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Mazzù/Siwula/Troja/Wimberly
D’Istante3
www.SlamProductions.net
Giancarlo Mazzù on Guitar
www.giancarlomazzu.com
Luciano Troja on Piano
www.lucianotroja.com
Blaise Siwula on Clarinet and Saxophones
www.blaisesiwula.com
Michael Wimberly on Drums
(Wimberly Web Page)
At
Spectrum
(Spectrum Facebook Page)
121 Ludlow Street
2nd Floor
NY, NY
650.400.5100
Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
May 4, 2013
It’s always a special event, when Luciano Troja and Giancarlo Mazzù are in town from Sicily, and tonight was even more special, with a performance at the extraordinary new performance space, Spectrum, owned and organized by Glenn Cornett, and featuring Acuvox speakers, designed to enhance natural sound and acoustics, by Lawrence de Martin. Spectrum is on the second floor of an understated building on the Lower East Side, amidst the new hot clubs and shops. Spectrum’s décor consists of cushiony couches and chairs, a wall of books, a nook for wine pouring, and Mr. de Martin’s giant, gorgeous speakers, plus additional high performance speakers positioned above the stage. Luciano and Giancarlo were back on piano and guitar (electric this time), joined by Blaise Siwula on clarinet and saxophones and Michael Wimberly on drums. Each of these musicians is renowned in the international jazz community; see links to their web pages above.
The pieces were not listed or introduced, but, rather, they were experienced for their spontaneous mixing of sound, with vocal humming and chanting added to the instruments. Blaise and Luciano began the first piece with tiny blasts of clarinet against piano chords, with Giancarlo adding wooden effects on the side of his guitar, followed by eerie electronic strings. Michael provided a rhythmic drum backdrop. Giancarlo began chanting softly for ambient synchronization with the ensemble. Soon Blaise switched his clarinet for tenor sax, adding a jazzy interlude to the musical melee, while Giancarlo wore a steel finger cover to extrapolate soaring strings. In the second piece, Blaise was on alto sax, with Luciano playing the piano’s internal strings. Giancarlo was once again chanting, and Michael placed sticks to cymbals for clavé tempos. The volume began to explode, with Luciano evoking scintillating music box tonality in the treble range.
The third piece began with atonal exotic sound on Blaise’s tenor sax, with Giancarlo tapping finger cymbals, before he slid them down the guitar strings. The tenor sax carried the theme, while the piano fused Middle Eastern intonations. Soon a cacophony of tones abounded, driven and dynamic. The fourth piece opened with guitar and clarinet, with bluesy, New Orleans refrains. Michael hummed in the background, and the piece evoked a summer’s night on Basin Street. The homespun melody sharply contrasted with some ambient atonalities, and soon the guitar picked up a soulful theme overlaying intervals of dissonance. The fifth piece was opened by the drums and alto sax, with Luciano adding treble undulations. Giancarlo’s guitar smoked with vibrancy, and Blaise’s sax honked like a cab with riveting intensity. Luciano and Blaise suddenly shifted, simultaneously, to a melancholy mood, for a poignant finale. The sixth piece built, with tenor sax infusing a caravan momentum, while Giancarlo added rhythmic wooden beats, hand against guitar, followed by tiny tones of rippling strings.
The encore had Eastern musical effects, with Giancarlo on guitar and chants, while Blaise played a lovely melody on clarinet. The guitar took the theme, helped with Michael’s cushioned drums, then the clarinet brought the finale home with blazing warmth, against Luciano’s repetitive chords. Kudos to this ensemble, and kudos to Spectrum and Acuvox for a remarkable experience.
Lawrence de Martin with His Acuvox Speakers
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Blaise Siwula on Clarinet,
Michael Wimberly on Drums
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Michael Wimberly on Drums,
Giancarlo Mazzù on Vocals
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Luciano Troja on Piano,
Blaise Siwula on Tenor Sax
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Blaise Siwula on Tenor Sax,
Michael Wimberly on Drums
Giancarlo Mazzù on Guitar
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Michael Wimberly on Drums,
Giancarlo Mazzù on Vocals and Guitar
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Luciano Troja on Piano,
Blaise Siwula on Tenor Sax
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Blaise Siwula on Clarinet
Michael Wimberly on Drums
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Giancarlo Mazzù on Guitar
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Luciano Troja on Piano,
Blaise Siwula on Alto Sax
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
Giancarlo, Blaise, Luciano, Michael
Courtesy of Roberta Zlokower
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