The Preacher & The Ghost

Presentación del Álbum

Preacher & the Ghost is a concept record inspired by and dedicated to the spirit of Albert Ayler. There are two bands and both of them center around saxophonists Gianluigi Trovesi and Danielle Cavallanti and have in common bassist Mark Dresser, tuba ace Giancarlo Schiafinni, drummer Tiziano Tononi, and trombone player Glenn Ferris. On part two, Attilio Zanchi is added as a second bassist and Lauro Rossi as a second trombonist. As for the music and the listener being able to distinguish conceptually what is supposed to happen between part one and part two, it's very simple: Part one is, while riding the margin, a fairly solid, driving, blues-based post-hard bop affair, while part two, with its shorter solos and more structured ensemble playing, is a far more outside venture, with large brash horn structures moving against soloists who have precious little time to make their case. Either way, these sets come off as two large suites with players moving in and out of the mainstream of tunes. Because this is primarily an Italian date, even the vanguard material possesses an inherent kind of melodic architecture and the harmonic language is still the order of the day. As for the spirit of Ayler, it gets there too, with numerous attempts at bringing in street music, parade music, gospel, blues, and of course New Orleans jazz. Bassist Mark Dresser is the clear standout, though, his rhythmic invention serves to not only ground the ensembles he's playing with, but to move them forward at the same time. Fascinating, invigorating, and wonderfully played.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo