Ornetrio Tangheri e i Lestofanti della 19F

A left field take on Ornette Coleman’s repertoire, this Italian trio creates individualized variations on the American saxophonist’s familiar and unfamiliar tunes plus one by Charlie Haden. Part of the reconstitution is the instrumentation which is different than those of any of the saxophonist’s bands. Giorgio Giacobbi plays tenor saxophone; Mariano Bulligan cello and Paolo Jus double bass. Collectively their background encompasses Jazz, Funk-Rock and notated music.

Since the compositions are divided between Coleman’s initial acoustic and later electric periods, most of the session’s attraction lies in seeing how the trio, whose name is translated as  Swindlers of 19F, can create distinctive takes on the material. Case in point is the extended “W.R.U.”. Given an electrified aural interface the theme judders on James Jamerson/Johnson Brothers-like thumb pops from Jus with his near replications of electric bass thumps. Giacobbi contributes split tone and bitten off reed vibrations; and later on his tongue slaps and vibrated screeches bookend a languid cello solo. The contrasting crunching and candied motifs lead to a sophisticated resolution as alternating reed yelps, cello string scratches balance on top of the evolving bass line to confirm sound individuality.

Animated swing stops involve the cellist as much as the bassist on a tune like “Chanting”, yet happily the exposition is more swaying than severe with both string players expressing simple guitar-like figures.

While elsewhere the trio members emphasize melancholy, jittery and cross-pulsed interludes, the most striking pivots is when each player’s tones are layered in a stairstep exposition as on “Una Muy Bonita”. As the cellist and bassist reference parallel inflections from near-formal glissandi, strums and string scours, Giacobbi adds note-bending vibrations and mouth whistles. Eventually the three  reach a soaring resolution strengthened by a coda of almost so-called classical sweeps from the string players.

Decisively exposing the volte-face of the Bass Clef, the trio members have built on the Coleman canon to express themselves clearly. However as Coleman titled on album  Something Else, something else from this band will be to hear how they interpret original material.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Lonely Woman 2. The Sphinx 3. Una Muy Bonita 4. Human Being 5. W.R.U. 6. Chanting 7. Congeniality

Personnel: Giorgio Giacobbi (tenor saxophone); Mariano Bulligan (cello) and Paolo Jus (bass)