This is an album in constant motion. It has a deceptive speed, like a slow river with a strong undertow. It makes sharp cuts and takes unexpected angles, crossing ground with an efficiency that gives the impression of quickness and the presence of lazy afternoons.
But the thing of it is, Stefano Battaglia‘s Songways is an early morning album for people who like to wake slowly to the new day. This is yet another modern jazz piano trio album released on the ECM Records label, in full embrace of the Nordic sound… drenched in serenity, respectful of the role of silence, and a lightness that could be mistaken for an ocean mist.
Your album personnel: Stefano Battaglia (piano), Salvatore Maiore (double bass), and Roberto Dani (drums).
But this is why generalizations only apply on a superficial level. Because the music here is not like all the rest of the ECM output. There is a motion to this music that swirls and curls and dips, ceaseless, never stopping to hover or rest or float insubstantially in place.
This is music that reveals its dynamic nature in hints and subtleties.
This is up-tempo music for daydreamers.
This is music that sparkles like diamonds in a night sky just before sleep.
Some of this music flows like water over smooth rocks. Some of this music crashes like rocks into a calm pool of water. Battaglia’s piano rarely takes a linear approach, instead creates a winding path that circumnavigates a direct passage. Maiore’s bass gurgles up from below the surface and fills the space between sounds before re-submerging. Dani’s drums offer conventional sound with an unpredictable pattern, his percussion the pitter patter of drops falling from the sky at different speeds and from varied distances. But in the end, ultimately, it embodies the motion of water. A slow unhurried pace with the strength to pull the listener in.
Fully immersed.
Forever in motion.
And free and beautiful as life on the water.
Released on the ECM Records label. It appears that you may be able to stream an album track (or more) at the ECM site, HERE.
Jazz from from Italy.
Available at eMusic. Available at Amazon: CD | MP3
Mar 12 2013
Stefano Battaglia Trio – “Songways”
But the thing of it is, Stefano Battaglia‘s Songways is an early morning album for people who like to wake slowly to the new day. This is yet another modern jazz piano trio album released on the ECM Records label, in full embrace of the Nordic sound… drenched in serenity, respectful of the role of silence, and a lightness that could be mistaken for an ocean mist.
Your album personnel: Stefano Battaglia (piano), Salvatore Maiore (double bass), and Roberto Dani (drums).
But this is why generalizations only apply on a superficial level. Because the music here is not like all the rest of the ECM output. There is a motion to this music that swirls and curls and dips, ceaseless, never stopping to hover or rest or float insubstantially in place.
This is music that reveals its dynamic nature in hints and subtleties.
This is up-tempo music for daydreamers.
This is music that sparkles like diamonds in a night sky just before sleep.
Some of this music flows like water over smooth rocks. Some of this music crashes like rocks into a calm pool of water. Battaglia’s piano rarely takes a linear approach, instead creates a winding path that circumnavigates a direct passage. Maiore’s bass gurgles up from below the surface and fills the space between sounds before re-submerging. Dani’s drums offer conventional sound with an unpredictable pattern, his percussion the pitter patter of drops falling from the sky at different speeds and from varied distances. But in the end, ultimately, it embodies the motion of water. A slow unhurried pace with the strength to pull the listener in.
Fully immersed.
Forever in motion.
And free and beautiful as life on the water.
Released on the ECM Records label. It appears that you may be able to stream an album track (or more) at the ECM site, HERE.
Jazz from from Italy.
Available at eMusic. Available at Amazon: CD
| MP3
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2013 Releases • 0