SLAMCD539 Sebastiano Meloni, Paul Dunmall, Sebastiano Dessanay & Mark Sanders – Pictures of a Quartet

On this, his second album for SLAM Productions, the Italian pianist Sebastiano Meloni leads an Anglo-Italian Quartet with his fellow countryman Sebastiano Dessanay on bass and UK improvising musicians saxophonist Paul Dunmall and drummer Mark Sanders. As well as in a quartet, they also perform in trio and duo configurations.

The album was recorded in the studios of Birmingham Conservatoire, England, in July 2011.

Sebastiano Meloni: piano
Paul Dunmall: tenor and soprano saxophone
Sebastiano Dessanay: double bass
Mark Sanders: drums

“Meloni’s Anglo-Italian quartet plays totally improvised music, Meloni deciding beforehand which forms, sounds, timbres and registers to explore and then leaving it to discovery to produce the instant compositions. What results is largely atonal, although that off-putting term conceals much austere beauty in his work. He is a forceful pianist, urged on by Dunmall’s insistent saxophone and an energetic rhythm section. When at rest, his music is tranquil, Dessanay making the most of a pastoral First Landscape with Dunmall joining him later for a contemplative duo. Finely recorded at the Birmingham Conservatoire, this is a strong set of immediate music.” – Simon Adams, Jazz Journal

“This is a studio recording and the sound is perfect. Each piece evolves organically from modest beginnings and then takes off for higher plains. Pianist Meloni is pretty amazing and interacts with the rest of the quartet with like there is no tomorrow, sounding like Cecil Taylor when he speeds up to a superhuman pace. Considering that half of this quartet are relatively unknown, this is still one of the finest free quartet dates in recent memory.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

“Pictures of a Quartet is notable for both group and individual creativity. The pianist for instance is spectacular on his own, specialising in high-frequency Freebop rife with jagged tremolo runs, that frequently minimizes the distance between McCoy Tyner’s and Cecil Taylor’s conceptions. Meloni is equally sympathetic as an accompanist with his strategies ranging from processional chording to key clipping and sliding. In one case for instance he matter-of-factly knits a sonic carpet of welcoming textures underneath Dunmall’s breathy, low-register tenor saxophone runs.” – Ken Waxman, JazzWord

All music is completely improvised.
Recorded at Studio 1, Birmingham Conservatoire, on July 15-19, 2011.
Sound engineer, mixed and mastering by Matt O’Malley

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