7)

Vittore Baroni – Blow Up

Collaborazione a distanza con esito prodigioso: Beauty Is In The Distance, di Luciano Margorani e Federico Zenoni con Dave Newhouse. Esce ora per ADN/ArtistiDel900, e potrebbe esserci presto una seconda puntata…

Spiega Newhouse: “When Luciano asked me if I’d like to add some tracks to an improvisation of his, I naturally said yes (I’m always open to making music with my overseas friends). I was shocked, however, when he sent the reference track for me to load onto my studio software; it was over 40 minutes long! And it was one complete entity! Listening back to it, I realized that he and Federico had recorded this monster live, together, in one sitting. It was clear that the two of them already shared a very strong musical bond. But what really grabbed my attention was how structured it seemed to be; it had many varied musical elements, moments, and stages already enmeshed in it – powerful jazz rock sections, quiet modern classical bits, straight up jazz improvisation, moments of RIO, etc. And the pacing of it came off as very natural. It seemed to breathe as it moved along. I decided early on that I wanted my tracks to sound like I was also right in the room with them as they played, to try to come off as natural as Luciano and Federico already sounded together. I hope I succeeded in that.”

Sergio Amadori – Hibou, Anemone & Bear

FEDERICO ZENONI/DAVE NEWHOUSE/LUCIANO MARGORANI, Beauty is in the distance (2016)

Interessante trio quello formato da Federico Zenoni alla batteria e percussioni, Luciano Margorani alla chitarra (entrambi provenienti dai La1919) e Dave Newhouse (The Muffins) alle tastiere e al clarinetto, autori di questo Beauty is in the distance, album formato da una suite divisa in movimenti per un totale di circa 40 minuti sperimentali e dal piglio free. Ci sono similitudini con i due gruppi madre, soprattutto per la voglia di creare improvvisando, in libertà, con naturalezza e una certa sfrontatezza. L’album è chiaramente indirizzato a chi non si pone troppi paletti e ha una certa predisposizione per strutture di questo tipo, suonate con efficienza da esponenti colti, forti di un percorso lungo e articolato. Beauty is in the distance è un’entità che si muove tra R.I.O., avant e jazz e come da tradizione ha estremo bisogno di ascolti attenti per essere recepito totalmente, una musica totale, complessa e che non si piega a compromessi. La struttura a suite ha dato modo di creare un’autentica partitura di più elementi, con potenti sezioni jazzate, passaggi minimalisti, improvvisazioni e progressive, il tutto con il piglio autorevole di chi conosce a memoria l’ardita materia. Alcuni passaggi meno fluidi divengono comprensibili all’interno di un disegno più grande in cui non si pongono limiti al pensiero, dove tutto diviene istantanea di un flusso momentaneo, esperienza aleatoria, affascinante nel suo essere imperfetta.

Luigi Cattaneo – ProgressivaMente