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Rating: "The real Titanic orchestra played, and the passengers abandoned the ship. When we play, the audience mostly stays until the end of the show. We think that makes a big difference and we are already happy with that."
I remember Bollani in a solo piano concert in December 2004. He introduced one of his pieces like this: "The next piece I'm going to play is called 'La sagra di Paolòpoli,' set in an imaginary village where all the inhabitants have the face of Walter Paoli, who is a friend of mine, okay, you don't know him, but trust me." At the end of the evening, following a request for an encore, he asked the audience to suggest about ten musical pieces from jazz but also from other genres, classical, pop, etc., which he then would reassemble following (in his own words) "a rigorous procedure based on the logarithm of three." The hall burst into laughter, but then the suggestions came, and he performed an over ten-minute improvised performance, where echoes of Beethoven, Billie Holiday, Renato Carosone, Bach, Elton John, and many others could be heard.
This is Stefano Bollani. Great, imaginative pianism, but also a strong desire to entertain and amuse himself, a lot of irony and (especially) self-irony. And furthermore, a desire for freedom, to break out of all the mental cages, from the stiff attire in which the public and critics have always pinned jazz.
And it is the gathering of a group of friends, even before a summit of refined musicians, that takes center stage in this 1999 work. Attention, though: they laugh and joke and don't take themselves too seriously, but when they start playing there's no match... Starting with that genius Antonello Salis, excellent on the accordion, always wearing a sleeveless shirt even in January, bandana on his head, with a wooden and impassive face, but what a musician, guys! Continuing with the refined bassist Lello Pareti (an artist to watch), drummer Walter Paoli (he of "La Sagra...") and the sharp guitarist Riccardo Onori.
Bubbly setlist, unsurprisingly: "La sagra di Paolòpoli", now a classic of his, "Il Barbone Di Siviglia", inspired by the true misadventure of a young Bollani who, just after arriving in Spain, had all his money and clothes stolen. Remarkable solo in "I Viaggi Di Gulliver", with the leader giving two or three strong "pounces" on the keyboard, and deadly interplay with Salis, here as in many other moments of the album.
The compositions are rather unusual and reflect multiple styles and influences, resulting from the most diverse experiences with jazz, rock, and pop that the pianist has accumulated over the years. Bollani has the gift of making the difficult seem easy, he plays around, throws in a little phrase, a cluster of notes, and meanwhile constructs harmonic and rhythmic "time bombs," ready to explode piloted by the flair of the soloists. Unmistakable as well, are the references to traditional Italian songs, as evidenced by the brief moments of "Piove" by Modugno and "Anema E Core".
And yet: "Prima O Poi Io E Te Faremo L'Amore", a catchy and sly piece as the title suggests, with Onori's bluesy guitar prominently featured, "17 Ore", which might remind some of Pat Metheny's works, written after having spent 17 hours with a certain Marina... Talking!
Vaguely Metheny-like atmospheres also for "Comunicazioni Interrotte"; moving "Natale In Casa Cappelli", a piece by Lello Pareti that opens with an inspired intro by Salis, developing like a melancholic music box, on which all the soloists take their turn to give a precious contribution, ending again with a murmuring and flavorful Salis.
Despite the heterogeneity of the compositions, the album maintains a relaxed and pleasant cohesion, with themes that seem to slide into one another. A great work, embracing music and, I would say, the world, at 360 degrees...
A jazz album? No, much, much more.
Tracklist
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