Stefano Leonardi|Marco Colonna|Antonio Bertoni|Fridolin Blumer|Heinz Geisser – “l’Eterno” (Leo Records, 2018)

“l’Eterno” is the newest release of “Leo Records” label. Album was recorded by quintet – it’s Stefano Leonardi (flute, sulittu), Marco Colonna (clarinet, bass clarinet), Antonio Bertoni (cello), Fridolin Blumer (bass) and Heinz Geisser (percussion). The musicians are famous in experimental jazz scene for many years now – they had been playing along with others famous jazz masters. Their music is based on their own and original playing style. Unique sound, dynamic and innovative playing manner, original and inventive musical decisions, modern and colorful musical language – all these elements are the basics of their improvisations. The elements of avant-garde jazz are fused with contemporary and modern jazz, also there are some rhythmic and melodic intonations of contemporary academical music. The organic synthesis of all these elements makes an effort to remarkable and impressive sound. The musicians like to try out new ways of playing – their musical language is especially bright and colorful, filled with experimental ways of playing, wide range of musical expressions, unusual timbres, sounds and tones. The basics of the compositions all the time rest the same – it’s dynamic, turbulent and free improvisation, where different playing styles, contrasting episodes and individual melodies are blended together.

The music of this album has interesting sound. It’s based on free improvisation and polyphonic musical pattern. Inidividual melodies by each improviser are based on their own and unique sound, playing style and manner. Musicians not hesitate to experiment in all ways of musical language – they are trying out new forms, expressions, extended playing techniques and strange compilations of instruments and chords. The music is the based on very bright, evocative and innovative musical language. The main elements of avant-garde, experimental and free jazz are mixed together with bebop, post bop, hard bop, contemporary jazz and very low intonations of contemporary academical music and academic avant-garde. The most effective element of flute solos is the solos – it has huge diversity of colors, sounds and timbres. Virtuosic and expressive passages, hollows and shrieky sounds, special effects and passionate melodies are blended together with free improvisation and sound experiments. The exotic instrument sulittu bring exotic and unusual sound to the composition. It’s gently fit together with flute melodies – soft, colorful, gentle and light melodies, special effects, extraordinary sounds and other colorictic elements colorfully illustrate the musical background. The clarinet and bass clarinet melodies are vibrant and bright. It keeps the main melodic section of whole compositions. Expressive, moving, striking and vivacious solos are put against the aggressive, rigorous and harsh or very silent, subtle and soft. The clarinet melodies are based on contrasting episodes, which are gently blended together – each of them has its own sound, style and mood. High variety of moods and expressions is used here- it brings many new colors and tones to the compositions, makes the sound more live and bright. Vibrant and effective blow outs, fascinating riffs aren’t very frequently used in these compositions – soft, expressive, vibrant, gentle and passionate sound is heard for the most of the time. Virtuosic and passionate solos, wild fast and furious passages, colorful glissando, huge diversity of various unusual sounds and strange timbres makes an effort to original and gorgeous sound. Bass clarinet has very deep and solid bass line, which is kept static for the most of the time. Monotonic, solid and firm bass line is made from the static rhythmic combinations, slow tempo and repetitive melodic and rhythmic elements. Cello and bass melodies gently fit together with all instruments. It makes a pleasant equation with flutes, clarinet and percussion. Both instruments have very variable, dynamic and expressive melodic pattern. Passionate, moving, vivacious and vivid melodies are filled with vibrant solos, subtle and colorful pizzicato, glissando, vibrato and other similar musical expressions and playing techniques. The harmony is modern and dynamic – sharp dissonances and soft, lyrical consonances are fused together in one place. Solid, deep and static bass line goes along very well together with bass clarinet melodies, it also full of changes and sudden turns – the subtle and firm bass line finally grows out to dramatic and turbulent culminations. Colorful, expressive and passionate cello melodies, vibrant and marvelous solos, dark, harsh and hard tones, deep bass line, dramatic culminations and huge variety of extended playing techniques – all these elements make a remarkable sound. Percussion melodies are very dynamic and variable. It’s based on expressive playing manner, free and spontaneous solos, rpeetitive rhythmic forms, which are used and changes silmunateously. Dynamic and vivid bebop rhythms are contrasting with static and slow traditional and contemporary jazz rhythms – it grows to free improvisations which are the most effective and important episodes of the compositions. The music of this album has impressive and marvelous sound, which is created by five great avant-garde jazz improvisers.