Hal

I really hope you can come by my place one day; it would be a pleasure to pop open a bottle of Angelo Rosso. Bye :)

I would also like to say a few words about the magazine Musica Jazz. I accept that you may not like it, but I don't understand the reason. It’s a magazine for newsstands, with a journalistic approach, targeted at an audience of enthusiasts (in short, one should understand the context). It provides information on album releases, ongoing events in Italy, and it is one of the few voices in the country that discusses these topics. As for the technical content, I don't know what to say; perhaps it’s awful (I'm starting to notice far too many things that you judge negatively), but in relation to its focus and editorial goals, "terrible" seems to me an expression of a judgment that is, in this case, also "cut and dried." Anyway, regarding the "pars construens" of your discourse, I renew my interest and esteem. I've read many other interesting names and I’ve continued to take notes. Among the Italians, at least I listened to Andrea Pozza, as you noted (by the way, I seem to remember some nice words about him in that terrible magazine Musica Jazz), anyway - as a layman - I really enjoyed him, even though I heard him play with Rava and Metheny, but you can't have everything in life. Bye :) (the end)

Regarding the elegance of your statements, I believe I can express myself as I see fit. I perceive them this way because one can express the same things in many ways. Everyone has their own style, yours I respect but alas I find it rather inelegant, a term that is not necessarily synonymous with hypocritical, in my opinion. As for Rava and Urbani, I refer to the words of Massimo, who, even though he had a negative judgment about the musician (a point that is still debatable), conveyed another sentiment through his words, namely gratitude for having allowed him, at 17, to perform in an international context with great jazz musicians (and here we return to the theme of the underbrush that has been discussed, which I believe is rather uncharitable). (to be continued)

As for the Fresu & C chapter, I want to reiterate that I do not contest technical evaluations, since I cannot do so, but the statement that in my opinion is inaccurate is that such musicians have value "only in the cultural underground of Italian jazz." This is a claim I find ungracious or, if you like, excessive. The inaccuracy I perceive is related to the personal histories of these musicians, as I have already mentioned. The very fact that they currently record for labels like Blue Note and ECM expresses something different in this regard. It’s not propaganda; they play for international labels, and whether they play poorly (in your opinion) is another matter, and I humbly do not dispute that. I have the impression that you think they play poorly in relation to a certain conception of jazz. Additionally, I would like to say that the opinions of musicians about other musicians are an interesting variable, not a dogma; I believe that for every critical opinion there can be a favorable one. Brahms was considered a conservative by many musicians for decades, then Schoenberg said exactly the opposite, which goes to show that history is always being written; for this reason, I am wary of overly definitive judgments. For example, you mention someone who criticizes Miles; I have cited others who speak of him differently (Urbani and Jarrett), so on their own, all those statements are true. Perhaps only certain perspectives change in evaluations, and what you consider a regression of the music you love, for others might take on the opposite meaning, perhaps. (to be continued)

Dear Emanuele, I understand that the topic is complicated, just as I completely grasp the fact that there are prerequisites that a layperson might (rightfully) lack. However, this doesn't prevent you from trying to explain yourself anyway, perhaps taking the context into account, which honestly wouldn’t hurt. I also believe it's fair for a layperson to have an interest in these subjects. But these are the sender's problems. At most, those who don't understand (and I will probably, actually definitely, be among the first) won’t hesitate to say so openly. But knowledge must start from something, and misunderstanding is (painfully) part of the learning process, isn’t it? We can't just rely on trust; otherwise, we’d be in trouble. So, take your time and feel free to explain yourself whenever you want without worrying too much about others' understanding; that will be addressed later, once things are done, according to the natural order of communication/learning processes, which, however, might not evolve the same way (I’m talking about myself, of course). For example, I was waiting to understand why there’s an overvaluation of Kind Of Blue, of jazz rock, of The Birth Of The Cool. To understand why many argued that "So What" opens a musical chapter, while it seems to me that you don’t share this opinion. In short, things like that. (to be continued)

Oh, were you there that evening dear Emanuele? It's a pity I didn't run into you; I would have offered you a glass of Anghelu Ruju, you would have liked it so much, at least that ;))

visionary

I am a bit disappointed with your assessments, dear Emanuele. I was hoping you would explain the overvaluation of Kind Of Blue or the reactionary value of The Birth Of Cool, instead ... well ... I hoped to understand how Miles "involved music" that you adore, but ... aside from some biographical episodes (on which, by the way, there are other perspectives), I don't see much. I also disagree with your judgments regarding Fresu, Rava, and Bollani, which I find not only lacking in elegance but also incorrect. I'm not discussing technical issues—I couldn't do that—but saying that such musicians have value "only in the cultural underbrush of Italian jazz" seems inaccurate to me. Bollani has played at the Blue Note in New York, not just in Gallarate. As for Fresu, again, your words seem quite uncharitable; one could argue with a wide musical career that spans from recordings to concerts to educational activities. He has recently begun recording for Blue Note, lives between Bologna and Paris, and let's not forget his home region, where for years internationally renowned musicians have come thanks to him (Time In Jazz). Rava, moreover, records for ECM, not for a local label. If I remember correctly, the latter also brought a seventeen-year-old to the USA named Massimo Urbani, and thanks to Rava, he was able to play with many great musicians according to Urbani himself (De Johnette, for example). Urbani also left other evaluations on the value of Davis, especially concerning the meeting of jazz with rock. (Regarding Urbani, I was hoping to know a bit more, but you glossed over it... too bad) Jarrett—I'll reiterate—provides other assessments different from yours, especially about the period you criticized so much. I don't know... I am more perplexed than convinced. But that's alright. Thank you anyway. Goodbye.

everything very beautiful

... I really liked it and I didn’t feel any ambient-new age vibes, which I usually don’t care for, on the contrary. But all in all, this time, apart from a few things, I didn’t mind the review. Bye