| Jazz |
Even though this isn’t an album you’d typically hear on Bayou Blue Radio—given the style—this is a form of gypsy jazz that is both highly technical and joyful from start to finish, masterfully led by Filippo Dall’Asta. It seems to be the trend right now, with a softly retro style that doesn’t dive back into the 50s/60s. However, don’t be misled by the album cover, which isn’t particularly tasteful and doesn’t really represent what’s inside.
In this musical genre, it’s quite challenging to combine technique and musicality. Often, the gypsy jazz used as a reference is more technical than melodious. Here, the feat lies in the quality of both aspects.
Having started playing the guitar at the age of five, Dall’Asta pursued his instrumental studies in his native country as well as in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and India. His career has seen him tour and record with dozens of artists, including Stochelo Rosenberg, Lollo Meier, John Wheatcroft, Tara Minton (Björk), Mehboob Nadeem, and many others across Germany, India, Italy, France, Spain, England, Malta, and Russia. He has made notable appearances at the Royal Albert Hall, the House of Commons, the Tower of London, Union Chapel, and numerous festivals in France and Italy. It is during his travels with many artists that Filippo Dall’Asta honed his craft and likely nurtured some of the ideas for this album, as the influences in the arrangements are so numerous that it’s impossible to fully grasp the album quickly. In 2022, Dall’Asta made the spontaneous decision to settle in Tenerife. The island inspired him to embark on an experiment, relying solely on his body’s instincts to make decisions: if his body signaled positivity, the guitarist committed to saying “yes” despite contradictory thoughts from his mind. This led to a chance encounter with a remarkable group of musicians from Tenerife and Dall’Asta’s next album—a testament to the power of trusting one’s instincts over rational thinking and embracing life’s adventures without knowing their outcome.
While this album pays homage to the father of gypsy jazz, Django Reinhardt, Filippo Dall’Asta goes much further, likely due to his musical training, which allows him to explore many avenues and offer a range of instruments that greatly enhance the arrangements and diverse melodic forms. Consequently, we don’t mind that some tracks are covers, as the arrangements are truly fascinating. It should be acknowledged that, in addition to Filippo Dall’Asta, he is surrounded by excellent musicians, including clarinetist Kepa Martinez, rhythm guitarist Yeray Herrera, Agustín Buenafuente on double bass, Fernando Angulo on drums, Ada Kwaśniewicz on first violin, Krzysztof Katana on second violin, Aldona Trybulec on viola, and Monika Würsten on cello. Together, they give this album its seductive power, earning it four stars for the originality of this project.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 12th 2024
Follow PARIS-MOVE on X
::::::::::::::::::::::