Words by Mauro Ferreiro (foreword by the editor)
Italy has always been a fine jazz country although audiences there haven’t always appeared to be particularly receptive to the more avant-garde side of things. As Nicola Guazzaloca, pianist and bandleader of the multigenerational Tell No Lies outfit remarked in his email to us “the 'experimental' scene does not have much luck in Italy and I personally have played more often abroad”. A common tale I have heard quite a bit recently but the band’s combination of melodic South African inspired jazz and the interventions of fiery free jazz deserves acclaim both home and abroad. Our friend, Mauro Ferreiro, a producer and writer from Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic, has plenty to say about this new studio album on the Berlin label Aut Records. Over to you Mauro!
TELL NO LIES at Jazz Cerkno (photo by Jože Balas)
“Veni, vidi, vici”… telling no lies, if you think about it, is more akin to always having something to say, since lies almost always lie in that which cannot be said, and in that which is seldom expressed. However when intention is pure, and the soul is freed from that which binds it, words can heal and hold meaning once again. These esoteric nuances are in full force in this immaculate long-player led by pianist Nicola Guazzaloca, where the meticulous balances between silence, time and chaos pave the way for an indelibly luxurious listening experience. A periodic intravenous dose of free, bop, modal and avant-savant-extravagant material injected in the correct amount every single time, ‘Hide Nothing’ shows us that every drop, every note, every second matters, and should be delivered with equal precision and intention in each instance, even when there are no notes to be heard of.
‘Hide Nothing’ comes in like the tide. One can immediately recognise there is a mastery of jazz in all its forms, with vertical harmonic structures, dextrous sax heads, luscious splash patterns, and heavy storytelling filling the air. Its sound is fresh and innovative, encompassing a cumulus of ideas elegantly, baptising each performance in a unique ‘je ne sais quoi’. Like the tide, the ebb currents come just as strong; like an inertial force of nature, the virtuosic creation of silence by the group creates space for vast improvisational passages to complement busy bass swings, paper-crumpled piano études, dystopian drum destruction, and very subliminal electronica.
All these compositions not only convey clarity and depth in their ideas but also exemplify the ebb and flow of the many moods the quintet is capable of engaging in; from heroic and intrepid in ‘Pachenia-Pomposa’ to bounty-hunting odysseys in ‘Alvez’ through smoky, subliminal sentences in ‘Medea-Levante’ to fully-fledged Wall Street-esque escapism in the final act of ‘Lulé’. Add to that the intricately playful heads, uncompromising improvisational prowess, and precisely measured arrangements, and the quintet shows they are capable of building conceptually sound atmospheres while at the same time being able to hear each other out. Amidst all the music, these superb musicians find a way to shine a spotlight on their thoughts without drowning their fellow counterparts.
Tell No Lies place great importance on staying true to what their music needs, and staying true to themselves. I think their level of conceptual range is very rare to find in most contemporary avant-garde groups, which are more often than not preoccupied with aesthetic notions of nonfunctional structure, instead of channelling their intention through profound composition and interpersonal connection.
I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this record over the past few weeks, and have learned a thing or two for my own sake. Tell No Lies are a fine group, and if you ask me, they have earned their spot in the big leagues. 9.6/10
Mauro Ferreiro is a producer and writer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Follow on Instagram @mauroferreiro