Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Andrea Centazzo, Moon in Winter, for Quintet


Today we continue our survey of the recent recordings of drummer-percussionist-composer Andrea Centazzo, this time out with his quintet doing Moon in Winter (Ictus 155). The emphasis is on a distinctive ensemble blend, a compositional thrust, and improvisations that go a long way to establish the identity of the players--Andrea on perc-drums and kat mallet, Dave Ballou, trumpet, Daniel Barbiero on double bass, Nobu Stowe at the piano, and Achille Succi on alto, clarinets and shakuhachi.

Ensemble pieces alternate with three "Winter Duets," the latter featuring Centazzo and trumpet, flute, and piano, respectively.

This is yet another example of the orchestral range and sonor brilliance of Andrea the complete percussionist. He again uses a full battery of instruments to vary his sound color and does it with his own phrasing and sense of control. The other soloists are inspired to contribute something equally distinctive as well.

But in the end it is the overall sound of this ensemble and its Zen-like attention to sonic ambiance and thrust that shows Centazzo to have mastered the full presentation, his sidemen to have in turn been inspired to nail their contributions right on the head, so to speak.

This is music of space, music of sound color, music with an almost Asiatic sense of focus and concentration, music of singular light.

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