| Jazz |
Matteo Pastorino – A Clarinetist of International Stature
Our friend, producer Antonio Martino, has an uncanny ability to discover exceptional musicians with fascinating musical worlds. While in Europe the most visible clarinetist may well be Émile Parisien, Matteo Pastorino is, in my view, equally impressive. Rather than diving into hyper-contemporary jazz, he offers a vision of European jazz and its interpretation that makes him one of the finest clarinetists I have ever heard. Originally from Sardinia, Pastorino has been based in Paris since 2008.
After two albums with his quartet—V (2014) and Suite for Modigliani (2017)—Matteo Pastorino expresses, with LightSide, his deep desire to reconnect with his roots. He invites us on an intimate journey to the heart of his Mediterranean heritage, a luminous ode to life. The album includes a piece dedicated to his daughter, Elvira, a celebration of rebirth with Marzo, evoking the return of spring, and a return to jazz fundamentals and swing with Coming Back. His musical voyages extend beyond the Mediterranean, reaching as far as Senegal with Gorée, inspired by a kora melody he heard on that emblematic island, a haunting reminder of the transatlantic slave trade.
Fittingly, this album resonates deeply with Black History Month in the United States. Pastorino has chosen the bass clarinet, arguably one of the most beautiful and versatile instruments, exploring its full sonic potential throughout the album. He is joined by an outstanding trio:
- Dario Deidda (semi-acoustic bass)
- Domenico Sanna (piano)
- Armando Luongo (drums)
Each composition, crafted for these musicians, is built upon refined structures designed to create space—for interaction, for melody, for the unique voices of the ensemble, and for deep listening. The project was born from a commission by the Time in Jazz Festival curated by Paolo Fresu in 2021.
A magnificent initiative, unsurprising for those who, like myself, admire Paolo Fresu’s music. Italy is home to an astonishing number of jazz musicians, often leaning either too heavily into classical traditions or too deeply rooted in their native culture. But this is not the case here. LightSide embraces an international jazz language.
To better frame this work, I leave you with these words from Paolo Fresu himself:
“An island is only an island if it becomes a departure point—so that one can return to it anew.
This is what Matteo Pastorino has done, and continues to do, in his quest to define the contours of his musical thought. He has been doing so for years, departing from his native Sardinia, traveling across contemporary Europe, arriving in Paris, where he encounters musicians from every corner of the world.
A testament to the idea that the richness of the future lies in the hopeful flux of migration, celebrating the beauty of diversity.
LightSide is the return from a long journey through memory, time, and geography. Shaped and lived alongside Domenico Sanna, Dario Deidda, and Armando Luongo, Pastorino’s reeds paint a landscape imbued with the varied colors of the Mediterranean in dialogue with the Old Continent.
An album that affirms the importance and originality of language, as well as the role of archetypes—capable of constructing and generating contrast and light in an interplay between sunlit wonders and melancholic haze.
The sound of the bass clarinet takes me back to my first encounters with jazz in the 1980s, to Manfred Schoof’s “Scales,” enriched by an inspired Michael Pilz. That was 1976, and this music, emerging from the heart of Europe, echoed the contours of a new geography taking shape within the creative process of Central European jazz.
I do not know if Matteo has drawn breath from that particular moment in history, but I am certain that his eyes have captured the precious fragments of his journey—nourished by the music gathered at the crossroads of the world.
LightSide is just that: an elastic, dynamically moving work that stretches time and creates space for silence. So that we may continue to imagine what does not yet exist.”
Paolo Fresu
The sheer beauty of the compositions and arrangements is elevated by the masterful musicianship of the entire ensemble. Without a doubt, LightSide deserves its place among our “Indispensables”, standing as one of the most significant releases of this first quarter of the year.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 28th 2025
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