Colombo, Mancini, Mariani, Vittorini - I VIRTUOSI DI CAVE -RED Record VPS 131

Another unbelievably OOP vinyl from the italian RED Record catalogue.
Once again, as still well pointed out by sotise in a previous italian music post, this missing reissue underlines the musical limits of the RR producer. To better say underlines mostly his choice of definitely more traditional, conventional and, at least to me, boring improvised music.But how much more easy to sell in Europe and Outside of it?
Here is an italian saxophone quartet (all the members are multireed players) leaded by the greatly underrated Eugenio Colombo, at least in my opinion, who recorded in 1977,in Rome, an astonishing and still fresh today album. The first Rova recording dates to july 1978 (Cinemè Rovatè) and the first WSQ to june 1977 (Point Of No Return). It seems to me almost unbelievable that in the provincial Italy some genuine musical talents could record in december 1977 such an unpredictable, fresh and compelling attempt. Tecnichal mastery (especially by Colombo), a very fine and mature balance of written and improvised parts, deep reference to mediterranean traditional music (Colombo is an expert of mediterranean music and of circular breath technique), a subtle irony, the fun and joy of playin togheter, all this contribute to the success of this music. This is, to my knowledge, the only document of a seminal group. Even the Colombo recordings aren't so easy to find. His partecipation to the Italian Instabile Orchestra isn't his first and most important outcome but an important arrival point of a deep and uncorrupted musical mind.

Translated from the liner notes:

The VIRTUOSI DI CAVE is a group of four young sax players that for since some years gather themselves in an old house in Cave near Rome. There they study and try new musical shapes in which improvisation and composition can blend givin such way life to a new music. That music stand in the traced field of european and italian classical contemporary music, but distinguish for its originality and the totally new ensemble of four reed players. The tracks here are mostly written with clear references to the mediterranean and oriental folklorical musical tradition but using an european avant-garde composing method. The collective playing, the counterpoin, the timbrical and harmonical choices, the playing and interpreting techniques all those musical facts are used for a control of the improvised parts as planned by the compositions. Colombo, Mancini, Mariani e Vittorini all take part to the activities of the Testaccio's Music Popular School in Rome.

Chicco Tagliaferri

Colombo, Mariani, Mancini, Vittorini
I Virtuosi di Cave, RED Record (It) VPA131

Eugenio Colombo (as, bar, kazumba)
Roberto Mancini (as, ts)
Alberto Mariani (ts, sop, kazumba)
Tommaso Vittorini (ts, bar, sop)

Rome, December 1977

1. Il granchio verde [19:35]
   
2. Ethnomusicology [11:00]
3. Zanzare immense [01:45]
4. Pottosfera [5:25]

All compositions written by Eugenio Colombo


ENJOY THE MUSIC!

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