CARLO MOMBELLI
CARLO MOMBELLI Angels and Demons A 1 / In Search of the Holy Grail 2:42 2 / Pulses in the Centre of Silence 5:40 3 / The Ghost of Norcia 1:54 4 / The Ghost of Norcia - Part 2 2:20 5 / The Ritual of Memories 4:53 6 / Glissando 3:18 B
Carlo Mombelli lets loose his Additional musicians: Maria Mombelli / voice and tenor saxophone Janus van der Merwe / bass clarinet Peter Cartwright / piano on 'Like a Mouse in a Maze‘ and 'The Children of Aleppo‘ Susan Mouton / cello
ANGELS and DEMONS
1 / Athens 7:56 2 / The Spiral Staircase 4:43 3 / Like a Mouse in a Maze 1:32 4 / Children of Aleppo 4:25 5 / In the End we all Belong 2:57
Angels and Demons Assistant engineer: Luyanda Libala. Mixed and mastered by J.B. Arthur at Joe’s Garage, Johannesburg. August 2018.
All music composed and arranged by Carlo Mombelli. Published by Mombelli Music. Recorded by J.B. Arthur. Recorded at Sumo Sound studios in Johannesburg on the 15th and 16th July 2018. Produced by Carlo Mombelli.
Ink artwork by Gina Nelson.
The piano part of 'The Children of Aleppo‘ was recorded on the 25th June 2018.
Thanks to the Angels and Demons quartet, Kyle, Keenan and Jonno for the beautiful melodies, textures and colours you created. Peter Cartwright, thank you for capturing that piano part on ‘Like a Mouse in a Maze‘ and 'Children of Aleppo‘ with your beautiful playing. Thanks to Jo for recording and mixing the music as it sounded and Luyanda for assisting in capturing the sound. Big hugs to Rouleaux for making this Vinyl edition a reality. A special thanks to my two daughters, Gina for the beautiful ink artwork and Maria for your beautiful voice. Very proud Dad. Also, thank you Susan and Janus for your great input on this album. A big thanks to my wife Sandra for my inspiration. And lastly thanks to the National Research Foundation and Wits University for the help to make this recording possible. Peace and love to all of you.
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Carlo Mombelli’s latest release, Angels and Demons, is everything you would expect from the master bassist and composer.
One of South Africa’s most impressive jazz
Above: Angels and Demons album cover Carlo Mombelli PHOTO J Rees
innovators, his music has been described by the BBC as ‘hauntingly beautiful’.
I
n his 40-year career as a bass player, bandleader and composer, Carlo Mombelli has bridged gaps between genres, musicians and audiences. A self-taught musician, he has recorded and performed at many respected
festivals, including the Roma Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival,
Jonno Sweetman (drums). Also contributing musically
the Stockholm Jazz Festival, the German Moers, and the
are Carlo’s daughter Maria Mombelli (voice and tenor
Banlieues Bleues Festival, to name a few.
saxophone), Janus van der Merwe (bass clarinet), Peter
In addition to his over 100 recorded works and
Cartwright (piano on ‘Like a Mouse in a Maze’ and ‘The
performances with his own projects, Mombelli’s composition
Children of Aleppo’) and Susan Mouton (cello). Mombelli
commissions include more than 14 films/documentaries
himself is credited for ‘electric bass and voice and
and animations, music for a mobile game, commissions for
instrument sound designs’.
the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, piano music for the art
2018 has been a busy year for Carlo Mombelli. In
film Exquisite Corps, and his recent piece for the GRAMMY
addition to recording Angels and Demons, he has also been
Award-winning New York String Quartet, entitled ‘Ethel’.
touring the country with the Angels and Demons Quartet.
Of Angels and Demons, Mombelli says, ‘My new project is
He has been completing a book for Real African publishers
about my on-going search to create works of beauty between
entitled Pulses in the Centre of Silence – The Compositions
my Angels and Demons, works that explode out of these two
and Composition Process of Carlo Mombelli, which is also
opposites. It is an exploration of the positives and negatives
due for release this year. And that’s just what he has been
of everything. Striving for beauty in my art is my lifelong
busy with in South Africa. He performed his music with
quest and I put my projects together for this end.’
the Italian Euregio Ensemble at festivals in Switzerland,
Mombelli’s purpose with the project is to tell a story. ‘It
Austria and Italy; he debuted a new project at the Bird’s
is a story. At the end of a performance, the audience raptures
Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland, with Adrian Mears and
into applause or is in dead silence because the energy of the
Andreas Tchopp on trombones, with special guest Jorge
concept of the band is spiritual. I am always trying to find
Rossy on vibraphone; and he was a guest lecturer at the
the spiritual element in music.’
Basel Jazz School in Switzerland.
The recording features longtime Mombelli
Angels and Demons will be launched at the Norval
collaborators and renowned jazz musicians (named
Foundation in Tokai, Cape Town on Sunday 8 December. To
for this project as the Angels and Demons Quartet),
buy tickets, visit www.norvalfoundation.org or visit
Kyle Shepherd (piano), Keenan Ahrends (guitar) and
www.carlomombelli.co.za for more information. CF
16 / Creative Feel / December 2018 / January 2019
