SLAMCD 586

ANATMA Rohan Dasgupta – Sitar Luigi Di Chiappari – Piano Riccardo Di Fiandra – Ac.Bass Daniele Di Pentima - Drums

Track details:

1) For Paul                                        1:50          L.Di Chiappari
2) Raga Zila Kafi                            12:16          R.Dasgupta
3) Kolkatay stomp                            5:39          R.Di Fiandra
4) Lalita                                            7:07          D.Di Pentima
5) Raga Lalit                                   27:31          D.Di Pentima
6) Bengal                                          9:42          R. Dasgupta

Recording details: Recorded 07 November 2016 at Groovefarm s.a.s. Sound engineer – Davide Abbruzzese

L’incontro tra il musicista indiano Rohandas Gupta,sitar, ed il batterista Daniele Di Pentima è avvenuto a Calcutta durante un viaggio di quest’ultimo alla scoperta dei suoni e dei ritmi di quella musica così lontana da quella occidentale. Da lì è nata l’idea di realizzare un progetto insieme, in Italia, che ha coinvolto Luigi Di Chiappari al pianoforte e Riccardo di Fiandra al contrabbasso. La fusione di jazz e musica indiana non è assolutamente nuova, ci sono progetti contemporanei come quelli del sassofonista Rudresh Mahantappa insieme ad altri storici, come quelli del sassofonista contralto inglese di origine giamaicana Joe Harriott e del collega’americano John Handy. Qui si realizza tuttavia qualcosa di nuovo, il sitar insieme ad un trio con pianoforte. È un incontro, come si evince dalla formazione, molto speciale, in cui le folate di note swinganti del pianoforte insieme ad una ritmica molto empatica incontrano l’ospite senza che le idee collidano, anzi, c’è una comunità di intenti lodevole che fa sì che il disco si rivela come un’occasione riuscita, dai suoni esotici ma certamente ispirati. Si è partiti con l’idea di incidere due raga, Raga Lalit e Lalita, per il resto si è scelto di improvvisare in studio, trovando un’intesa testimone di un momento magico fra i musicisti. Il disco apre con una breve dedica a Paul Bley, poi ci si lascia coinvolgere da queste sonorità così speciali di quello che diventa un possibile jazz indo-italiano al di fuori delle consuete norme. Da ascoltare, specie nelle ore notturne.

The meeting between the Indian musician Rohandas Gupta, sitar, and the drummer Daniele Di Pentima took place in Calcutta during a journey of the latter to discover the sounds and rhythms of that music so far from the West. From there the idea was born to realize a project together, in Italy, that involved Luigi Di Chiappari at the piano and Riccardo di Fiandra at the double bass. The fusion of jazz and Indian music is not new, there are contemporary projects such as those of the saxophonist Rudresh Mahantappa along with other historians, such as those of the English alto saxophonist of Jamaican origin Joe Harriott and American colleague John Handy. Here, however, something new is achieved, the sitar together with a trio with piano. It is an encounter, as we can see from the very special training, in which the gusts of piano swinging notes together with a very empathetic rhythm meet the guest without the ideas colliding, indeed, there is a commendable community of intent that makes so that the disc reveals itself as a successful opportunity, with exotic but certainly inspired sounds. We started with the idea of ​​recording two ragas, Raga Lalit and Lalita, for the rest we chose to improvise in the studio, finding an intimate witness of a magical moment among the musicians. The album opens with a brief dedication to Paul Bley, then we get involved by these sounds so special that what becomes a possible Indo-Italian jazz outside the usual rules. To listen, especially at night.
Vittorio lo Conte  http://www.musiczoom.it/?p=29655#.W2V1yvlKjct

A casual listen might lead you to guess that these early Oregon out-takes, but the rhythmic energy is more measured and less rhapsodic. Raga Zila Kaft is already some way advanced before anything but the sitar registers strongly. I’m nervous about the use of "raga" in improvised music, more so than I am about a "blues" that isn’t really a blues, but this group seem to understand the demands of the form and the track in question has many of the features of an ascending raga, and Raga Lalit of a descending one. The instrumentation and distribution of melodic materials aren’t classical, but that scarcely matters here. When the group locks into a groove, the results are exhilarating, as much so as anything Towner, Moore and Walcott produced back in the day.

What’s missing from Anatma is exactly what’s missing from that Oregon personnel. The sound calls out for something like Paul McCandless’s cor and oboe, of for a soprano saxophone. And yet the addition of an obvious lead voice would change the nature of the music entirely, and not necessarily for the better. Di Flondra and Di Pentima claim most of the composition credits, and that’s where the energy of the group lies: earthy rhythm sound that reveals new layers with each repetition.

Brian Morton Jazz Journal Feb 2018.

Anatma consists of sitarist Rohan Dasgupta, pianist Luigi Di Chiappari, bassist Riccardo Di Fiandra and drummer Daniele Di Pentima for pieces that are all claimed to be "spontaneous" but gratefully avoid the usually associated cacophony. There is one long 27 minute jam, "Raga Lalit" which includes free association with piano a drums along with a pulating sitar, while "Lalita" has a rich bluesy hue with clever sitar tunings. Di Chiappari is featured on the lonely and lovely "Lacrimosa" while the pics "Raga Zila Kafi" and "Kolkatay Stomp" feature gentle rivulets along with changing landscapes, withpiano and sitar weaving ni and out of the intoxicating cadences. Fragrant.   George W. Harris    http://www.jazzweekly.com/2017/10/jam-with-slamlucia-ianniello-live-at-acuto-jazz-anatma-anatma-glowering-figs-glowering-figs/