Label: Clean Feed
Personnel - Alberto Popolla: clarinet, bass clarinet, objects; Errico De Fabritiis: alto and baritone saxophones, mouth harp; Gianfranco Tedeschi: acoustic bass; Fabrizio Spera: drums, percussion, zither. Guests - Eugenio Colombo: flute; Francesco Lo Cascio: vibraphone.
Formed in 2013, the exploratory Italian quartet Roots Magic delves into another set of tunes collected from the early traditional blues compendium - in its country and Delta variants - and the rich sonic palettes of the avant-garde and free jazz from the 70’s.
On their third installment for Clean Feed, Take Root Among the Stars, the blues pieces represent different eras. Whereas “Frankiphone Blues”, written by Sun Ra’s associate Phil Cohran, pulsates freely with an Afro-centric thrust, “Mean Black Cat Blues” was culled from the vintage repertoire of Charley Patton, considered by many to be the father of Delta Blues. The former track brings two guest artists to the forefront - vibraphonist Francesco Lo Cascio harmonizes with exoticism while flutist Eugenio Colombo sends brisk notes into a tizzy; the latter piece, instead, relies on a heavy counterpoint scenario, playful riffery and a final rhythmic cadence that throbs with excitement.
Maurice McIntyre’s “Humility in the Light of the Creator” starts with innocuous chiming percussion and a serene bass clarinet contemplation. The other instrumentalists, including drummer Fabrizio Spera (he's passionate and vigorous in the way he plays), have no objection to join and raise the intensity of things. Later, the group explores contrasting possibilities when suspended states filled with melodic circularity are shaken by the earth-bounding energy of Alberto Popolla’s bass clarinet and Errico De Fabritiis’ alto saxophone.
This pair of uninhibited improvisers cascade chromatically with plenty of nerve on “Still Screaming For Charles Tyler”, an arrangement that splices “Cha-Lacy’s Out East” and “Man Alone” by the underestimated baritonist cited in the title. This particular piece is swept by a propelling rhythmic force, containing a scorching hard-swinging section propitious for the woodwinds invasion. The baritone, most notably, projects a hulking mass of sound.
If the ensemble succeeds in bringing forth a fragile state of bliss on Ornette Coleman’s “A Girl Named Rainbow”, whether by trading spiraling melodies or searching for more spacious atmospheres, they were unable to elevate Sun Ra’s “Where There Is No Sun” to a superior dimension.
Concluding the record, “Karen On Monday” by clarinetist John Carter, is portrayed with abstraction, torpor and uncertainty, probing alternative moods through the use of a different instrumentation.
Roots Magic can perform with both athleticism and grace. Although with some tunes working better than others, this work finds the group in its classic form, both in concept and execution.
Grade B+
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Frankiphone Blues ► 02 - Humility in the Light of the Creator ► 04 - Still Screaming For Charles Tyler