SLAMCD572 Pegasys – Pegasys

Pegasys is a group of Italian musicians who decided to make a collective exploration through the possibilities offered by composition and free improvisation. The outcome of this choice is a double album, with two discs proposing two different musical approaches.

The “Yellow Disc” collects a series of free improvisations titled “Composition #”, to point out their sense of impromptu collective compositions. The “Red Disc” contains instead compositions by single members of the group. Here the sensibility of the authors emerge as well as the different composition techniques, filtered and worked out by the ensemble through individual and collective choices.

As Giancarlo Schiaffini sums up in the liner notes, “Improvisation is an instant composition and composition is a delayed improvisation”.

Errico De Fabritiis: alto saxophone
Biagio Orlandi: soprano and tenor saxophone
Francesco Lo Cascio: vibraphone
Gianfranco Tedeschi: double bass
Cristiano De Fabritiis: drums

“This twofer is chock full of very tasty freebop from Italy. With the key addition of Lo Cascio’s vibes, these fine musicians range from the mid-1960s heyday of combined idioms into the more contemporary appropriations of, say, a Ken Vandermark small group. This is especially evident on the Red Disc, which is more easily identifiable with “jazz”. A nice taut drum solo opens up into a mid-tempo swinger, with big vibes and overlapping tempi that serve to accentuate the contrasting saxophonic approaches. Across each of these tunes, from the craggy “Mad legs” to the lushly lyrical “Still insensitive,” the group moves easily and elegantly between free-sounding sections and tight unisons, often buoyed by Tedeschi and De Fabritiis’ nimble pulse-driving. Orlandi has a great tone, and he sounds really effective when he dials up some bluesy lines. The altoist plays more brightly, and he’s extraordinary on the compelling, somewhat sombre “Clouds.” They’ve got a distinctive sound and real chemistry…you have to tip your hat to a group with such range and such fine improvising. A winner.” – Jason Bivins, Cadence Magazine

“Pegasys uses muses from 20thC musical patois: be it big-band swing, 60s contemporary, avant-garde or free jazz the sense of their improvisation moves away from the vernacular of any single style. I like the idea of this study and the two CDs offer a fine comparison…This is a fine quintet of skilled and creative musicians and the album in total has a lot to offer. Fascinating.” – Ken Cheetham, Jazz Views

“From ” Red” we get clever military drive on “Pegasys” with melodic bop lines” while the vibes snap on “Mad Legs’ and coalesce into a good groove on “Still Insensitive.” The saxes hold onto a white knuckler of a Mingus-inspired “Tuttava” while on the “Yellow” disc vibes team with sax squawks on “Composition III” and the honk on the jagged “Composition VIII.” Things get a bit more placid with long tones on “IV” and bowed bass work on “II” but each piece has a highly intuitive feel. Freedom and form both exposed.” – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

“The great Slam label continues to promote musicians from Italy and South America, who are often under-recognised yet worth searching out…This impressive two CD set features one disc of original written compositions (‘Red’) and one disc of group improvisations (‘Yellow’). The title piece swings hard with a great solo for the soprano sax…The interplay between the two reeds and the vibes/bass/drums rhythm team is often special, well-integrated. It sounds as if both saxists have been working together for a long while since they appear to finish each others’ lines. What is interesting is the way these pieces evolve through different sections with surprising twists and turns. Each member of this quintet is well-chosen for the job of combining forces, listening closely and interacting on an organic level. Even in the freer sections, no one ever steps on anyone else. Strong yet subtle medicine.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

Recorded on 4th April 2015 at Monkey Studios, Rome, Italy
Mixing by Lucio Leoni
Mastering by Eugenio Vatta

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