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Slivovitz: All You Can Eat
ByItaly has long been a hotbed of hybrid musical forms. During the early 1970s, bands such as Area, Canzoniere del Lazio (with saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco) and Aktuala (an early landing spot for Trilok Gurtu), juxtaposed jazz, classical, rock, avant-garde, and the folk music of the Mediterranean region to create music of stunning originality and lasting value. Slivovitz is cut from the same cloth. Completely eschewing paint-by-numbers fusion cliché and overbearing technical displays, the music on All You Can Eat is characterized by strong, nearly indelible, melodies, satisfying grooves, and improvisations that rely equally on soulful expression and instrumental virtuosity. Slivovitz' sound is also quite unique, as the formidable 5-man front line consists of electric guitar, violin, saxophone, trumpet, and harmonica. He man behind the mouth harp, Derek Di Perri, doesn't stay in one bag for too long. His solo on "Passannante" is in a sparkling, highly technical stylesimilar to Gregoire Maretwhereas his solo "Currywurst" is surprisingly gritty and blues-inflected.
The tunes, composed by guitarist Marcello Giannini (also a permanent member of Enrico Rava's new electric band), saxophonist Pietro Santangelo and trumpeter Ciro Riccardi are complex, multi-sectioned and somewhat unpredictable. Though largely based in a funky jazz-rock style, "Mani in Faccia" ("Hands in the Face") and "Currywurst" take all manner of compositional twists and turns. "Oblio" starts out as a haunting, somewhat rustic, ballad before exploding into frenzied King Crimson-style riffage. "Persian Nights" and "Hangover" are pretty similar to one another. Brooding, resolutely minor key, and dominated by romping 6/8 rhythms, these pieces sound like something off of the Tzadik label. The most heavily-composed pieces, "Yahtzee" "Oblio" and "Barotrauma," still leave plenty of space for improvisation. Yet, each are extremely well-integrated and come across as complete musical statements rather than a series of difficult riffs played in rapid succession.
It's worth pointing out that the subtitle to "Barotrauma," "La Zappa su piedi," doesn't refer to the late, great composer / guitarist. Rather, the phrase is an Italian colloquialism that meansroughlyto shoot oneself in the foot. Immensely appealing and full of musical surprises, All You Can Eat, does everything but.
Track Listing
Persian Night; Mani In Faccia; Yahtzee; Passannante; Barotrauma; Hangover; Currywuster; Oblio.
Personnel
Slivovitz
band / ensemble / orchestraPietro Santangelo: tenor & alto saxophones; Marcello Giannini: electric & acoustic guitars; Riccardo Villari: acoustic and electric violin; Ciro Riccardi: trumpet; Derek Di Perri: harmonica; Vincenzo Lamagna: bass guitar; Salvatore Rainone: drums.
Album information
Title: All You Can Eat | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Moonjune Records
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About Slivovitz
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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