Classical Jazz “The musicians who played on Totem are all long time friends and musicians of whom I have a deep esteem. They are Tommaso Iacoviello on flugelhorn, Simone Alessandrini on sax, Nazareno Caputo on vibraphone, Manuel Magrini on piano and Giovanni Paolo Liguori on drums. When I thought about giving a name to this album I was looking for an image, a symbol, that could be deeply representative of the music that I had written. Being my musical sources and experiences so much variegated, I needed something that could synthesize it as a whole. Then, the image of the Totem came to my mind. Artistically, this album represents an important step for me. It is my first work as a leader, entirely thought and written following a personal process. I let myself free in writing music and I got inspired by different sources and directions; in this sense, I feel it is music with no limitations. My love for jazz, my classical composition studies, and the love for contemporary music have melted naturally, without forgetting a continuous search for melody, even in the most dissonant contexts. Getting to the point of writing and realizing this album has been a long but really joyful work for me.” Which other projects are you working on at the moment? “In 2023 my new album “Invisible Painters” will be out. It was recorded with musicians like Elias Stemeseder (pianist of the Jim Black Trio, Philipp Gropper’s Philm, John Zorn), Federico Calcagno (Top Jazz 2020, among the protagonists of the Italian and Dutch scene) on bass clarinet and Evita Polidoro (Enrico Rava, Dee Dee Bridgewater) on drums. We created an original mix of genre blending music, taking inspiration from various sources, from John Hollenbeck, Craig Taborn and Kenny Wheeler to Oliver Messiaen, passing through Aphex Twin. On the album one track features also the amazing Christine Ott on the rare instrument Ondes Martenot, which she played and recorded with musicians as Yann Tiersen and Radiohead. After Totem I felt the need to explore new sound territories and to mix my interest in electronic music with improvisation. I am also part of a few bands as a sideman with which we should be touring in 2023 and part of the trio Phylum of Nazareno Caputo, which was awarded in 2021 as Best Debut Album by the New York City Jazz Record.” What are your plans for the future? “Mostly working on the release, touring and promotion of my new album. I am also writing the music for a new project that was commissioned to me by an Accordion Festival, but I don’t want to say much about it for now. I plan to tour more and more and I really would love to be able to bring my music to the United States. It is not easy to organize tours in the USA but I hope to find before or after someone willing to support my project and invite me there!” 62
Spring 2023 - The Gendre issue
