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Italian
composer Franco Degrassi and saxophonist Gianni Lenoci spent some time
in the US in the spring of 2001. 16 is the recording of a single
50-minute live improvisation performed at Focal Point in St. Louis, MO
on May 16. Lenoci plays a bit of piano in addition to his sax. Degrassi
is credited for “mixed tapes," but it is difficult to know from
the recording alone what it really means, especially if he works with
pre-recorded tapes or if he is recording Lenoci and processing his
sounds in real time (a technique Costs Drygianakis has also been
developing with reel-to-reel tape machines). It may be both, but the
pair obviously aims at blurring the distinctions between reality and
virtuality. They also make extensive use of space and silence; some
passages consist of isolated sound events. But they don't turn
minimalism into a rule: other moments present plenty of action. It is
this variety in dynamics that allows the listener to remain interested
for the whole duration of the piece, but one must admit that the best
interaction happens somewhere in-between the Radu Malfatti-like use of
silence and the busiest moments. That said, the performance remains
somewhat cold all the way through, interesting in its mechanisms but
hardly engaging like Polwechsel's pieces can sometimes be.
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Pay close attention to that title as you
"assume th' position" (with yer' headphones on, of course)... if you
haven't listened closely to our insect friends recently, this is what
they are saying! Mixed tapes from Franco, piano & sax from Gianni,
blended in a most fascinating manner.... but, you NEED to be the kind of
listener who goes deep into sonic tapestries in order to appreciate what
they've done here. There is only one comp on the CD, "16". Very
sensitive interplay, making careful use of the "silent spaces" to
emphasize the ebb and flow of their aural adventures. I would not expect
that you'll be playing this at your next lawn party (unless all the
guests are on blue-dot), or for your grandmother's wedding... but it
would go exceedingly well as an instrument for wrecking the political
machines around the world (heh! heh!). Listeners who get extreme
satisfaction from music that delves deep into the psyche will agree with
my rating of HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... those with ears that can't accept
challenge may not. GREAT CD! |
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The label Ants has released a wonderful
series of works by Italian and other experimental artists who are well
worth exploring. This recording features one fifty-minute track of a
masterful improvisation by Degrassi on mixed tapes and Lenoci on piano
and sax. What sets this recording apart is the sensitivity of both
performers. Although full of squeaks, rattles, rustles, and squawks,
each is delicately placed amid the shifting clouds of amorphous layers
of tape. Devoid of cathartic expletives, this is sophisticated
improvisation for discerning ears. |
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