Some Reviews: SEZU_Marcello Magliocchi/Adrian Northover/Phil Gibbs/Maresuke Okamoto http://www.adriannorthover.co.uk/Sezu_reviews.html THE RUNCIBLE QUINTET_Marcello Magliocchi/John Edwards/Adrian Northover/ Neil Metcalfe/Daniel Thompson GIANNI LENOCI QUARTET With WILLIAM PARKER_ SECRET GARDEN_SILTA Rec. CD / 2011 Gianni Lenoci - prepared & unprepared piano & mbira, William Parker - double bass, Gaetano Partipilo - alto sax and Marcello Magliocchi - drums. This disc was recorded live in Italy in February of 2010 and all of the pieces were composed by Gianni Lenoci. The saxist here, Gaetano Partipilo, you might recognize from various discs on the Soul Note and Auand labels. The title track is first and features a sly, simmering melody with Mr. Partipilo slowly bending each note of his sax as he plays the theme and takes a sublime yet spirited solo. Mr. Lenoci also takes a fine, laid back piano solo which reminds me of the way Dollar Brand used to play those sunny South African songs. For "A Palindrome Life" Lenoci sounds like he is playing a harpsichord when he puts something inside the piano. Even with those bent, muted notes in the center of the keyboard, Lenoci's piano solo here is completely mesmerizing! Gaetano's bittersweet tone sounds great as he sails through "Two Days in Amsterdam" with Lenoci sparkling layers of lines underneath. The longest and perhaps best piece is called "Mbira". It does feature an African thumb piano when it begins and sounds like the natural sounds of an African village. The quartet move into a hypnotic, repeating line groove which features Lenoci's exquisite prepared piano and Partipilo's swell spiraling alto solo. William Parker's mighty bass fits perfectly in this quartet throughout, a righteous choice indeed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery WILLIAM PARKER / GIANNI LENOCI / VITTORINO CURCI / MARCELLO MAGLIOCCHI_ SERVING AN EVOLVING HUMANITY_ SILTA Rec. CD / 2010 Ganni Lenoci ( piano & prepared piano ), Vittorino Curci ( soprano sax & megaphone ), Marcello Magliocchi ( drums & percussion ), William Parker ( double bass ). We got this germ in last year from our pal Aki and finally have copies to sell. Pianist Gianni Lenoci can be found on some half dozen discs on the Splasch label as well as on other italian labels like soul Note & Sentemo. Both Mr. Curci & Mr Maliocchi can be found on various discs on the Splasch label as well. Considering that I was not familiar with any of the musicians here except for William, I am astounded at how extraordinary this date is. There are free/jazz dates that just erupt and evolve spititually together and this is one! Right from the gitgo, the quartet is in full flight soaring intensely together. Wailing and sailing and reaching for the skies. Outstanding! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery GIANNI LENOCI 4tet feat. WILLIAM PARKER 'SECRET GARDEN ' ( SILTA RECORDS 2011 ) Giardino di segreti e di delizie. Registrato dal vivo nel 2010 , presso il Club 1799 di Acquaviva Delle Fonti ( Bari ). ' SECRET GARDEN ', è, senza mezzi termini, una meraviglia. Africa, Coltrane, il blues, scatti improvvisativi di matrice europea. Un quartetto strepitoso, catturato in una serata di particolare grazia. Sei composizioni di Gianni Lenoci ( piano, piano preparato, flauto africano e mbira ), eseguite in compagnia di William Parker ( contrabbasso ), Marcello Magliocchi ( batteria ),Gaetano Partipilo ( sax ). Sensuali passi di danza ( Secret Garden ), intenso raccoglimento ( A Palindrome Life ), sublime frenesia ( Two Day in Amsterdam ), morsi e avvitamenti ( Splinter ), Africa Africa Africa ( Mbira ), lucidissima scomposizione impro ( Variations ). Un' intensa esposizione di radici, un emotivo percorso, a ricordarci che, ogni cosa, ha avuto un principio, molto distante da noi. L'oggi è storia che parte da lontano. Pietra contro pietra ed atti d' infinito amore. " Secret Garden " parla di questo. Con fermezza e lucida passione. Marco Carcasi / Kathodik_ August 7th 2011 Reviews_ MC_Music for Sounding Sculptures in Twenthy-Three movements /Marcello Magliocchi L.P._Ninni Morgia/Marcello Magliocchi_Sound Gates ( www.ultramarinerecords.com ) -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Marcello Magliocchi non e' uno che ami far parlare di se'. Attivo fin dagli anni '70 nei circuiti dell'improvvisazione radicale, pur avendo suonato coi grandi nomi del settore (Evan Parker, Peter Kowald, Joelle Leandre, ma anche Mal Waldron e John Tchicai) e' davvero molto poco conosciuto. Un peccato poco meno che mortale, dati i risultati e le autentiche prodezze, emesse sempre sottovoce, di questo duetto del batterista barese col chitarrista Ninni Morgia.Quest'ultimo e' un nome ben noto, capace di muoversi in contesti diversi rimanendo sempre riconoscibile, ma va detto che a questo giro il catanese sembra quasi in disparte (forse volutamente) a fianco delle invenzioni percussive di Magliocchi, uno che gli strumenti se li fabbrica su misura. I due musicisti dialogano in una dimensione che si direbbe quasi subacquea, ruvida in superficie ma sempre malleabile sul fondale, lontanissima dal prendere qualsiasi forma riconoscibile. Rispetto al valido duetto di Morgia con William Parker, qui l'intesa pare ancora superiore e il suono (fatto di scorticature, zampilli elettrici, ritualita' metalliche) e' fluido e mai prevedibile, all'insegna di un impressionismo squarciato da dissesti controllati. Curioso e azzeccato l'artwork, molto simile alla cover di "A Saucerful Of Secrets" dei Pink Floyd, e va a finire che non e' nemmeno un caso. (7/8) Federico Savini, Blow Up Agosto 2011 -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- MARCELLO MAGLIOCCHI - MUSIC FOR SOUNDING SCULPTURES IN TWENTY-THREE MOVEMENST (cassette by Ultramarine Records)Last week we reviewed Marcello Magliocchi's record with Ninni Morgia, now the same label also releases a solo tape by him. In a tower in Tuscany there are sculptures made by Andrea Dami, made out of various metals such as iron, brass, copper, steel, aluminum along with strings, stones and gongs. I don't know if their function is to play them as percussion, but Magliocchi did and the result is twenty-three short pieces of percussion music. He explores, I guess, per piece a certain segment of a sculpture or perhaps the whole sculpture before moving onto somewhere else. Its great music, as Magliocchi is quite a gifted player, working with a great sense of sounds and timbre. Very dynamic, fast, slow, high and low pitches. At times ethnical, at times industrial. A bit like the old Harry Bertoia records, but also like Z'EV. Which made me think: maybe Ultramarine could do a whole series of these releases with different percussion players playing the same sculptures? This Magliocchi release would be a fine start. (FdW)( Vital Weekly - U.S.A. - Aug. 2011 ) -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- NINNI MORGIA & MARCELLO MAGLIOCCHI - SOUND GATES (LP by Ultramarine Records)A duo recording for guitar and drums, by two of Italy's finest improvisors, although I never heard of them before. Their eleven pieces here is a combination of really wild free jazz gestures, but, and those work better, also of some great introspective moments. The techniques used here are fairly 'normal': the guitar sounds like a real guitar, the drums like drums. But that's half the story: the pizzicato plucking of strings, the nervous playing of small percussive sounds, courtesy of UFIP (for which Marcello Magliocchi works), the addition of rock like effects, add a great energy to the record. Magliocchi likes his cymbals and uses them a lot, to create resonating, Bertoia like sound sculptures, bouncing of against the occasionally rock like guitar of Morgia. Quite a beast this one. Excellent to get more energy at the end of the day. (FdW) Vital Weekly_Aug. 2011 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- THE WIRE_( Aug. 2011 ) " The pair can build up quite a head of steam when they get going.." by Dan Warburton .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Ninni Morgia & Marcello Mgliocchi, “Sound Gates” LP September 2, 2011 By Peter Taylor _ www.foxydigitalis.com This is an absolutely crucial slab of wax from Ultramarine records who have previously put out some astounding efforts from the likes of UK’s Chora and, loopy Deutschlanders, Kommissar Hjuler and Mama Baer. For this LP Italian guitarist Ninni Morgia has teamed up with fellow Italian percussionist Marcello Magliocchi. Both musicians have been active in the field of improvised music and experimentalism playing with the likes of Evan Parker and Daniel Carter. The LP is housed in a great photo which evokes the fluidity and lyricism of the pair’s approach to performance. This is most definitely a record fit for vinyl; where the active ritual of listening, flipping the wax and hearing every crackle (due to my overused and dusty turntable!) adds to the whole experience. It is a tireless and difficult job to capture improvised music and create a feeling of endless possibility and live performance that such a method demands. Here all are achieved to vivacious affect. Both musicians assert themselves with strong voices without constricting one another; playing through varying speeds and volumes without arrogance or competition. There is a feeling of innate mutual understanding that can only come when two units are connected with both knowledge and a shared creative consciousness. Often the record remains as if teetered on a narrow ridge, searching in limited space, yet traversing expansive ground. Few clichés are used and the expansive approach is delivered with a minimal pallet through ingenious twists and turns. The quiet draws one in and the loud throws a bellow of sound that feels somewhat restrained in its aggression. It is the lack of juxtaposition and the oxymoronic expression that creates the jaw-dropping sound- scape. It must be something in the water, but a great point of reference would be Italy’s My Cat Is An Alien. The aforementioned duo have produced some of the greatest alien sounds and improvised dreamscapes I’ve heard and both Morgia and Magliocchi have most certainly matched this singular ability. The record begins with a minimal and quiet world of rattling leaves, alien warbles and feral strings. Lunar plucks are warped and wrangled with chattering percussion that tremors and tumbles alike. At times it’s like disrupting a muted data-stream of caustic tones, yet its acoustic nature allows for organic warmth to glow trough. Guitar and cymbal play a horny dance in some fucked tryst that is joined by a grinding rhythm. Then the guitar erupts in a ferocious explosion of metallic quality. Bleating electronics sing an ode to the terminal as the percussion gongs with abrasive hands. There is a pastoral lunacy that evokes both Technicolor landscapes and barren remnants of sparsely populated wastelands. The second side continues many of the same themes, collapsing into a decayed and fractious explosion of guitar that absolutely rocks. The final section has similarities to Loren Connors most dramatic explorations. This is most definitely one of the best improvised records you’ll hear this year. Massive thumbs up! Review on VITAL WEEKLY August 2011 _MARCELLO MAGLIOCCHI - MUSIC FOR SOUNDING SCULPTURES IN TWENTHY-THREE MOVEMENST (cassette by Ultramarine Records) Last week we reviewed Marcello Magliocchi's record with Ninni Morgia, now the same label also releases a solo tape by him. In a tower in Tuscany there are sculptures made by Andrea Dami, made out of various metals such as iron, brass, copper, steel, aluminum along with strings, stones and gongs. I don't know if their function is to play them as percussion, but Magliocchi did and the result is twenty-three short pieces of percussion music. He explores, I guess, per piece a certain segment of a sculpture or perhaps the whole sculpture before moving onto somewhere else. Its great music, as Magliocchi is quite a gifted player, working with a great sense of sounds and timbre. Very dynamic, fast, slow, high and low pitches. At times ethnical, at times industrial. A bit like the old Harry Bertoia records, but also like Z'EV. Which made me think: maybe Ultramarine could do a whole series of these releases with different percussion players playing the same sculptures? This Magliocchi release would be a fine start. (FdW)
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