|
|
|
|
|
|
Now Is
 |
|
|
|
| REVIEW | SOURCE | REVIEWER | |
| Spirited improvisation marks the offering of soprano saxophonist Joe
Giardullo and his quartet on Now Is. Master brass and reed authority Joe McPhee is
on board, as are stellar bassist Mike Bisio and fiery drummer Toni Tabbal. Together, the
four artists stretch it out in free time with music that provides a kick through its high
energy level and intermittent mood swings. The program crosses through various tempo changes, yet the concept of perpetual motion remains prevalent throughout. Individual solos meld into multifaceted ensemble sections where each musician has the latitude to create a new vision. All the tunes are the result of spontaneous group participation. The program flows as one long, uninterrupted journey into the land of discovery, although there are seven titles reflecting alterations in group configuration or mindset. Giardullo is in an adventurous mode for this date. He takes his soprano saxophone on a wild chase through a maze of intricacies that always resolve logically. Giardullo’s tone compared to McPhee’s on soprano is very distinguishable. McPhee’s sound is soulful, while Giardullo’s is gleeful. When not playing soprano saxophone, McPhee concentrates on pocket trumpet or flugelhorn. He swirls through his brass improvisations with a jaunty stride in his step. McPhee’s opening run on “SCINT” starts a horserace that finds Giardullo joining the merry chase. When they combine efforts, the temperature rises significantly in joyous celebration of this creative art. Tabbal assumes the role of a dynamo with this band. He pushes consistently and motivates the others to reach their full potential. Bisio likewise charges forward, although he shows his sensitive side on “O.A.O.L.” with a heartfelt arco solo. This brings Giardullo into the same reverent sphere along with Tabbal. Although the pace is slower, the same level of dynamic interchange and complexity exists. “Spring Theory” initially takes a somewhat passive stance, with both Giardullo and McPhee musing pensively until Tabbal and Bisio light a fire to thrust the band into a swirling vortex of communal sound. The set closes with a duet between McPhee and Tabbal. Ritualistic rhythms guide McPhee on flugelhorn as the two trod on hallowed ground. This recording presents four top-shelf artists in an open arena where creativity is the only ground rule. The level of playing is off the chart, and the music becomes a bountiful theater of satisfaction. |
Frank Rubolino |
||
| Third effort by the excellent Giardullo on this
label, "Now Is" presents four musicians at their very expressive high. Starting
with the swinging, jazzy outburst - with a " full freedom" imprint - of the
title track, the record guarantees skill and heart in enormous doses in the following
pieces, where the magnificent eruptions and flights of the saxes and the deep inquiries of
Joe McPhee's pocket trumpet's lines are perfectly at ease with a rhythm section
consistently imaginative and turbulent when the right moment comes. While Joe Giardullo and Joe McPhee are those kind of masters you can always trust because they'll NEVER fail to produce emotional moments, I'd just like to take my hat off in front of the technical capability and soulful equilibrium of a great bassist, Mike Bisio; last but not least, the scintillating drumming (not to mention his djembe) of Tani Tabbal also deserves a spot in the light - that very light that surely was caressing the heads of these four gentlemen while recording this beauty. A must for lovers of contemporary jazz. |
Massimo Ricci |
||
| Spontaneity in music doesn’t have
to come at the cost of order. In other words, Janis Joplin was wrong when she sang
“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” Saxophonist Joe Giardullo’s return to music 12 years ago at the urging of his friend and musical partner Joe McPhee has resulted in the rediscovery of two of creative music’s modern giants. Their last recording, Shadow & Light (Drimala 2002), recorded while the events of September 11 were unfolding, is an eerie and beautiful commentary on the fragility of our life on this planet. With Now Is, Giardullo assembles the same cast plus drummer Tani Tabbal for more virtuous music making. The disc opens with fifteen and a half minutes of firebrand playing. Tabbal and bassist Mike Bisio jet into a straight hard groove that urges McPhee and Giardullo to play catch up. They respond with passionate runs of energy. About halfway through the opener, the rhythm section pulls the emergency brake, testing their mates' attentiveness. What follows is a dissection and introspection with an energy wave bowed solo by Bisio and some nifty hand drumming. This title track reminds one of playing the entire side one of an LP of "new thing" jazz circa 1969. The rub comes when you realize there are six more tracks and plenty of music to follow. Giardullo assembles the quartet three more times, twice engages a trio, and finally the last track, a processional duo “Close” by McPhee’s somber flugelhorn with Tabbal’s mallets. While nothing reaches the intensity of the title track, the remainder of the music focuses on separating the different musical parts for an amazingly clear recording. Joe McPhee skids his pocket trumpet across the dancing bass lines of Bisio on “SCINT,” while Giardullo sails over the entire affair. These players have the ability to convey a visceral sense of emotion and ordered freedom (not an oxymoron) in their playing that is effortless for listeners to respond to. |
Mark Corroto |
||
| Second superb release from Joe's great quartet featuring Joe. G. on soprano sax, Joe McPhee on trumpets & soprano sax, Mike Bisio on contrabass and Tani Tabbal on drums & djembe. After a number of fine releases with fellow upstate New Yorker Joe McPhee, Mr. Giardullo moves into the spotlight with his third cd as a leader. The exciting title track opens with the quartet soaring at a quick and frenzied pace, the soprano and flugel swirling together as the rhythm team erupts below. Both horns solo and explode together, building in intensity, taking their time to ascend as the busy bass and drums flow quickly as one force of nature. There is a rather somber beauty to this as the quartet organically weave through hills and valleys and sail through the world of magical improv. There a couple of superb trio pieces for Giardullo, Bisio and Tabbal, as well as an enchanting duo for McPhee and Tabbal to close out this grand journey of excellent spiraling spirits. A transcendent gift from the gods. | |||
1. La sesión comienza vigorosa, con un ritmo ágil y acelerado, marcado por el contrabajo de Michael Bisio y el golpeteo polirrítmico de Tani Tabbal. Por encima de este discurrir que augura un buen camino, Joe Giardullo y Joe McPhee, al saxo soprano y a la trompeta de juguete, frasean libremente sobreponiendo sucesivas líneas melódicas. El tema base es un simple punto de partida que va siendo desarrollado espontáneamente. Poco a poco, el fuego se vuelve más suave para que Giardullo pueda conversar más tranquilamente con la sección rítmica. McPhee se une al círculo de amigos alternando solos con Giardullo, tras lo cual ambos se apartan para dejar paso a un breve solo de contrabajo de Bisio, señal que marca la vuelta del cuarteto que asume las posiciones iniciales. Nueva pausa para relajarse, McPhee crea un nuevo motivo, surge Giardullo que responde en sintonía. Bisio, atento, va tras sus pasos barriendo el espacio con el arco. Se puede sentir la mirada y el oído atento de los otros músicos a medida que Bisio describe líneas circulares des-concéntricas, que aumentan su intensidad, color y dramatismo, subrayadas por breves intervenciones de Tabbal. Giardullo se aproxima y se lanza inspirado por una frase de Bisio. Sólo McPhee se queda fuera escuchando, seguido de Bisio, ambos dejando un espacio para el entendimiento entre el soprano y la percusión. Entra ahora la trompeta de bolsillo para resumir la conversación y dejar que sea Tabbal el encargado de cerrar. Termina el primer tema. 2. Abre Giardullo al soprano. La inspiración parece provenir de Ornette, atemperada por unos toques orientales. Se oyen las escobillas de Tabbal acentuadas por algún que otro disperso golpe de bombo. Se une a ellos Bisio en el acompañamiento y estalla la improvisación libre, una vez expuesto el tema inicial. Son tres voces en plano de igualdad que se explayan a voluntad durante cerca de cinco minutos, sugiriendo la frescura del agua que fluye. 3. Vuelve el cuarteto. Al frente, viene Giardullo a paso lento pero ligero. Marca el camino a seguir. McPhee toca con él como si ambos fuesen un único saxo soprano, tanta es la simbiosis que logran. Vibra una cuerda del contrabajo, suelta. Tras un toque de tambor, la música progresa, lenta y misteriosa. Bisio demuestra ser el contrabajista ideal para este tipo de ambiente. McPhee dibuja arabescos al saxo soprano y devuelve de inmediato la palabra a Bisio, introspectivo y soñador, un poeta del contrabajo. Tabbal recurre de nuevo a las escobillas. Los vientos vuelven a escena con perfume de especias. Redobla un tambor y con él se oyen frases breves y sinuosas de los sopranos que se desvanecen en el tiempo. 4. McPhee irrumpe con la trompeta, enérgico y anguloso en un mano a mano con Bisio. Llaman a Giardullo. No lo sabíamos, pero esa era la antesala del tema fuerte que sigue, con McPhee abriendo el camino, invitando a sus compañeros a nuevas aventuras. Y es Bisio quien cierra la puerta. 5. El propio Bisio abre el tema siguiente. El tempo es lento, primero en pizzicatto y luego con el arco. De las intervenciones solistas que se oyeron hasta ahora, esta es la más interesante del contrabajista. Entran Giardullo al mismo tiempo con las escobillas de Tabbal. La melodía de este tema es muy parecida a la del segundo. Calma, tranquilidad e introspección. Da la sensación que cada tema de este cd, si fuese explorado en sus infinitas posibilidades, daría para otros tantos discos. Pero el arte de Giardullo y McPhee está también hecho de capacidad de concentración y economía de medios. Tabbal vuelve al asunto inicial, sin volver a pisar (salvo las cuerdas) el mismo terreno, dando a entender que, después de lo que acaba de decir, todo lo que siguiese dejaría de tener sentido. Y así es, ya que el tema se desvanece un poco más adelante. 6. Nuevo diálogo Giardullo/Bisio con un tempo idéntico al del tema anterior. Tani Tabbal utiliza un set de batería convencional, utilizado en toda su extensión con sabiduría y sensibilidad. Giardullo, estimulado, incrementa la voz del saxo soprano y eleva el tono del discurso musical. Hay aquí un tipo de energía similar al del tema que abre el disco. McPhee entra para calmar los ánimos y hacer que vuelva la quietud del atardecer que ahora vivimos. "Vamos adelante", le dice Giardullo que recupera nuevamente la fuerza inicial, con McPhee convencido, que se une a la fiesta. Es con este material con el que se hacen los grandes discos. 7. Último tema. La coda. Una elegía emocionante creada por Joe McPhee (fliscornio) e Tani Tabbal (batería con mazas), en una tonalidad más oscura y un registro más grave. Cadencia de marcha, triste y hermosa. Parece querer evocar a alguien o un acontecimiento importante. Me sugiere un campo de batalla, una vez acabada la lucha en el que sólo hay destrucción, desolación y pérdida. McPhee es la corneta que homenajea a aquellos que cayeron en el campo de batalla, acompañado por el tambor de Tabbal que de repente deja de redoblar. Miré el título del tema: "Close". Sensación de partida, de despedida, que obliga a resistir. Este segundo cd del cuarteto de Joe Giardullo es un disco luminoso, muy diferente de los tonos más sombríos que marcaron el anterior Shadow and Light. La comunicación entre Giardullo y McPhee es total en ambos episodios. En términos emocionales, Now Is va de la alegría más vibrante a la tristeza más profunda. Dan ganas de volver al principio y escuchar de nuevo a estas dos almas gemelas, el negro y el blanco, en sentido real y figurado, que se complementan y respiran una sola música. |
Tomajazz |
Eduardo Chagas |
|
| Giardullo's Shadow & Light quartet returns with Now Is. Whereas the group's self-titled debut was informed by the emotions of the day it was recorded - September 11, 2001 - their latest release conveys the quietude of dawn, the energy of daylight, and the contemplativeness of night. Giardullo focuses on soprano sax, and Joe McPhee interjects on pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, and his own soprano. Balancing Giardullo and McPhee's uncanny communications are Mike Bisio's sweeping bass and Tani Tabbal's impressionist drumming. It's Tabbal who most often establishes the compositional tone with rhythms that evoke the humidity of a lagoon at dawn, or the languorous heat of the African desert. This is music that puts the listener in an earthy, primordial place, registering on the most instinctive level. Prepare to be transported. | AAJ - New York |
Jeff Stockton |
|
| "Now is" happenin', volkz!
From th' opening note, these cats are hell-bent for leather in their improv...
won't stop, can't stop! This is Joe's third release on the Drimala label this
year... high energy playing from some of today's best artists. Joe does soprano on
this outing, Joe McPhee is featured on brass & reeds, bass is performed by one of our
favorites, Mike Bisio, & Tani Tabbal does drums & othersuch. This isn't
wall-scratch improvisation, with chickens screamin' as their feathers are plucked; it is,
rather, closer to traditional jazz, albeit (as Father Frank would have said) it doesn't smell
funny! Any bass fan out there who has never heard Bisio before is in for an absolute treat... this guy has monster ideas that come squeezin' out through his strings. His performance on the title track (about 10 minutes in) will hold your ears hostage! The most impressive part of the (overall) listen, though, is the pace changes... these guys (all) move fluidly together, from high-end boppin' right through to quieter stretches that emphasize the silence(s) between percussives. Now, this is not music that AM'er's will much enjoy, because you actually have to listen to the intricacies and interplays to hear the language/dialect of "now". A smashing success of an album that merits an immediate MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us! |
IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION |
Dick Metcalf |
|
