The Squid's Ear Magazine


Mela, Francisco featuring. Leo Genovese / William Parker: Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 3 (577 Records)

The third chapter in Cuban-Born, New York-based drummer Francisco Mela's tribute to his legendary mentor and bandleader Mccoy Tyner, in a trio with William Parker on bass and Leo Genovese on piano, celebrating the avant side of Tyner's work with Coltrane and his own bands, and the influence he had on Mela in encouraging him to push the boundaries of his playing.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Leo Genovese-piano, saxophone

William Parker-bass

Francisco Mela-drums


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UPC: 755491297896

Label: 577 Records
Catalog ID: CD-577R-5858-3
Squidco Product Code: 34406

Format: CDR
Condition: New
Released: 2024
Country: USA
Packaging: Digipack
Recorded at Douglass Recording, in Brooklyn, New York, on November 13th, 2020 by Jeremy Loucas and Juanma Trujillo.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Cuban-born, drum genius Francisco Mela is releasing the third chapter of his iconic tribute to his mentor and bandleader McCoy Tyner. Music Frees Our Souls is a celebration of Tyner's avant-garde side. Tyner was well-known for his boundless musical talent, and perhaps best-known for playing in John Coltrane's quartet, which revolutionized the jazz world and reverberated through the music world at large. But it was his mentorship that truly touched Francisco Mela: Tyner encouraged him to explore the boundaries of both his personal expression and his musical ability, affirming the philosophical conviction that music was a gateway to liberation. That pursuit of freedom was a lifelong aspiration, and one born from community. Mela recalls performing at New York City's Blue Note with McCoy Tyner, on a specific night when maestro Cecil Taylor came to listen to McCoy's trio. Tyner and Taylor shared a conversation, and afterwards Tyner returned backstage, gently confiding in Mela, "I wish I were that free. We play music to free our souls." Likewise, Tyner encouraged Mela to pursue his broadening interests, inspiring Francisco to embrace experimentation and musical freedom.

The first volume in the Music Frees Our Souls series featured Matthew Shipp on piano, the second pianist Cooper-Moore. The band that recorded the third volume is made of legendary William Parker on bass (present with Mela on all three volumes) and Leo Genovese on piano. Francisco Mela made an inspired decision in inviting the brilliant Argentinian piano player as Genovese brings in strategies that would surprise any expert music lover of the avant-garde. Attempts to guess during a blindfold listening test would fail. Genovese, delivers an extraordinary performance, playing saxophone and piano at the same time on 'Earth' the opening track from the album, turning the band from a piano trio into a quartet.

Francisco Mela when asked if this is the final volume in this series dodged the question, leaving us wondering if his magnificent project will continue in the future or if these classic recordings will remain a trilogy."-577 Records

Also available as a vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"Leonardo Genovese was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina in 1979. After some years of studying classical piano at the National University of Rosario as well as private lessons in contemporary music, he moved to Boston in 2001. He started his career at Berklee College of Music where he studied with Danilo Perez, Joanne Brackeen and Frank Carlberg, among others. Leo graduated as a Professional Music Major in 2003 and has been constantly performing and recording with talented musicians such us Hal Crook, Darren Barrett, George Garzone, Francisco Mela, Joe Lovano, Bob Gulloti, Phil Grenadier, Dave Santoro, Chris Cheek, Michael Janisch and Ben Monder. In 2004, he released his first solo album entitled Haikus II signed by Spanish label Fresh Sound Records. He also performs regularly with the Esperanza Spalding Group, the Mike Tucker Quartet, Planet Safety (w/Bob Gullotti and Dave Zinno), Wayne Shorter Group and Jack Dejohnette.

When he's not touring with Spalding, Genovese - who is currently based in New York - also plays with a loosely assembled group called the Chromatic Gauchos, whose core membership includes Bob Gulloti, Dan Blake and John Lockwood. This threesome, along with Spalding and percussionist Sergio Miranda, appears prominently on Seeds. While Genovese is still early on his career arc, he hopes that his music could eventually be more than just a source of entertainment, but also a force for change in a world that is troubled by economic, social and political challenges. "I would like it to go somewhere positive, somewhere helpful," he says. "I would like for people to really gain something worthwhile from it. There are so many people around the word in need. Most of us never realize it, because most of us have the basic necessities and much more. But some people - many people - have very little."

He adds: "I want to make people more aware of the many different circumstances - and sometimes difficult circumstances - that other people face every day. A lot of it has to do with having the right intention. Music is a lot like people in that way. If it comes from a good place, it's more likely to bear good fruit." "

-Whirlwind Recordings (https://www.whirlwindrecordings.com/%E2%80%8Bleo-genovese/)
10/2/2024

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

"William Parker is a bassist, improviser, composer, writer, and educator from New York City, heralded by The Village Voice as, "the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time."

In addition to recording over 150 albums, he has published six books and taught and mentored hundreds of young musicians and artists.

Parker's current bands include the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, In Order to Survive, Raining on the Moon, Stan's Hat Flapping in the Wind, and the Cosmic Mountain Quartet with Hamid Drake, Kidd Jordan, and Cooper-Moore. Throughout his career he has performed with Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Milford Graves, and David S. Ware, among others."

-William Parker Website (http://www.williamparker.net/)
10/2/2024

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

"Francisco Jose Mela is a Cuban drummer and percussionist who has performed with a wide array of prominent international Latin and jazz artists including Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, JoAnne Brackeen, Jane Bunnett, Regina Carter, Anat Cohen, Paquito D'Rivera, George Garzone, Larry Grenadier, Stefon Harris, Lionel Loueke, Joe Lovano, Jason Moran, John Patitucci, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Mark Turner, McCoy Tyner, Chucho Valdés, Kenny Werner, and many others.

Born in Bayamo, Cuba, Francisco Mela studied at the Music School of Arts El Yarey as a teenager before furthering his studies at the National School of Arts for Teachers, el CENCEA. He taught at Rafael's Cabrera Conservatory of Music and played with some of the country's top Latin jazz musicians, as well as leading his group, MelaSon Latin Jazz Band, that toured throughout Mexico. In 2000, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music and was invited to join the percussion faculty. He became the house drummer at the Wally's Café. It was here where he developed the concept for what would later be his own group.

In 2005, Mela joined the quartet of saxophonist Joe Lovano. Of particular note was the group's 2008 album on Blue Note entitled Folk Art.Later that year, Mela was approached by McCoy Tyner to join his trio.

Mela was named the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's first artistic director in 2014, Before appointment, he served as artistic director for the Xalapa Jazz Festival in Veracruz, Mexico (2010-2013).

In late 2016, Mela was part of an inaugural ensemble that joined Afro-Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés and saxophonist Joe Lovano for an international tour throughout Europe and North America. He also leads his own group, The Crash Trio."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Mela)
10/2/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Earth 12:42

2. Wind 7:59

3. Fire 20:54

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Trio Recordings
Parker, William
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
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The Squid's Ear Magazine

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