This album brings together three of the most significant figures of Italian contemporary and historical jazz around the music written by Enrico Intra, “the first among equals” in the production of this recording. The repertoire is almost entirely based on new songs and a new way of understanding improvisation, which proceeds from an shared intensely interpretation, in a dialogue that does not neglect even the smallest details in order to give us some of the most exciting, engaging and refined music in the whole contemporary jazz scene. These three artists have entered the recording studio together for the first time, but they have expressed themselves as if they had played together for years, with the results setting a new, higher standard for the art of the jazz trio.
Born in Milan in 1935, as pianist, composer and jazz group front-man Enrico Intra is one of the most versatile and popular Italian musicians. As a soloist and original composer Enrico Intra has always been attentive to change and renewal. In 1952, the year of his performing debut, he was voted Best Italian Musician by the journalists of the magazine Musica Jazz. In the same period the French magazine JazzHot ranked him in second place among European musicians (Martial Solal was in first place). His 1971 collaboration with the flautist Severino Gazzelloni made him even more famous. Gazzelloni chose him as his musical partner, which led to them recording together and performing in many concerts. It was the same for Gerry Mulligan and, more recently, David Liebman. The greatest international jazz musicians have played in his Milanese venue Intra’s Derby Club, which has also been an important performing space and training ground for singersongwriters such as Enzo Jannacci Giorgio Gaber and I Gufi. For 15 years Intra has been running a jazz school in Milan founded in collaboration with the Municipal Authorities of the city. When Enrico Cogno asked him about “consistency” in an interview him for his book Jazz Inchiesta Italia (A Jazz Inquiry in Italy) Intra replied: “I hate consistency, which inevitably buries creativity within routine. A man has a duty to try to change his creative work or even to destroy it after an hour. This means feeling alive in the present-future. It can be done by gradually introducing new stimuli...“
INTRA Enrico, TOMMASO Giovanni, GATTO Roberto from Felmay Shop
Tracks
1. Canzone per Sara 4.15 2. Il mi di corso Venezia 4.15 3. Canzone per Iachi 6.44 4. Notturno per Giovanni 3.27 5. Canzone per Rocco 5.02 6. Notturno per Roberto 5.39 7. Notturno per Olivia 3.20 8. Preludio per Dudy 6.06 9. Bluestop 3.53
Musicians
Enrico Intra piano Giovanni Tommaso double bass Roberto Gatto drums