CD Title: DOMINO'S TALES
Catalogue number: SLAMCD 533
Group name:
DOMINO Trio
Musicians:
MARCO COLONNA Bass clarinet, Baritone & Soprano saxes
FRANCESCO LO CASCIO Vibraphone, Percussion
LILLO QUARATINO Double bass
Track details:
1. PROLOGUE 00,47
2. THE TALE OF COLOURS 08,48
3. THE TALE OF SHADOWS 02,57
4. THE TALE OF SOULS 05,32
5. THE TALE OF RITUALS 02,17
6. THE TALE OF FARIES 01,49
7. THE TALE OF THE SMALL THINGS 03,52
8. THE TALE OF CHRSTMAS 03,36
9. THE TALE OF DANCES 07,58
10. ENDING 04,34
TOTAL 42,34
All compositions by
FRANCESCO LO CASCIO, MARCO COLONNA, ANGELO QUARATINO
Recorded on May 28 2010 by Franco Liberati at ILR studio – Rome
Mixing by Francesco Lo Cascio
Mastering by Franco Liberati
Unsurprisingly, the theme here is story and each of Domino's Tales provides a clear beginning,
middle and end with arc and development contained within. It's poetic, expressionistic, clever
and for all the stylistic and sonic variety on offer, this is a consistent and cohesive suite.
The Prologue starts out almost Japanese in style with woodblocks and chimes and the
"Eastern-flavoured" percussion is something of a recurring motif throughout the album.
After this brief, evocative start comes the exploration of tonal shading in the Tale of Colours.
The exploration continues through the ethereal landscape of The Tale of Souls, via the uneasy
happiness of The Tale of Christmas and on to the suspense and sudden denouement of the Ending.
Impressively for an instrumental lineup that strongly features bass clarinet and vibes, there
is no hint of Dolphyish Out To Lunch cliché here, just a very original statement from very
original musicians.
Dave Foxall Jazz Journal June 2010
DOMINO [MARCO COLONNA/FRANCESCO LO CASCIO/LILLO QUARANTINO] -
Domino's Tales (Slam 533; UK) Featuring Marco Colonna on bass
clarinet, baritone & soprano saxes & flute, Lillo Quaratino on bass
and Francesco Lo Cascio on vibes & percussion. This recording session
develops as a choral tale, a kind of emotional brainteaser where
single pieces belong to each of the three musicians, combining in the
elements of play and surprise. Creative experience, poetry of the
moment, intensity of expression suggest the ideal rules of a
performance where the tellers, as in a domino game, reveal their
confidence and set out to discover their vision of freedom. Once
again, the UK-based Slam label introduces us to a new trio of
courageous Italian musicians.
This is a thematic sort-of suite which is titled as "Tales
of...". Each tale evokes a different mood or scene which then evolve
in cinematic ways. The first tale features some playful bass
clarinet, frollicking vibes and subtle bass. Often one instrument
(like the bass clarinet) will start a piece off and then the others
will join in when a certain vibe or groove is established. For "The
Tale of Souls", the vibes kick off the central theme as some
simmering baritone slowly enters. Whether Mr. Colonna is playing bass
clarinet, bari or soprano sax or flute, he is an immensely creative
player. You can tell that this trio has been playing together for a
while and that they have worked hard at developing a group sound.
Although each tale tells a strong story, each one is also connected
to a thread or stream. Sort of like three strong characters in a
fascinating play that develops in a most organic way with excellent
results on various levels. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music
Gallery. Nov 2011
A good music is like a good story, you follow it closely, focused, wanting to know what happens next, waiting impatiently for the each next chapter, you appreciate it more it the intriguing storyline goes hand to hand with skillfull narration and sense of structure. And that's exactly what Marco Colonna, Francesco Lo Cascio and Lillo Quarantino are doing in here - telling tales.
With Francesco Lo Cascio splitting his time between the vibraphone and percussion this trio manages to create a varied set of music that never looses its direction yet shines with a variety of moods and tones. To begin with the melismatic soprano, enigmatic percussion and just one misty chord of vibraphone in the short "Prologue" followed by pensive and surreal, suspended time (over a long bowed notes and vibraphone smudged chords) of "Tale of Colours" led by the strong yet gentle sound of bass clarinet, patiently unwinding the story. To finish with eerie tones of the metallic plates, elegiac melody of bowed bass joined by a bass clarinet in "Ending".
In between there's the passionate and spiritual playing in "The Tale of Souls", the sweet if uneasy tale of Christmas, the echoes of ancient rites (shakahuchi sound, resonating gongs) in "The Tale of Rituals", the soulful baritone in "The Tale of Dances". Some of these pieces are just pristine miniatures, pictoresque sketches (take the repetitive vibraphone theme of "The Tale of Fairies" as an example). What they all share is the melodic quality that seems so naturally innate to Italian musicians and so elusive when it comes to improvised music. Lyrical yet adventurous.
As always, the perception, the interpretation of the stories told is completely personal and subjective. After all you can see or find in the picture only what you did know or did have in the first place. Like any good story, it only serves as a mirror, allowing you to reveal yourself. "Domino's Tales" opens you to images, sceneries, melodies and thoughts that were always inside you. This music grows on you with each listen as it becomes your own imaginery.
http://jazzalchemist.blogspot.com/2011/10/domino-dominos-tales-slam.html#more
TRANSLATION
SLAM Productions is a British record company attention to the realities of Italian jazz, which from time to time, among the titles in the catalog, is offered to international attention.The musicians of this trio have come from behind and Roman designs and collaborations in situations as diverse garde to the mainstream.Here they are now in a situation quite advanced and quite convincing results.For soprano and baritone sax and bass clarinet and the flute isMarco Colonna, on vibes and percussionFrancesco Lo Cascioand bassLillo Quaratino.They describe the stories, stories that put together contribute to the high overall level of the disc.The inspiration seems at times given by a British musician, such asJohn Surmanwith regard to wind, on the whole, however, for lack of drums, can give a dimension of its own.The thick trialogue with the vibraphone and double bass tuned well to the situations mentioned are a delight for jaded listeners.For example, the flute ofThe Tale of Rituals, or baritone sax to the shortThe Tale of Fairies.Another beautiful song, performed without going to rehash the usual models of Christmas music, it'sThe Tale of Christmas.Worth listening to at the international level, no doubt.Artistic ability, and not hiding out the possibility that the border get the deservedrecognition is real.
ORIGINAL ITALIAN
La Slam Productions è una casa discografica inglese attenta alle realtà del jazz italiano, che di tanto in tanto, in mezzo agli titoli del catalogo, viene proposto all´attenzione internazionale. I musicisti di questo trio provengono dall´area romana ed hanno alle spalle incisioni e collaborazioni nelle situazioni più disparate, dall´avanguardia al mainstream. Eccoli ora in una situazione piuttosto avanzata e dai risultati piuttosto convincenti. Ai sax baritono e soprano ed al clarinetto basso ed al flauto c´èMarco Colonna, al vibrafono ed alle percussioniFrancesco Lo Cascioed al contrabbassoLillo Quaratino. Ci descrivono dei racconti, delle storie che messe insieme contribuiscono all´alto livello complessivo del disco. L´ispirazione sembra data a volte da un musicista inglese, ad esempioJohn Surmanper quanto riguarda i fiati, nel complesso però, anche per la mancanza di una batteria, riescono a darsi una dimensione propria. I fitti dialoghi a tre con il vibrafono ed il contrabbasso ben sintonizzati sulle situazioni evocate sono una delizia per ascoltatori smaliziati. Ad esempio il flauto diThe Tale of Rituals, o il sax baritono del breveThe Tale of Fairies. Un altro brano stupendo, eseguito senza andare a rivangare i soliti modelli di musica natalizia, èThe Tale of Christmas. Meritano l´ascolto a livello internazionale, senza dubbio. Le capacità artistiche non latitano e la possibilità che fuori confine ottengano i meritati riconoscimenti è reale.
Vittorio Lo Conte http://www.musiczoom.it/?p=4564
TRANSLATION
Stories that seem to square.Stories told through brush strokes, strokes spatulas decided, but also markers that gave splashes of color with soft edges.InDomino's Talesaffabulatoria art and pictorial sensibility found a fertile meeting point in mind and in the instruments of the three protagonists, as well as in the splendid work of Ezio Peccheneda performed on the CD cover.
Marco Colonna moves easily between soprano sax, bass clarinet and baritone sax, the latter starring passionate, deeply engaging and unpredictable "The Tale of Dances".Lillo and his bass Quaratino abandon the canonical function of rhythmic support to materialize as stimulating interlocutors - the dialogue between the strumento archettato and bass clarinet in "Ending," is a delight from the thin vein chamber - a hub or important for the dynamics of 'ensemble.
Francesco Lo Cascio on vibraphone turns into a sounding melodic cells that expands with a creative use of reverb, operating through more colour spots for raids or phrases on the keyboard.The result is an adventurous music but pleasantly accessible by the calls with their ancestral rites and its mysteries, but open to the restlessness and contemporary neuroses, tied in a personal form to complete and equally open to aphorisms, entirely improvised, from the fascinating and lively atmosphere imagination.
ORIGINAL ITALIAN
Racconti che sembrano quadri. Storie narrate attraverso pennellate, colpi di spatole decisi, ma anche pennarelli che spandono macchie di colore dai contorni sfumati. InDomino's Talesarte affabulatoria e sensibilità pittorica trovano un fertile punto di incontro nella mente e negli strumenti dei tre protagonisti, oltre che nella splendida opera di Ezio Peccheneda esibita sulla copertina del CD.
Marco Colonna si muove con disinvoltura tra sax soprano, clarinetto basso e sax baritono, quest'ultimo protagonista appassionato, profondo e imprevedibile del coinvolgente "The Tale of Dances". Lillo Quaratino e il suo contrabbasso abbandonano la canonica funzione di sostegno ritmico per materializzarsi come stimolanti interlocutori - il dialogo tra lo strumentoarchettato e il clarinetto basso in "Ending," è una delizia dalla sottile vena cameristica - o importante centro di raccordo per le dinamiche dell'ensemble.
Francesco Lo Cascio trasforma il vibrafono in cassa di risonanza che espande cellule melodiche con un uso creativo dei riverberi, operando più attraverso macchie di colore che per fraseggi o scorribande sulla tastiera. Ne risulta una musica avventurosa ma piacevolmente accessibile, dai richiami ancestrali con i propri riti e i propri misteri ma aperta alle irrequietezze e alle nevrosi contemporanee, legata in modo personale alla forma compiuta e altrettanto aperta agli aforismi, interamente improvvisata, dalle atmosfere fascinose e dalla fervida immaginazione.
diVincenzo Roggero http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=7874
