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Vampyroteuthis Infernalis
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SLAMCD 558
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Luiz Moretto Quintet
Luiz Moretto – violin & rabeca
Alípio C Neto – tenor & soprano saxophone, Brazilian bells, whistles
Francesco Lo Cascio – vibraphone, percussion
Gianfranco Tedeschi – double bass
Marco Ariano – drums, percussion
Brazilian Luiz Moretto moved to Portugal in 2000 working with Lisbon’s African communities; he has worked with saxophonist Alípio C Neto almost a decade. The Vampire Squid from the deep sea (Vampyroteuthis Infernalis) is a metaphor of the actual components not included in the production of the mainstream aesthetics of modernity. It represents the forces under the human flows in a perception of all events occurred on the surface, creating a blend of magnificent and tragic encounters amongst different people and cultures producing unique musical expressions. The compositions are inspired on rhythms of Afro-Brazilian music giving the necessary freedom for intense improvisational interplays. It was Alípio’s idea to invite experienced musicians from within the Italian free jazz culture, namely Francesco Lo Cascio, Gianfranco Tedeschi and Marco Ariano, whose combined experience and creativity pervade the music.
Moretto has been a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at King’s College London since 2012; together with his studies of musicians in rural areas of Brazil, this work shows in his fusion of the Afro-Brazilian rabeca (fiddle) and the free jazz aesthetics.
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Reviews
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CD Title
Vampyroteuthis Infernalis
Leader or group name
Luiz Moretto Quintet
Names of musicians and the instruments they play.
Luiz Moretto – violin &rabeca
Alípio C Neto – tenor & soprano saxophone, Brazilian bells, whistles
Francesco Lo Cascio – vibraphone, percussion
Gianfranco Tedeschi – double bass
Marco Ariano – drums, percussion
Track details:
Running order
Track titles
Track lengths
Composers
1. Espiral do Tempo 9:36
2. Rio Vermelho do Desterro 7:55
3. Rope em Fuga 4:18
4. Vampyroteuthis Infernalis 4:46
5. Refrações Geométricas 7:42
6. Photophores 0:52
7. Saturnia 8:02
8. Terras de Arroz e Açucar 5:54
All Compositions by Luiz Moretto except track 6 (Moretto, Tedeschi) and track 7 (Moretto, C Neto, Lo Cascio, Tedeschi, Ariano)
Recording details:
Date and place of recording.
Recorded on 23rd October 2013 and 17th March 2014 at Monkey StudioS, Rome
Name of sound engineer(s) for recording and mastering.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lucio Leoni at Monkey StudioS, Rome
(1) is a vivid, and wondrously engaging date, like an old Dolphy session with Hutch recorded on some far flung planet. The tart, keening sound of Moretto’s rabeca and violin interact really well with Neto’s horns, all suspended in a supple web of vibes, bass, and percussion. The band trades in a music that balances texture with rhythmic intensity, and it’s hard to deny how compelling that combination can be. Many of the pieces build from simple ideas, from the billowing texture of the opener to folkish lines of "Rope em Fuga," to raw propulsion. It’s all shaped by three distinct band elements that blend marvelously: the intense expression of the two frontline players, the generous rhythm team (who really shape the music via the space they leave between the notes), and Lo Cascio’s vibes the coloristic middle. It’s cohesive, and as a group they play with control and dynamic variation. On tunes like "Rio" and "Rope em Fuga," there’s a near romanticism that blooms with the largely free-ish music (think Motian in terms of the balance of abstraction, if not the actual musical language). But there’s also a propensity for quick dancing heads and bright melodies, at times recalling some of India Cooke’s groups. The soloists play bracingly, but it’s the moments of interplay that get me the most: the Dolphy-to-Rahsaan lope of the title track, the propulsive "Refracoes" and its hot counterlines, the earthy funk of the closer, with hard vibes playing of the grainy sound of the rabeca (the fiddle from northeastern Brazil). My one gripe is that the leader sometimes comes across as too understated on his own session, but that’s also something to admire. Do check this one out. Jason Bivins Cadence Oct 2015 file:///C:/Users/me/Downloads/74-120%20the%20reviews.pdf
Slam’s a rich source of new music from Italy and this, along with recent work by fellow violinist Stefano Pastor is among the most compelling. Moretto has a wild, slightly eldritch tone, with a fine instinct for rhythmic variation. Brazilian and African (Ghanaian?) sources collide and combine. Great support from the rest of the group; Neto’s already widely admired, but Lo Cascio is a monster who’ll be spreading alarm among the Chicago guys. Recommended.
Brian Morton Jazz Journal May 2015
Violinist Luiz Moretto leads a wide ranging team of Alipio C Neto/ts-ss, Frencesco Lo Cascio/vig-perc, Gianfranco Tedeschi/b and Marco Ariano/dr through a collection of brooding and moody originals. Dark sounds from reeds and vibes create spooky atmospheres on "Rio Vermelho do Desterro" and eerie violin pitches will make you look over your shoulder on "Espiral do Tempo." Modern classical modes step up to the bar on "Refracoes Geometricas" while the shadows great long and stark on "Saturnia" and "Terras de Arroz e Acucar." The interplay between the lurking vibes, ominous violin and harrowing reeds are good for some imaginatively melancholy moments.
by George W. Harris Jazz Weekly, March 19, 2015
http://www.jazzweekly.com/2015/03/slam-dunkserika-dagnino-trio-sides-mark-holub-irene-kepl-taschen-drache-clockwork-groove-waiting-for-injection-luiz-moretto-quintet-vampyroteuthis-infernalis/
La ribeca è uno strumento ad arco a metà fra violino
e liuto, che dal Tardo Medioevo attraverso il
Portogallo giunge nella musica tradizionale del
Brasile. Ed è fra ribeca e violino che si destreggia
Luiz Moretto, musicista brasiliano che impiega i
suoi strumenti nell’ambito della scena improvvisata,
a metà fra Jean-Luc Ponty e Leroy Jenkins.
"Vampyroteuthis Infernalis" lo vede circondato
da musicisti ben noti in Italia: dal portoghese Alípio
C. Neto ai sax al vibrafonista Francesco Lo Cascio,
Gianfranco Tedeschi al contrabbasso e
Marco Ariano alla batteria. Se il primo brano,
Espiral do Tempo, lascia perplessi (a parte l’intro
di Tedeschi), convince di più Rio Vermelho do Desterro,
struttura creata da vibrafono e contrabbasso
con svolgimento affidato al sax tenore, e
interessanti assoli di vibrafono e del leader, nonché
un raccolto intervento di Tedeschi. La stridula
voce della ribeca espone Rope em Fuga,
tempo veloce su cui spicca il tocco fulmineo di
Lo Cascio, seguito dalla lucida estemporaneità di
Neto e dalla galoppata di Moretto. La traccia
eponima si riferisce al nome scientifico del calamaro
vampiro, mollusco degli oceani temperati
e tropicali che vive a profondità di più di mille
metri: il movimento iniziale è lento, dal silenzio
acquatico di contrabbasso e vibrafono emergono
violino e soprano, pulsanti ma lineari, che intrecciano
i rispettivi assoli nel disegno dei tentacoli
e della membrana del cefalopode, per zittirsi
infine di nuovo verso le profondità marine. Refrações
Geométricas richiama un’altra caratteristica
del mollusco, la bioluminescenza, usata
come arma di difesa per spaventare o cogliere di
sorpresa gli altri abitanti degli abissi: anche qui
non c’è un vero tema, ma le voci di tutti gli strumenti
— plauso particolare a Neto — si uniscono
in modo difforme per generare combinazioni cromatiche
che danno risalto all’intesa collettiva.
Breve trionfo del pizzicato in Photophores, quindi
Saturnia, dove si distinguono Neto e Ariano, artefici
di un tenace duo soprano-batteria, ed il
gioioso trio finale violino-vibrafono-soprano. Terras
de Arroz e Acuar chiude con ribeca, sax tenore
e percussioni. La forza della musica
d’avanguardia, in un quintetto che va ben oltre la
splendida accoppiata sax-violino egregiamente
supportata dalla ritmica italiana._An.Rig.& An.Te.
Jazz Colours May 2015.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE
The rebec is a string instrument somewhere between violin
and lute, which since the late Middle Ages through the
Portugal comes in traditional music
Brazil. And it is among rebec and violin juggles
Luiz Moretto, Brazilian musician who uses the
His instruments in the field of improvised scene,
somewhere between Jean-Luc Ponty and Leroy Jenkins.
"Vampire squid" sees him surrounded
from well-known musicians in Italy: from the Portuguese Alípio
C. Neto to the sax vibraphonist Francesco Lo Cascio,
Gianfranco Tedeschi on bass and
Marco Ariano on drums. If the first track,
Espiral do Tempo, perplexing (except for the intro
of Germans), convinces more Rio Vermelho do Desterro,
structure created by vibraphone and bass
entrusted with carrying on tenor sax, and
interesting vibraphone solos and leaders, as well as
a harvest intervention of Germans. The shrill
voice of ribeca exposes Rope em Fuga,
fast time on which stands the touch of lightning
Lo Cascio, followed by the gloss of impromptu
Neto and run by Moretto. The track
eponymous refers to the scientific name of the squid
vampire, mollusk ocean temperate
and tropical living at depths of more than a thousand
meters: the initial movement is slow, the silence
aquatic bass and vibraphone emerge
violin and soprano, buttons but linear, which intertwine
their solos in the design of the tentacles
and the membrane of the cephalopod, to shut up
Finally back to the deep sea. Refrações
Geométricas recalls another feature
clam, bioluminescence, used
as a defense weapon to scare or capture of
surprise the other inhabitants of the deep: here
there is a real issue, but the voices of all the tools
- Special praise to Neto - join
in different way to generate color combinations
emphasizing collective cartel.
Short triumph of pizzicato in Photophores, then
Saturnia, where stand Neto and Ariano, architects
a tenacious duo soprano-battery, and
joyful final trio violin-vibes-soprano. Terras
Arroz de Acuar and closes with rebec, tenor sax
and percussion. The power of music
avant-garde, in a quintet that goes far beyond the
beautiful coupled sax-violin very well
supported by the rhythmic italiana._An.Rig. & An.Te.
A moment that cannot, perhaps, be described in words, but which can be perceived perfectly, as one of those fantastic occasions when music bypasses the intellect and is channelled solely through feelings, emotions. That special moment is the precise moment when the sounds that musicians make cease to be mere notes and take on their own life, beyond their control. The moment when all the contributions that they make as they play together are much less than the overall result, which possesses emerging properties that are impossible to explain through mere mathematics. The moment when a collective intelligence appears, manifests itself, fusing and transcending these contributions.
sugar45 http://www.breakaplate.com/index.php/slam-productions/
Exquisite bowing introduces the album in its opening track, "Espiral do Tempo", which continues on its way with lovely, spirited work from both violin and vibraphone. Lo Cascio sustains the saxes and violin beautifully in the absence of piano, as well as taking some enthusiastic solos. He studied the instrument originally at Berklee College, Boston, under the tutelage of Gary Burton and now has a busy programme of clubs, festivals, radio, television and teaching. He works within the Free Jazz culture in Italy, along with Marco Ariano and Gianfranco Tedeschi. These latter may be best known for their contribution together to the trio Xubuxue, with Elio Martusciello (laptop) appearing on the 10-CDMusica Improvvisa. This has become something of an obsession or cult 'must-have' for aficionados of Italian improv (anybody got a spare copy?).
All but tracks 6 and 7, which are collaborations with other band-members, were composed by Moretto and it will be clear that, in spite of the provenance of the musicians discussed, this is not 'free' music. Moretto hails from Brazil, moving to Portugal in 2000 and Alípio C Neto has worked with him for some ten years. Moretto's compositions are strongly evocative of Afro-Brazilian arrangements which allow the individual's improvisation to flourish. It's cool and there is a strong sense of empathy between the musicians which, with the strength of Lo Cascio's provision, holds it all together.
Reviewed by Ken Cheetham Jazz Views
http://www.jazzviews.net/luiz-moretto-quintet---vampyroteuthis-infernalis.html
LUIZ MORETTO QUINTET [With ALIPIO C NETO/FRANCESCO LO CASCIO/GIANFRANCO
TEDESCHI/MARCO ARIANO] - Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (Slam 558; UK) Featuring Luiz
Moretto on violin & rabeca, Alipio C Neto on tenor & soprano sax, Francesco Lo Cascio on vibes, Gianfranco Tedeschi on double bass and Marco Ariano on drums.
Unlike the three other Italian discs from Slam that I reviewed today (1/1/15), this quintet does feature a member with whom I know previously: Alipio C Neto, who can be found on a few discs from the Clean Feed label. Mr. Moretto wrote all but two songs here and co-wrote the other two with different band-members. The opening song, "Espiral do Tempo" is laid back and features some fine solos from the acoustic violin and vibes. Mr. Moretto sounds a bit like Jean-Luc Ponty in his early days (late sixties) as he spins out those feisty lines. The violin and soprano sax sound great together as they bend their notes in similar snake-charming ways. Instead of using a piano, it is the vibes player who supports the violin and sax so well. Vibesman Lo Cascio is also strong soloist and takes a few inspired solos throughout this disc. I dig that this music is often laid-back yet adventurous at the same time, loose but not really free.
What is interesting about this group is that they don't quite sound like anyone else, even the leader's violin playing & sound is completely unique. There is a section on "Refracoes Geometricas" where the violin, bowed bass, soprano sax and percussion all swirl together in an unusual yet compelling way that stands out. It sounds as if this quintet has been playing together for a while since no matter how far they go out, there seems to be underlying connection between all.
https://mail.aol.com/38865-418/aol-6/en-gb/Suite.aspx
Review by Rui Eduardo Paes - JAZZ.PT
http://jazz.pt/ponto-escuta/2015/02/11/luiz-moretto-quintet-vampyroteuthis-infernalis-slam/
Lembram-se do Alípio C Neto do IMI Kollektief, dos Wishful Thinking e do álbum "The Perfume Comes Before the Flower", saxofonista brasileiro que viveu durante alguns anos em Portugal, antes de se mudar para Itália? E lembram-se de Luiz Moretto, violinista igualmente do Brasil que trabalhou com as comunidades africanas de Lisboa, interessado em estudar os fundamentos no continente-mãe da música popular do seu país (tema do doutoramento que está, de resto, actualmente a fazer no King’s College de Londres)? Pois ei-los aqui reunidos, no quinteto do segundo, cujo integra uma secção rítmica formada por parceiros habituais de Neto: o vibrafonista Francesco Lo Cascio, o contrabaixista Gianfranco Tedeschi e o baterista Marco Ariano.
A fórmula não é habitual, se bem que comece a dar frutos (projectos recentes de António "Panda" Gianfratti e Thomas Rohrer): cruzar a música popular de raiz das terras de Santa Cruz com a improvisação de matriz directa (o caso presente) ou indirectamente jazzística – com Moretto, de resto, a trocar com frequência o violino pela vernacular rabeca. O resultado? Imaginem uma versão tropicalista e actualizada do Revolutionary Ensemble de Leroy Jenkins com Karl Berger e Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre e estarão lá perto. O título do disco, referente à pouco vista lula gigante dos mares profundos, não podia ser mais apropriado…
Review by Vittorio Lo Conte - MUSICZOOM – Italy
http://www.musiczoom.it/?p=22432
Il calamaro vampiro del titolo e della foto in copertina è una creatura delle profondità degli abissi marini il cui nome deriva dal suo aspetto di incappucciato che gira per l´oscurità alla ricerca di cibo che cade dalle superfici degli oceani. La musica invece ha molto di solare, un incontro positivo fra il violinista brasiliano Luiz Moretto/, presente in alcuni brani alla rabeca, un tipo violino usato nella musica tradizionale del suo paese, ed il connazionale Alipio C Neto ai sassofoni tenore e soprano insieme ad una ritmica italiana costituita da Francesco Lo Cascio al vibrafono, Gianfranco Tedeschi al contrabbasso e Marco Ariano alla batteria. La musica del gruppo italo-brasiliano è piuttosto accattivante, abile nel mettere assieme la tradizione del free, ad esempio il Revolutionary Ensemble di Leroy Jenkins, con i suoni che provengono dall´Africa e che lui ha studiato in Portogallo ed il Brasile. Il vibrafono di Lo Cascio diventa uno strumento che dà un particolare colore all´incisione, sulle orme di un Karl Berger, un ottimo esempio è il suo intervento su Refrações Geométricas, perfettamente integrato con il leader. I momenti improvvisativi, le aggregazioni degli strumenti, il sax soprano di Neto (ad esempio sul brano che dà il titolo al disco), sono ben gestiti dalla mano compositiva del leader, la sua scrittura dà spazio ai sidemen ed evita che si vada verso momenti confusi o poco incisivi. La gestione del flusso sonoro è perfetta così che la musica scorre fluida, coerente ma senza ripetizioni, perfettamente interpretata da una band che ha tutti i numeri per acquisire nel genere una dimensione internazionale. Fra i brani più riusciti il nervoso Saturnia, qui ha modo di mettersi in vista il batterista in un passaggio in duo insieme al sax soprano di Neto. Anche l´iniziale Espiral do Tempo e il finale di Terras de Arroz e Açúcar sono dei brani che hanno quel qualcosa di speciale nell´ambito di quella che è l´avanguardia odierna per come funzionano le relazioni all´interno del quintetto e l´empatia con il sassofonista. Un gruppo che conferma la buona vena di Moretto e Neto, sicuramente due musicsti molto interessanti, e di chi in Italia si dedica all´avanguardia.
Genere: avanguardia
Review by Dave Summer - BIRD IS THE WORM - This is Jazz Today – US http://www.birdistheworm.com/this-is-jazz-today-marike-van-dijk-sebastian-sternal-anouar-brahem-more/
A gripping avant-garde session from violinist Moretto. He doubles up on rabeca for this session, which is reflective of the unconventional instruments he brings together so splendidly on this recording. A strangely alluring melodicism throughout this fun, invigorating challenge of an album.
Review by Fabricio Vieira - FreeForm, FreeJazz - Brazilhttp://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2015/03/play-it-again-algumas-novidades.htmlPlay it Again... "Algumas Novidades Imperdíveis" O brasileiro Luiz Moretto (violino e rabeca) deixou o Brasil há mais de uma década, tendo se estabelecido desde o começo dos 2000 em Lisboa, onde trabalhou extensivamente com comunidades africanas. Interessado por free jazz e improvisação, se uniu ao saxofonista Alípio C Neto para gestar esse álbum, no qual une elementos tradicionais brasileiros (mais explícitos na interpretação de Moretto) à música livre. Para completar o quinteto, convocou três instrumentistas italianos – Francesco Lo Cascio (vibrafone), Gianfranco Tedeschi (baixo) e Marco Ariano (bateria) –, o que ajudou a dar um tom algo mais universal ao resultado. Saxes e vibrafone se revelam fundamentais para as belas composições de Moretto alcançarem seus melhores momentos.
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