Conversations About Thomas Chapin

Artist
Leonardi/Pastor/Blumer/Geisser
Released
2014

Stefano Leonardi  flute, bass flute, sulittu

Stefano Pastor – violin

Fridolin Blumer – double bass

Heinz Geisser – percussion


label: Leo Records, 2014


Recorded on March 09, 2013 at MuRec Studio, Milano, Italy

Mixed and mastered by Paolo Falascone at MuRec Studio, Milano, Italy

Liner Notes by Massimo Ricci & Terri Castillo-Chapin


Structures born from profound reflections, instantaneous gestures establishing a current of reciprocal understanding.

Massimo Ricci, from liner notes

Thomas would have thrilled to hear these conversations.

Terri Castillo-Chapin, from liner notes

The ‘Conversations’ aspect of the outing are vested in the artists’ inspiration and influences from Chapin’s jazz aura via these asymmetrical and predominately free-form sojourns. Drummer Heinz Geisser and bassist Fridolin Blumer sustain a bustling outlook as the frontline of flautist Stefano Leonardi and violinist Stefano Pastor impart a fluctuating undercurrent with flickering dialogues and heartfelt sentiment amid the customary peaks and valleys and infuse itinerant and searching facets into the mix.

Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz

They don’t try to rearrange, cover or imitate him but acknowledge what Chapin meant to transmit through his emotional artistry. […] All perform with joy, passion, imagination and an elegance that would have thrilled Chapin, as his widow assures in the liner notes.

– Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz

This mighty fine disc captures his spirit/sound on several levels. Music to inspire us and make us smile, no matter how our days are going.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

This album consists of group improvisations, and they really do get the Chapin aesthetic (though they stick to the “outside” side of it). The importance of listening in the creation of such music (something that not all practitioners seem to appreciate) is clearly paramount to Leonardi.

Steve Holtje, Culture Catch

The combination of Pastor’s violin with Leonardi’s range of flutes is especially attractive in the context. […] An inspired session, and a release that should help to focus some attention on Thomas Chapin, an important musician who left the planet way too soon. Easily recommended.

 Stuart Kremsky, IAJRC Journal

Cette tendresse, entre songe et action, s’appuie sur les contrechants hantés d’un violon agile et d’une flûte insistante. Ces deux-là savent se trouver, s’amuser de leurs traits, s’effacer au profit d’un silence prenant parole.

Luc Bouquet, Le son du grisli

This is a quartet of exceedingly gifted and perceptive players and an album of wholly invigorating, outstanding music.

Ken Cheetham, Jazzview

Auf dem zurückhaltenden, nie banalen, immer aufmerksamen Rhythmusgeflecht der Schweizer Blumer und Geisser entwickeln die Italiener Leonardi und Pastor reizvolle Dialoge, die mehr als nachbarschaftliche Rhetorik sind.

Ruedi Ankli, Jazz’n’More

Authentic collective, sudden compositions played with drive and intensity. L’alliage flûtes-violon-basse, original, fonctionne à merveille. Un très beau disque.

Jean Buzelin, Culturejazz

Seven splendid sonic journeys presented for your aural pleasure. I give these folks a most highly recommended.

Dick Metcalf, (aka Rotcod Zzaj)

Une musique collective pleine de qualités et d’ouverture reposant sur l’idée du jazz libre « libre » ou composé instantanément. […] D’excellents musiciens qui ont véritablement intégré l’acte d’improviser ensemble.

Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, Orynx-Improvandsounds

Leonardi begrijpt goed waar Chapin voor stond.

Herman Te Loo, Jazzflits

Et ces musiques possèdent les principales caractéristiques de celle de Chapin: l’entente, la camaraderie, l’expression d’émotions complexes et d’une pensée humaniste.

François Couture, Monsieurdelire

CD di musica densa e limpida allo stesso tempo. […] La scelta dell’angolatura prospettica molto ampia che qui si nota instaura la distanza necessaria affinché sia una conversazione la modalità con cui evitare tentazioni di compendiarlo per scoprirvi, invece, affinità.

Giuseppe Dalla Bona, Musica Jazz

Sorprese che non stancano mai, fra momenti collettivi e assoli che cavalcano le strade dei fantasmi della New Thing, fra rabbie e malinconie, insieme, come nella vita degli artisti […] Una lunga conversazione che coglie e trasmette l’essenza della musica di Chapin.

Vittorio Lo Conte, musicZoom.it

Il risultato è maiuscolo, vitale ed elegante ad un tempo, calibrato e corporeo. […] Senza dubbio fra le cose migliori uscite quest’anno.

Alberto Bazzurro, L’Isola che non c’era

Leonardi conferma in questa prova carattere, preparazione e determinazione. […] Un denso omaggio europeo al genio di Thomas Chapin.

Giuseppe Segala, All About Jazz Italia

Un quartetto animato da eccellente sintonia […] Il flauto di Leonardi e il violino di Pastor potrebbero dare adito a difficile convivenza, ed è invece sorprendente scoprire il fecondo dialogo che sanno instaurare a varie riprese.

Piercarlo Poggio, Blow Up

The improvisations of Conversations about Thomas Chapin lead us to some oasis of well-being that have nothing of extrasensory (at least in the scientific sense), but rather they are fervent demonstrations of music to listen to, which reveal the mirage of Chapin. To all intents and purposes, a deepening of the free jazz starting with the history.

Ettore Garzia, Percorsi Musicali

Leonardi, nelle varie tracce, spiattella il campionario completo della tecnica eterodossa sul flauto traverso con l’ipersoffiato, suoni doppi e parassiti, il canto sull’imboccatura, utilizzando, però, pure un timbro nitido nell’esposizione di brevi cellule tematiche. […] Un CD rigoroso, angolare, privo di concessioni alla “bella melodia”, proiettato in avanti.

Gianni Montano, Jazz Convention

Smaniosa tensione espressiva che è nei fatti l’essenza viva e pulsante di uno dei migliori album jazz prodotti in Europa nel 2014.

Giuseppe Mavilla, Scrivere di jazz

Si tratta di un album concepito nel segno di un’accurata esplorazione sonora, armonica e ritmica che si discosta decisamente e coraggiosamente dal jazz tradizionale.

Stefano Dentice, Extra! Music Magazine