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Rating: A little off-topic introduction (perhaps): a few years ago, I had the great fortune to attend a concert by a rather atypical trio, made up of the Roman pianist Rita Marcotulli, the Neapolitan singer Maria Pia De Vito, and the dancer MaiaClaire Garrison. The performance left me speechless. I adore Rita Marcotulli, and Garrison's "dance improvisations" were memorable. The vocal performance of De Vito was extraordinary; the singer possesses an extensive and flexible vocal range, and a passion that goes straight to the gut, bypassing ears and brain altogether.
You can imagine what Ralph Towner must have envisioned, when in 1997, while waiting to go on stage, he settled among the audience at the Roccella Jonica festival and witnessed a performance of Maria Pia De Vito's duo with the English pianist John Taylor. "I absolutely have to play with these two," he thought; no sooner said than done, five minutes after the end of the concert, he was already backstage discussing with his old friend and the new colleague.
"Verso" captures and condenses three years of collaboration and concert activity of the trio, providing a convincing panorama of the sonic directions explored by these three great musicians during their collaboration. The initial "Renewal", a classic piece by Towner, rich in baroque influences, makes it clear right away that we are dealing with three improvisers with equal roles. De Vito, with her vocalizations, ably covers a role that, from the atmosphere of the piece, could very well have been Paul McCandless's. Towner and Taylor create a rich interplay, drawing on years of joint experience, and paying close attention not to step on each other’s feet in the non-obvious overlap between piano and guitar. For a die-hard "Townsend" like myself, it is thrilling the solo treatment that Taylor, with his percussive and abstract pianism, reserves for the guitarist's pieces ("I Knew It Was You", "Redial").
With the pieces by John Taylor ("Aftertought"), the picture becomes more chilly, almost "geometric", and it is here that De Vito demonstrates her technical mastery and absolute command of her means. In addition to confirming her as a singer, here we have the revelation of the author, both in terms of music and lyrics. An original piece of hers, "Scugnizzeide". Even more interesting is the fact that she writes the lyrics for some of Towner and Taylor's compositions, wrapping them in an unprecedented and original guise. Strangely enough, the combination of Neapolitan sensitivity, formal execution, and delicate lyricism works marvelously. Towner's romantic ballad "Al tramonto" is enriched with a touching and inspired Neapolitan text that fits the melody like a glove; from now on, it will be practically impossible to listen to the instrumental version alone of this song... the same goes for "Claridade", here renamed "Chiara". Towner's thoughtful "Simone" is enriched by DeVito's extremely versatile voice, capable of easily transitioning from an open and joyful song to a chiaroscuro whisper.
If you love Towner and Taylor, a listen is a must; if you want to know what levels Italian jazz (but not only) musicians are reaching on the international scene, this is a brilliant and exhaustive confirmation. An album that went somewhat unnoticed when it was released, but in my opinion, absolutely worth revisiting.
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