Edoardo Marraffa _ sax tenore _ sax sopranino
Thollem McDonas _ pianoforte
Stefano Giust _ batteria _ percussione

Questo è il secondo disco a nome Magimc, dopo l'acclamato (e ancora disponibile nella sezione 'distribuzione' di questo sito) "Polishing the Mirror", uscito nel 2012 su Amirani Records, la splendida etichetta di Gianni Mimmo. Quest'ultimo album è stato registrato all'Area Sismica di Ariele Monti e Gionni Gardini, appunto.
Per maggiori info: https://magimcmusic.wordpress.com

"(...) Questo disco è stato inserito tra i dischi dell'anno 2015, secondo Donatello Tateo di Tracce di Jazz.

"(...) Area Sismica è un locale di Forlì di proprietà di un'associazione culturale nata per promuovere concerti di musica eterodossa o meticcia nei generi; ha cominciato casualmente nel 1991 per poi riuscire ad organizzare con sistematicità parecchi festivals ed una stagione annuale. Inutile ricordare che in quella sala concerti sono passati molti estremisti della musica, lasciando, penso, ricordi indelebili.
Tra i frequentatori attivi di Area Sismica ci sono anche i musicisti del trio Marraffa-McDonas-Giust che hanno avuto l'onore di esibirsi più volte. La seconda registrazione del trio conferma quel fremito che colpisce l'ascoltatore di fronte ad un set del genere; è una musica che richiede preparazione all'ascolto ma anche senza spiegazioni si comprende. Ed è perfetta per celebrare quel locale, perché non dona solo un'immagine musicale del "sisma", ma rende visibile quel potenziale di creatività che è insito nei dna dei migliori musicisti.
Come non mai nelle rispettive esperienze dei tre improvvisatori, il progetto Magimc risulta specchio della propria personalità: ognuno porta il suo stile in dosi ricercate, facendo emergere una visione matura della libera improvvisazione suonata in interplay, che non è assolutamente semplice da trovare in giro per i circuiti jazzistici.
Edoardo Marraffa è uno dei migliori sassofonisti tenore italiani, è dotato sia in espressione che ruvidezza dei temi, riesce a creare quel potenziale attrattivo che si erige soprattutto nelle fasi più aspre, così come si faceva ai tempi nobili del free assoluto (Let's change it ne è una piena dimostrazione).
Thollem McDonas qui mette a disposizione il suo senso impressionista, con la capacità di sostenere qualunque compagno di viaggio: sentire Double Mind, in cui un arpeggio scomposto segue le dichiarazioni perdifiato di Marraffa, uno shock a cui siamo ancora lieti di sottoporci.
In gran forma anche Giust, in una veste meno stick o di ricerca e più classica tra tamburi e rullanti; come al solito, capacità intuitiva di raccordo con gli altri musicisti tenuta alle stelle ed un crescendo percussivo che in Sismica lo vede quantomai protagonista, con un complicato controtempo che sfocia in furia espressiva.
Ancora un set di altissimo livello." Ettore Garzia, Percorsi Musicali, 2015.

"(...) Magimc is a trio formed by Edoardo Marraffa on tenor and sopranino saxophones, Thollem McDonas on piano and Stefano Giust on drums and percussions. This is their second album together, a live recording of a concert held at Area Sismica, one of Italy's main venues for free music.
Marraffa, a powerful voice in Italian free jazz and a veteran of the scene, has an immediately recognizable tone on the tenor saxophone, reminiscent of the tradition of Fire Music, capable of intense atonal cries but also of more restrained tone color explorations.
McDonas, a pianist and composer from California, shows impeccable technique and a strong contemporary sensibility, with an elegant approach to both melodic and harmonic developments. Giust, another important figure in the Italian free improvisation scene, acts as a sort of bridge between the freer expressions of the saxophone and the richly layered excursions from the piano, assuming different roles depending on the necessities of the performance, keeping all together or providing additional ideas with diverse stylistic approaches to the kit.
The record follows a typical free music encounter, with the musicians carefully listening to each other, testing moods and expressions before committing to a common language. The group shows strong affinity and cohesiveness from the beginning, but the exploration process is always in full display, presenting an engaging overview of different improvisational strategies, from textural soundscapes to powerful rhythmic explosions, from simultaneous free jazz attacks to delicate melodic passages.
Each musician has a strong personality, and the contrast of styles and instrumental voices constitute one of the most interesting aspects of this album, a sonic snapshot of both a working group and a spontaneous musical meeting, showing all the subtleties, difficulties and brilliant solutions to that most difficult task — listening and talking to each other, in spite of the differences." Nicola Negri, Free Jazz Blog, 2016.

"(...) An unconventional if accepted configuration at least since the Swing Era and most dazzlingly used by Cecil Taylor in the 1960s, the saxophone-piano-drums trio provides the proper balance of melody, rhythm and enrichment for a fulfilling recital. They’re like contemporary autos which attach contemporary upgrades to the standards that made the vehicle acceptable in the first place.
Both captured in concert, [it's a twofold review, in addition to the Magimc's cd, Waxman writes about the Warsaw Concert of the longest-lasting group in free music, the Schlippenbach Trio - with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens - cd on Intakt Records], these trios bring individual concepts to this particular line up.
Moving south and west, Area Sismica was recorded in the eponymous cultural centre of Forli, Italy by an occasional ensemble which had previously recorded a couple of CDs. The ratio of English speakers to non-Anglos is maintained however as American pianist Thollem McDonas and two Italians: tenor and sopranino saxophonist Edoardo Marraffa and percussionist Stefano Giust collaborate. Although a generation younger, like pilgrims along the same path, the three have played with almost as many international musicians as the members of the Schlippenbach trio.
Sonic cohesion has to be negotiated at first in Forli as the elements of Marraffa’s, Giust’s and McDonas’ individual sequences move to fit together as snugly as light bulbs in lamp sockets. By “Ratio Systems”, the second track, all three are pushing themes forward with the exuberance of New Thing players but with more taste. McDonas’ strums and cascades vibrate timbres from the keyboard, inside strings and the soundboard, Marraffa’s split tones sparkle, and Giust sutures together the sections with rhythmic tick-tock accompaniment. To prove that not all is sharpness, smashing and screaming, at points here and on other tracks, the pianist dribbles out a calmer jumps and judders, while the saxophonist inhabits a breathy Coleman Hawkins-like tone. Moving from child-like buoyancy to sober mediations as they move though the recital, the trio leaps stratosphere high with kinetic pianism, kazoo-like reed cries and disconnected and multi-directional drumming at junctures, only to pull back into measured, swing sequences when least expected.
Reaching a crescendo of affiliated textures, “Il Maestro” marks the zenith of the trio’s creativity, with trickster sound detours as prominent as roundabouts on a British highway. As solemn as a procession of dignitaries, McDonas reveals a rare reductionist strategy, repeating note patterns at slower and slower paces the better to intersect with Marraffa’s low pitches, which puff out with the minimalist motion of a carnivore stalking its prey. The proverbial calm before the storm, this almost horizontal motion eventually detonates into kinetic keyboard shards, percussion pounding bedlam and knotty reed breaths, but without ever losing track of the exposition.
This vestigial addition notwithstanding, both CDs offer high-quality variations on the saxophone-piano-drums methodology." Ken Waxman, Jazz Word, 2017.

"(...) La vie de ce trio puissant continue son cours: énergie, exigence, expression intense. Il y a très longtemps dans la free-music européenne régnait la vogue du trio piano-sax-batterie. Brötzmann/ Van Hove/ Bennink, von Schlippenbach/ Parker/ Lovens, Schweizer/ Carl/ Moholo, Alfred Harth/Van den Plas/ Sven-Åke Johansson, et bien sûr, Cecil Taylor Jimmy Lyons et Andrew Cyrille ou le trio Ganelin et plus près de nous, Gush (Mats Gustafsson/ Sten Sandell/ Ray Strid. Énergie souvent surhumaine, radicalité du free-jazz, parfois « démolition » du piano, abandon des compositions ou des thèmes pour l’improvisation totale. Voici donc un trio qui persiste et signe. Un pianiste exceptionnel avec un toucher lumineux (Thollem McDonas), un saxophoniste ténor avec un son énorme et une singularité authentique (Edoardo Marraffa qui s’essaie avec bonheur au sopranino), un batteur puissant avec des idées originales (Stefano Giust), une cohésion et un sens de l’improvisation. 6 improvisations de durées de 6 minutes à 19’. Enregistré en 2011 lors du festival Area Sismica, leur musique a acquis une palette supérieure par rapport à leur excellent album paru chez Amirani (Magic MC) et elle convainc sans ambages malgré une prise de son moyenne. Cette combinaison instrumentale permet des échanges musclés et variés et elle peut aisément impressionner le public lorsque les musiciens ont de l’énergie à revendre et le talent de ces trois individualités. Mais on sent poindre un peu partout une volonté d’improviser, d’échapper à la routine, de changer la trajectoire, de varier le propos, d’alterner la puissance de l’expression spontanée et la réflection sur l’instant qui se joue, de raconter de vraies histoires… On entend des passages où l’écoute profonde est palpable… le vécu en quelque sorte. Et donc, c’est à un beau moment d’une aventure sincère qu’on assiste par le truchement de ce CD. Rien à voir avec la nostalgie…
P.S. pour les amateurs de saxophone énergétique (Brötzm, David Ware, Mats Gust, etc. ce genre de choses) Edoardo Marraffa est un sacré client!!" Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, Ornyx-Improv and Sound, 2016.

"(...) La vida de este poderoso trío continúa su curso: energía, exigencia, expresión intensa. Hace mucho tiempo en la free music europea reinó la moda del trío piano-saxo-batería: Brötzmann / Van Hove / Bennink, von Schlippenbach / Parker / Lovens, Schweizer / Carl / Moholo, Alfred Harth / Van den Plas / Sven-Åke Johansson y, por supuesto, Cecil Taylor Jimmy Lyons y Andrew Cyrille o el trío Ganelin y más cerca de nosotros, Gush (Mats Gustafsson / Sten Sandell / Ray Strid). A menudo energía sobrehumana, radicalismo del free jazz, a veces "demolición" del piano, abandono de composiciones o temas para la improvisación total. Aquí hay un trío que persiste y un pianista excepcional con un toque luminoso (Thollem McDonas), un saxofonista tenor con un sonido enorme y una singularidad auténtica (Edoardo Marraffa, que prueba suerte con el sopranino), un poderoso baterista con ideas originales (Stefano Giust), cohesión y un sentido de improvisación. 6 improvisaciones que duran de 6 a 19 minutos. Grabada en 2011 durante el festival Area Sismica, su música ha adquirido una paleta superior en comparación con su excelente álbum lanzado por Amirani (MAGIMC) y ella convence sin rodeos a pesar de una grabación regular. Esta combinación instrumental permite intercambios musculosos y variados y puede impresionar fácilmente al público cuando los músicos tienen energía de sobra y el talento de estos tres. Pero podemos sentir en todas partes el deseo de improvisar, escapar de la rutina, cambiar la trayectoria, variar el propósito, alternar el poder de la expresión espontánea y la reflexión sobre el momento que se desarrolla, contar historias reales... Escuchamos pasajes donde la escucha profunda es palpable... la experiencia de alguna manera. Y así, es en un hermoso momento de una aventura sincera que estamos presenciando a través de este CD. Nada que ver con la nostalgia... PD para los amantes del saxofón enérgico (Brötzm, David Ware, Mats Gust, etc.... este tipo de cosas) ¡¡Edoardo Marraffa es un cliente sagrado!!" Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, traducción de Chema Chacón para Oro Molido #54, 2020.

01 _ Let's Change it 12:25
02 _ Ratio Systems 11:22
03 _ Double Mind 6:39
04 _ Il Maestro 19:24
05 _ Sismica 8:41
06 _ Wonderful Spoken Word 6:58

(C) + (P) 2015

Edoardo Marraffa _ tenor sax _ sopranino sax
Thollem McDonas _ piano
Stefano Giust _ drums _ percussion

This is the second album by trio Magimc, after the acclaimed (and still available in the 'distribution' section of this site) "Polishing the Mirror", released in 2012 on Amirani Records, the beautiful label of Gianni Mimmo. This latter album was recorded at Area Sismica by Ariele Monti and Gionni Gardini. In fact.
For more info: https://magimcmusic.wordpress.com

"(...) This record is one of the albums of the year 2015, by Donatello Tateo, Tracce di Jazz.

"(...) Magimc is a trio formed by Edoardo Marraffa on tenor and sopranino saxophones, Thollem McDonas on piano and Stefano Giust on drums and percussions. This is their second album together, a live recording of a concert held at Area Sismica, one of Italy's main venues for free music.
Marraffa, a powerful voice in Italian free jazz and a veteran of the scene, has an immediately recognizable tone on the tenor saxophone, reminiscent of the tradition of Fire Music, capable of intense atonal cries but also of more restrained tone color explorations.
McDonas, a pianist and composer from California, shows impeccable technique and a strong contemporary sensibility, with an elegant approach to both melodic and harmonic developments. Giust, another important figure in the Italian free improvisation scene, acts as a sort of bridge between the freer expressions of the saxophone and the richly layered excursions from the piano, assuming different roles depending on the necessities of the performance, keeping all together or providing additional ideas with diverse stylistic approaches to the kit.
The record follows a typical free music encounter, with the musicians carefully listening to each other, testing moods and expressions before committing to a common language. The group shows strong affinity and cohesiveness from the beginning, but the exploration process is always in full display, presenting an engaging overview of different improvisational strategies, from textural soundscapes to powerful rhythmic explosions, from simultaneous free jazz attacks to delicate melodic passages.
Each musician has a strong personality, and the contrast of styles and instrumental voices constitute one of the most interesting aspects of this album, a sonic snapshot of both a working group and a spontaneous musical meeting, showing all the subtleties, difficulties and brilliant solutions to that most difficult task — listening and talking to each other, in spite of the differences." Nicola Negri, Free Jazz Blog, 2016.

"(...) An unconventional if accepted configuration at least since the Swing Era and most dazzlingly used by Cecil Taylor in the 1960s, the saxophone-piano-drums trio provides the proper balance of melody, rhythm and enrichment for a fulfilling recital. They’re like contemporary autos which attach contemporary upgrades to the standards that made the vehicle acceptable in the first place.
Both captured in concert, [it's a twofold review, in addition to the Magimc's cd, Waxman writes about the Warsaw Concert of the longest-lasting group in free music, the Schlippenbach Trio - with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens - cd on Intakt Records], these trios bring individual concepts to this particular line up.
Moving south and west, Area Sismica was recorded in the eponymous cultural centre of Forli, Italy by an occasional ensemble which had previously recorded a couple of CDs. The ratio of English speakers to non-Anglos is maintained however as American pianist Thollem McDonas and two Italians: tenor and sopranino saxophonist Edoardo Marraffa and percussionist Stefano Giust collaborate. Although a generation younger, like pilgrims along the same path, the three have played with almost as many international musicians as the members of the Schlippenbach trio.
Sonic cohesion has to be negotiated at first in Forli as the elements of Marraffa’s, Giust’s and McDonas’ individual sequences move to fit together as snugly as light bulbs in lamp sockets. By “Ratio Systems”, the second track, all three are pushing themes forward with the exuberance of New Thing players but with more taste. McDonas’ strums and cascades vibrate timbres from the keyboard, inside strings and the soundboard, Marraffa’s split tones sparkle, and Giust sutures together the sections with rhythmic tick-tock accompaniment. To prove that not all is sharpness, smashing and screaming, at points here and on other tracks, the pianist dribbles out a calmer jumps and judders, while the saxophonist inhabits a breathy Coleman Hawkins-like tone. Moving from child-like buoyancy to sober mediations as they move though the recital, the trio leaps stratosphere high with kinetic pianism, kazoo-like reed cries and disconnected and multi-directional drumming at junctures, only to pull back into measured, swing sequences when least expected.
Reaching a crescendo of affiliated textures, “Il Maestro” marks the zenith of the trio’s creativity, with trickster sound detours as prominent as roundabouts on a British highway. As solemn as a procession of dignitaries, McDonas reveals a rare reductionist strategy, repeating note patterns at slower and slower paces the better to intersect with Marraffa’s low pitches, which puff out with the minimalist motion of a carnivore stalking its prey. The proverbial calm before the storm, this almost horizontal motion eventually detonates into kinetic keyboard shards, percussion pounding bedlam and knotty reed breaths, but without ever losing track of the exposition.
This vestigial addition notwithstanding, both CDs offer high-quality variations on the saxophone-piano-drums methodology." Ken Waxman, Jazz Word, 2017.

"(...) La vie de ce trio puissant continue son cours: énergie, exigence, expression intense. Il y a très longtemps dans la free-music européenne régnait la vogue du trio piano-sax-batterie. Brötzmann/ Van Hove/ Bennink, von Schlippenbach/ Parker/ Lovens, Schweizer/ Carl/ Moholo, Alfred Harth/Van den Plas/ Sven-Åke Johansson, et bien sûr, Cecil Taylor Jimmy Lyons et Andrew Cyrille ou le trio Ganelin et plus près de nous, Gush (Mats Gustafsson/ Sten Sandell/ Ray Strid. Énergie souvent surhumaine, radicalité du free-jazz, parfois « démolition » du piano, abandon des compositions ou des thèmes pour l’improvisation totale. Voici donc un trio qui persiste et signe. Un pianiste exceptionnel avec un toucher lumineux (Thollem McDonas), un saxophoniste ténor avec un son énorme et une singularité authentique (Edoardo Marraffa qui s’essaie avec bonheur au sopranino), un batteur puissant avec des idées originales (Stefano Giust), une cohésion et un sens de l’improvisation. 6 improvisations de durées de 6 minutes à 19’. Enregistré en 2011 lors du festival Area Sismica, leur musique a acquis une palette supérieure par rapport à leur excellent album paru chez Amirani (Magic MC) et elle convainc sans ambages malgré une prise de son moyenne. Cette combinaison instrumentale permet des échanges musclés et variés et elle peut aisément impressionner le public lorsque les musiciens ont de l’énergie à revendre et le talent de ces trois individualités. Mais on sent poindre un peu partout une volonté d’improviser, d’échapper à la routine, de changer la trajectoire, de varier le propos, d’alterner la puissance de l’expression spontanée et la réflection sur l’instant qui se joue, de raconter de vraies histoires… On entend des passages où l’écoute profonde est palpable… le vécu en quelque sorte. Et donc, c’est à un beau moment d’une aventure sincère qu’on assiste par le truchement de ce CD. Rien à voir avec la nostalgie…
P.S. pour les amateurs de saxophone énergétique (Brötzm, David Ware, Mats Gust, etc. ce genre de choses) Edoardo Marraffa est un sacré client!!" Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, Ornyx-Improv and Sound, 2016.

"(...) La vida de este poderoso trío continúa su curso: energía, exigencia, expresión intensa. Hace mucho tiempo en la free music europea reinó la moda del trío piano-saxo-batería: Brötzmann / Van Hove / Bennink, von Schlippenbach / Parker / Lovens, Schweizer / Carl / Moholo, Alfred Harth / Van den Plas / Sven-Åke Johansson y, por supuesto, Cecil Taylor Jimmy Lyons y Andrew Cyrille o el trío Ganelin y más cerca de nosotros, Gush (Mats Gustafsson / Sten Sandell / Ray Strid). A menudo energía sobrehumana, radicalismo del free jazz, a veces "demolición" del piano, abandono de composiciones o temas para la improvisación total. Aquí hay un trío que persiste y un pianista excepcional con un toque luminoso (Thollem McDonas), un saxofonista tenor con un sonido enorme y una singularidad auténtica (Edoardo Marraffa, que prueba suerte con el sopranino), un poderoso baterista con ideas originales (Stefano Giust), cohesión y un sentido de improvisación. 6 improvisaciones que duran de 6 a 19 minutos. Grabada en 2011 durante el festival Area Sismica, su música ha adquirido una paleta superior en comparación con su excelente álbum lanzado por Amirani (MAGIMC) y ella convence sin rodeos a pesar de una grabación regular. Esta combinación instrumental permite intercambios musculosos y variados y puede impresionar fácilmente al público cuando los músicos tienen energía de sobra y el talento de estos tres. Pero podemos sentir en todas partes el deseo de improvisar, escapar de la rutina, cambiar la trayectoria, variar el propósito, alternar el poder de la expresión espontánea y la reflexión sobre el momento que se desarrolla, contar historias reales... Escuchamos pasajes donde la escucha profunda es palpable... la experiencia de alguna manera. Y así, es en un hermoso momento de una aventura sincera que estamos presenciando a través de este CD. Nada que ver con la nostalgia... PD para los amantes del saxofón enérgico (Brötzm, David Ware, Mats Gust, etc.... este tipo de cosas) ¡¡Edoardo Marraffa es un cliente sagrado!!" Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, traducción de Chema Chacón para Oro Molido #54, 2020.

"(...) Area Sismica è un locale di Forlì di proprietà di un'associazione culturale nata per promuovere concerti di musica eterodossa o meticcia nei generi; ha cominciato casualmente nel 1991 per poi riuscire ad organizzare con sistematicità parecchi festivals ed una stagione annuale. Inutile ricordare che in quella sala concerti sono passati molti estremisti della musica, lasciando, penso, ricordi indelebili.
Tra i frequentatori attivi di Area Sismica ci sono anche i musicisti del trio Marraffa-McDonas-Giust che hanno avuto l'onore di esibirsi più volte. La seconda registrazione del trio conferma quel fremito che colpisce l'ascoltatore di fronte ad un set del genere; è una musica che richiede preparazione all'ascolto ma anche senza spiegazioni si comprende. Ed è perfetta per celebrare quel locale, perché non dona solo un'immagine musicale del "sisma", ma rende visibile quel potenziale di creatività che è insito nei dna dei migliori musicisti.
Come non mai nelle rispettive esperienze dei tre improvvisatori, il progetto Magimc risulta specchio della propria personalità: ognuno porta il suo stile in dosi ricercate, facendo emergere una visione matura della libera improvvisazione suonata in interplay, che non è assolutamente semplice da trovare in giro per i circuiti jazzistici.
Edoardo Marraffa è uno dei migliori sassofonisti tenore italiani, è dotato sia in espressione che ruvidezza dei temi, riesce a creare quel potenziale attrattivo che si erige soprattutto nelle fasi più aspre, così come si faceva ai tempi nobili del free assoluto (Let's change it ne è una piena dimostrazione).
Thollem McDonas qui mette a disposizione il suo senso impressionista, con la capacità di sostenere qualunque compagno di viaggio: sentire Double Mind, in cui un arpeggio scomposto segue le dichiarazioni perdifiato di Marraffa, uno shock a cui siamo ancora lieti di sottoporci.
In gran forma anche Giust, in una veste meno stick o di ricerca e più classica tra tamburi e rullanti; come al solito, capacità intuitiva di raccordo con gli altri musicisti tenuta alle stelle ed un crescendo percussivo che in Sismica lo vede quantomai protagonista, con un complicato controtempo che sfocia in furia espressiva.
Ancora un set di altissimo livello." Ettore Garzia, Percorsi Musicali, 2015.

01 _ Let's Change it 12:25
02 _ Ratio Systems 11:22
03 _ Double Mind 6:39
04 _ Il Maestro 19:24
05 _ Sismica 8:41
06 _ Wonderful Spoken Word 6:58

(C) + (P) 2015