SLAMCD557 Erika Dagnino Trio – Sides

The bilingual poetry music work of the very talented Italian poet Erika Dagnino, together with two amazing New York City based musicians, Ken Filiano and Satoshi Takeishi.

‘Sides’ was recorded in 2013 in Brooklyn, and it blends, in a very powerful and beautiful way the strong and kaleidoscopic images of Erika Dagnino’s poetry, with the intense lucidity of Satoshi Takeishi‘s percussion and the strength of the vision of Ken Filiano‘s bass.

The booklet accompanying the CD presents a completely new collection of Dagnino’s works in English, as well as their original Italian language.

Erika Dagnino: poetry, voice
Ken Filiano: double bass, effects
Satoshi Takeishi: percussion

“Here is another exquisite album from the voice and pen of Erika Dagnino, the hallucinatory bass playing of Ken Filiano and clarity of expression brought by Satoshi Takeishi’s Japanese percussion.” – Ken Cheetham, Jazz Views

“Dagnino is a fine poet and her words can be found in the enclosed booklet both in English and Italian. She reads in both languages. Although her recitation is often deadpan, her words and observations are fascinating to read and listen to. She gives Filiano and Takeishi a good deal of room to stretch out and set up the vibe before she comes in. Their playing is consistently inspired and they seem to be telling tales as they go…Dagnino’s warm voice, clear diction and thoughtful words are all used to their best advantage giving us a chance to consider her expressive words. The balance between the words and music is just right so that neither takes over too much and both elements enhance the other. Well done, once again.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

“A fascinatingly free form collage and collision of sounds and moods. Sometimes the bass is picked as on ” Preludio” and sometimes you get bowed sounds with percolating percussion as on “Secondo Movimento” that sounds like you’re in a beatnik club in subterranean Rome.” – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

“I just listened to the voice and the musical accompaniment. And on that level I enjoyed the CD very much. I think I enjoyed the Italian readings more than the English ones because of how I listened to the voice as an instrument, rather than what the voice was saying. The more I listened to this CD the more I appreciated the playing of Filiano and Takeishi. I am quite familiar with Filiano and like his work a great deal, Takeishi is new to me, but I was quite impressed with his sensitivity to both Dagnino and FIliano.” – Bernie Koenig, Cadence

“Totally perceptive movements that (even though done in another language for a good part of the pieces) are completely intelligible to listeners who “dig down” into the music and let nothing escape their aural senses. I particularly enjoyed “Secondo Movimento”, with its combination of simple spoken-word against very presentable double bass and percussion; the fact that it clocks in at 8:31 just means that there is plenty of space for each player to shine and shine they do!” – Rotcod Zzaj, Improvijazzation Nation

Recorded by Jim Clouse on 12th July 2013 at Park West Studio, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Editing, mixing and mastering by Stefano Pastor
Produced by Erika Dagnino and George Haslam

SLAM CATALOGUE