SLAMCD537 Giancarlo Mazzù, Blaise Siwula & Luciano Troja – d’istante3

‘d’istante3’ is a creative music project bringing together the two Italian improvisers Giancarlo Mazzù and Luciano Troja, and the New York based saxophonist Blaise Siwula.

Giancarlo Mazzù and Luciano Troja have worked together on the European jazz scene since 2002. Their music is mainly based on the search for new forms and expressions, related to tradition with a solid jazz background, mixed with folk music, classical forms and free improvisation. Blaise Siwula has established a prominent role in the NYC music scene since his arrival there in 1989.

Collaboration between the three musicians began in 2009, with their first performance together in NYC at ABC No-Rio, where Siwula is the curator of C.O.M.A. Series. In 2011 “d’istante3” performed in several venues around NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Harlem); in April that year, in the Wombat Studio in Brooklyn, the trio decided to record their special synergy in the spontaneous session presented on this, their first album.

Blaise Siwula: alto and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, clarinet
Giancarlo Mazzù: guitar, drums
Luciano Troja: piano

“Blaise’s sound is immediately recognisable and can cut through anything. Here, on seven instant compositions Mazzu’ and Troja are good foils for Siwula and bring a parity to the group effectively reducing the intensity of Siwula’s playing, allowing a welcomed nuance to the saxman…if you’re not familiar with this artist and enjoy some good instant composition this recording would be a good place to start.” – Zim Tarro, Cadence

“The interplay among all three is superb. This is one of those records that illustrate that free improvised music can be consonant and melodic, though there are some raucous moments, especially on “2”, where Siwula’s sax swirls with nice chorda accompaniment from Troja…a nice record that would hold up to many plays, and that might serve as a good introduction to free playing for people who usually do not listen to free improvisational music.” – Bernie Koenig, Cadence

“They are not bound by styles or genres so we hear a variety of directions from straight swinging clarinet to freer explorations. What I dig about this is that there is a playful and somewhat melodic quality to this even though it is fully improvised. A rarity for most free music. At times it sounds as if they are playing fragments of standards yet will organically change direction when anything becomes almost familiar. From time to time, the trio will weave into some further out regions but never go too far. Where as some improv gets too dense or difficult, this never does and sounds fine just the way it is.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

All compositions by Giancarlo Mazzù, Blaise Siwula & Luciano Troja
Recorded on April 25, 2011 at Wombat Studios in Brooklyn, NY

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