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SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Guitar
player, composer and concert-artist, Giovanni works in the area
of the crossing acoustic music performing as a soloist of contemporary
acoustic fingerstyle guitar a well as in different jazz-world
wide oriented ensembles like the Acoustic Trio (guitar, vibraphone
and accordion), with a repertoire of original instrumental music
in which jazz, folk reminiscence and improvisation converge with
a touch of full Mediterranean melodies. Giovanni performs with
the Acoustic Trio in several music festivals. Among the others:
The European Jazz Festival in Athens (Greece), “La Palma
– Fandango Jazz Festival” in Rome, the “International
Guitar Meeting” in Sarzana, the “Festival de la Guitare”
in Vervier (Belgium).
As a duo, Giovanni plays with the clarinet player Gabriele Mirabassi,
like at “Le Acustiche” in Rome (February 2005), in
a program that featured “Three Guitars” (John Abercrombie,
Larry Corryell, Badi Assad), and the California Guitar Trio.
The movie label Fandango recently selected some of Palombo’s
music for the feature “L’Orizzonte degli Eventi”,
which was then included in the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
Also, Palombo composed many of the music score for the TV series
documentaries “Geo&Geo” (RAI Trade).
He is now envolved in a new project: the quartet “Camera
Ensemble”, that features Giovanni (acoustic guitar), Gabriele
Coen (clarinet, sax), Benny Penazzi (cello), Andrea Piccioni)
(etnhic percussions), playing a blend of etnhic, jazz and classic
music.
Giovanni Palombo is one of the most well-known
and important acoustic guitar players on the Italian musical scene.
His compositions do value his cultural roots in a context that,
while using jazz language, still highlight his solid ethnic grounds,
together with the very Italian approach to melody and musicality
of the themes. In Palombo’s approach to writing and performing,
do convey different aspects that lead to describe his music as
a synthesis of folk jazz, Mediterranean melody and classical music
ideas: an artistic dimension that he has reached after years of
experience in different contexts of contemporary music. Small
ensembles (from duos to quartets) create the chamber music feeling
of Palombo’s pieces, while his dimension as a solo artist
is found in his fingerstyle guitar performances. In this context,
he is the mind behind the music festival “Le Acustiche”,
that, from 2000 to our days, has brought to Rome some of the greatest
guitar players of our times.
With
the CD “Duos, Trios, Guitar Dialogues” (2003), published
by the German label Acoustic Music Records, Palombo has gained
access to the European market, together with his participation
to some important festivals and events (“International Guitar
Meeting”, Sarzana, “La Palma Jazz Festival”,
Rome, the “Edenkoben Guitar Festival”, the Acoustic
Corner at the Frankfurt MusicMesse, the “European Jazz Festival”
of Athens, the “Festival Chitarristico Internazionale”,
City of Fiuggi) and series of concerts in different European locations.
He
is Artistic Director and teacher at the C.I.A.C. School of Music
in Rome. He is also a columnist of the renown magazine “Chitarre”.
Reviews
GIOVANNI
PALOMBO
Folk Frontiera
(Wonderland Records)
Ten tracks where the well balanced guitar harmonies and the parts
of vibraphone (Francesco Lo Cascio) and accordion (Feliciano Zacchia)
do blend together, recalling, through sounds, rhythm and melodies
in an athmosphere that is somewhere tense, but nevertheless surrounding
and rich in pathos.
Andrea Lulli (AXE)
GIOVANNI
PALOMBO
ACOUSTIC TRIO
Folk Frontera
Wonderland
The
popular roots belonging to the performer’s melodies develop
through a modern approach of the use of harmonies and improvisation
inspired by jazz and Latin music, crafting a wise mix of styles
and genres in Palombo’s work, who’s name signs all
tracks on this record, giving once again proof of his maturity
as author. Worth a mention are the three tracks of solo guitar,
tribute to his musical origins, reminding us that Palombo is an
original musician, whose talent has to win him a well deserved
consideration. On top of this, the interaction of all musicians
involved, contributes successfully to the full achievement of
a remarkable team work.
Mario Calvitti, CHITARRE
“…Live performances revolve around jazz improvisation
and the repertoire includes pieces for Palombo’s solo acoustic
guitar, together with pieces for the Acoustic Trio, where the
Italian performer’s six string instrument meets Lo Cascio’s
vibraphone and Zacchia’s accordion, creating a unique sounding
experience. (Corriere della Sera)
“…In
the ensembles, from the solo guitar to the quartets, feature musicians
like Francesco Lo Cascio, Enrico Ghelardi and Ettore Fioravanti,
but the aspect that is more noticeable is the intimate artistic
research work that has gradually bloomed, as it does in nature,
through its very own timing and developing ways. From the intimate
duo “Troisi” we get to the fast dialogue of “Gioiosa
Marea”, from the swinging solo in “Leone di S. Lorenzo”,
to the atmosphere of “L’Attesa”, that communicates
opposite feelings of sadness and joy. Whispered, yet intense poetry.
(“La Rosa dei Venti” review, by L. Onori, on “Alias”,
Il Manifesto)
“…
he is a musician with a remarkable sensibility, touch and great
composing creativity, representing without a doubt one of the
main artists on the Italian acoustic scene (“Dadi Guitar
Festival” review, Guitar Club, Milan)
“…from
a first listen he sounds definitely above the average thanks to
the expressive skills that this guitar player shows through his
performances of smooth and elegant style…” (Vittorio
Pio, Jazz it)
“…in
his compositions, elements of jazz and Mediterranean folk do blend
discretely, to reach to a non-pretentious enjoyable chamber music
style, for a record to listen to over and over…”(Rheinpfalz)
“…the
other instruments meet the guitar in clever arrangements, surprising
the listener with their sudden changes. Ehtnic jazz or world music:
no matter what the name for this music, this is definively enjoyable…”
(Concerto)
“A
bright, varied CD from a guitarist that is not only a virtuoso,
but that also experiments with peculiar arrangements and intimate
tracks, in duo and trio. Unexpected changes that overlap more
lyrical moments to improvisation: this to make every track a self-contained
micro-universe, with elements of jazz, Mediterranean music, folk
and suggestions of tango and classical music. Just listen to the
full-bodied “Mr Kelly” and its bright technique.”
(Jazz Podium)
“Palombo
gives his best in small ensembles, on pieces with a light and
bright, still deep and developed texture, in an atmosphere of
gracious Mediterranean dance. This is a breathtaking story to
be told alternatively by different musicians, but you need just
few notes to capture the essence of the guitar virtuoso, coming
out of a performer that uses rich and silky arrangements.”
(Folker, S. BAsho-Junghans)
“New
release for the Italian guitarist with Acoustic Music Records.
A lot more than acoustic jazz guitar…” (In Music)
“In
sport, you know when you are in front of a real player when he
lets everyone in the team have his place in the sun: this guitar
player is seldom on forefront: he prefer to share the stage with
his partners, in original combinations of Mediterranean folk and
jazz and high level stylistic improvisation. Palombo takes the
listener to a charming world, showing that fingerstyle can be
played also in ensemble.”(Akustic Gitarre)
“A
wide sonic range where music flows and the style is capturing:
the Italian guitar player gives us improvisation and Mediterranean
melodies” (Oldie Markt)
“Acoustic
jazz with a Mediterranean twist, classy and genuine: a naked beauty
that allows music to be enjoyed in an intuitive and direct way.
A must for intimate jazz fans.” (Acordes, Spagna)
“Giovanni
Palombo. Having built his reputation on the twin pillars of solo
and ensemble playing, Giovanni Palombo is now regarded as one
of the leading finger-style guitarist in Italy. On this album,
“Duos & Trios Guitar”, he is accompanied on some
tracks by both vibraphone and accordion, on others by a soprano
sax, and on others by percussion alone. Ironically, however, the
finest title on his CD (“Mr Kelly”), turns out to
be a guitar solo of Giovanni, but, whatever the line-up at any
particular moment, this is jazz of the finest quality” (Acoustic
Music Gmbh & Co. KG, 3.1 F 78, about the performance at the
Frankfurt MusicMesse)
“…In
“Rosa dei Venti”, on 9 tracks, he summed up the compositive
skills that he has been building over the latest years of activity.
Jazz suggestions and a Latin breeze, but he musicians always has
his avant-garde nature in mind. Therefore, for acoustic music
lovers, there’s enough here to be enjoyed…”
(Guitar Club)
“…the
Roman guitar player confirms his very own peculiar fingerstyle
, that comes out of rag-time blues and developing in a jazz direction,
stressing on melodic themes and room for improvisation. A way
to interpret music composition not only from a guitar player perspective,
but with a wider vision…” (Chitarre)
“…Giovanni
is a mature guitar player, with a neat touch, remarkable sensibility
and a very personal sound. He does also show virstuoso skills,
artistic creativity in composing and, an this is what we appreciate
the most, some sort of inner perspective which is the exact opposite
of exhibitionism”. (Sito Web Accordo)
“…
You don’t need to be a guitar fan to love this album. (…)
45 minutes of great music, played with a classy style and with
an accurate feeling for dynamics.(…) It has to be noted
that the German label Acoustic Music chooses carefully its releases,
just look at their catalogue. (…) It is with great satisfaction
to see the name of Giovanni Palombo amongst the great international
Guitar Masters.”
Marco Losavio, Jazzitalia
“…Reaching
the shore of the the German label Acoustic Music, probably the
most important European labels dedicated to guitar, represents
a remarkable goal in the already long career of Giovanni Palombo,
and it is a strong push to the deserved diffusion of his music
for a wider, and, one hopes, international public.(…) This
is a brilliant record, that adds with credit to the Acoustic Music
catalogue, enriched by the contribution of one of our most significant
guitar players.”
Mark: xxxx (Mario Calvitti, All About Jazz)
“…
Giovanni Palombo is one of of our most active musicians on the
acoustic music scene, both as a solo player, in the Acoustic Tri
and in the Rosa dei Veni quartet. At the heart of his production,
we find melodic lines with a singalong feel, marked by Mediterranean
sound.”
(Felice Liperi, Repubblica)
“…
Giovanni Palombo introduces, in his Folk Frontiera, ten tracks
full of expressive sensibility, rich of a polymorphic musical
syntax tending to highlight its chromatism (…) As we already
know, his fingerstyle tends to build wide melodies, architectonic
sounds made out of so-called jazz improvisation coloured by Latin,
ethnic, folk and sometimes even soft rock textures. (…)
An stylistic mix that features intense pathos, rarefied soul passionate
feelings, memories of Bach together with a very original intimate
approach. The interplay between the three musicians often spontaneously
reminds of the harmonic approach mastered by the great Astor Piazzolla.
Palombo’s decise personality is shown in how sudden the
whole picture of the composition is drawn, with virtuoso touches
never out of place.”
(Fabrizio Cicarelli, Jazzitalia)
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