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Maier, Giovanni: The Talking Bass (Long Song Records)

Composer and double bassist Giovanni Maier creates the illusion of being everywhere at once while he plays alongside members of his quartet (Parrini, Calabrese & Amendola) as his instrument "talks" to theirs in this beautiful album.
 

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Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Giovanni Maier-doublebass

Emanuele Parrini-violin, viola

Luca Calabrese-trumpet, flugelhorn

Scott Amendola-drums


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UPC: 8032089000161

Label: Long Song Records
Catalog ID: LSRCD 118/2010
Squidco Product Code: 17223

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2010
Country: Italy
Packaging: Jewel Tray
Recorded at Officine Meccaniche Recording Studios, Milano, on November 16th, 2009.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Giovanni Maier is an architect. No, not the traditional brick and mortar sense but a true architect of sound. With his latest CD "The talking bass" he is building musical bridges all over the map. The quartet he has assembled for the recording doesn't just glow, they shine! Crossing and blurring the boundaries of music are what these guys do best and together they seem unstoppable.

There is a deep beauty and rawness in the sound of Giovanni's compositions.

The bass gives us the illusion of being all places at once. Giovanni designs these musical structures but also puts the hammer to the nail himself, lays it down like a Ferrari on the autobahn and always has time to take us on a road untraveled.

The quartet including Emanuele Parrini on violin and viola, Luca Calabrese on trumpet and flugelhorn and Scott Amendola on drums plays out a ghostly game of cat and mouse that Giovanni lets unfold before out very ears.

The group constructs things that are not just ahead of the times, but seem to encompass all times. The ensemble allows us to become dreamers side by side with them. We get to wander hand and hand with these musical Griots and feel Giovanni's bass not only talk, but sing."-Craig Green


Artist Biographies

"Composer/bassist Giovanni Maier started his professional career in 1986 at the age of 21, after finishing his formal studies in classical music at the "G. Tartini" Music Academy in Trieste and having pursued independently his personal interest in jazz music.

In 1986 he co-founded the Transition Jazz Group and, with this and other ensembles, began to write and perform original music in Italy and Europe.

In 1989, he formed his first ensemble to perform his own compositions, and has since recorded over 80 albums featuring his work.

As a member of ensembles, he has performed in many concerts throughout Europe, in North and South America, Japan, North Africa and the Middle East.

As a bassist he features on over 240 albums, including recordings with Enrico Rava, Gianluigi Trovesi, the Italian Instabile Orchestra, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Tim Berne, Marc Ribot, Keith and Julie Tippett, Louis Moholo, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Pino Minafra, Roberto Ottaviano, Carlo Actis Dato, Tiziano Tononi, Daniele Cavallanti, Stefano Battaglia, Michele Rabbia, Chris Speed, Scott Amendola as well as with other leading figures in creative music.

He is currently active as a solo contrabassist, composing for, and performing and recording with, a variety of ensemble projects.

Giovanni Maier is also actively engaged in the field of education through the presentation of workshops and as lecturer at the "G. Tartini" Music Academy in Trieste."

-Giovanni Maier Website (https://www.giovannimaier.it/giovanni_maier/biography/)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Emanuele Parrini is an Italian violinist, known for the groups Cene Resnik Quartet, Daniele Cavallanti & The Brotherhood Creative Trance Music Ensemble, Dimitri Grechi Espinoza Artistic Alternative, Dinamitri Jazz Folklore, Enrico Fazio 7tet, Italian Instabile Orchestra, Nexus (46), One Lip 5, Tiziana Ghiglioni & The Tbone Band, Tiziano Tononi & The Ornettians, and Tiziano Tononi And Southbound.

-Discogs (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1590129-Emanuele-Parrini)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Luca Calabrese is a musician, researcher, composer, experimenter. In recent years, he has worked diligently on the sound of ambience.

Over the years his vision of music has gradually moved away from traditional and academic classical stereotypes, embracing a minimalist and strongly intimate vision.

The productions created letting themselves be inspired by the places, tell stories, blend with the spaces, taking on cold colors or warm shades in relation to the surrounding environment.

For over 30 years on international stages from Chicago to Mexico, from Canada to Japan, France, England, Spain, Portugal, Sweden. The musical research has become more and more personal, the influences of the places have contributed to create a contemporary language, the acoustic instrument, the trumpet and the electronic and electroacoustic sounds become real multimedia and multisensory sound installations."

-Luca Calabrese Website (https://lucalab.jimdofree.com/)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Scott Amendola (born February 6, 1969) is an American drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene.

Amendola was originally from New Jersey and studied at Berklee School of Music in Boston. After relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area he came to popularity in the 1990s as a member of T.J. Kirk with Charlie Hunter, Will Bernard and John Schott. Their second album received a Grammy Award nomination. He has led his own bands and trios which have included Nels Cline, Jenny Scheinman, Jeff Parker and John Shifflett as well as Ben Goldberg and Devin Hoff. Often favoring guitarists he has toured with Bill Frisell and Kelly Joe Phelps and recorded with Pat Martino, Jim Campilongo, G.E. Stinson, Nels Cline and Tony Furtado. He is an original member of the Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core. He has been a session percussionist for Noe Venable, Carla Bozulich and Odessa Chen.

In 2011 Amendola will have his new orchestral work performed in conjunction with the Oakland East Bay Symphony as one the symphony's New Visions/New Vistas premieres. Amendola will be joined by Nels Cline and Trevor Dunn."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Amendola)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. The Talking Bass 3:28

2. Disk Dosk 12:40

3. Crayon Rouge 12:33

4. Due Cellule 9:45

5. Pampaluna 7:29

6. El Manda 7:39

7. Soft Transitions 6:35

8. Leroy Vinnegar 6:47

9. Wrong Is Right 11:35

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
West Coast/Pacific US Jazz
Quartet Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Long Song Records.


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