Livio Minafra about the Trio
The trio was born out of something initially characterised by speed and spontaneity. In Europe, swing can be found in Monteverdi just as well as in a Tarantella or a modal sequence. Roland, Michel and I love American Jazz, however we play using a European vernacular.
It could be said that this trio is an improvised chamber music ensemble where jazz is thrown into the mix as a sort of wild snake in constant need of charming!
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Liner Notes
by Thomas Hein
The first meeting was back in 2009. It was the 10th anniversary of Radio Freequenns, a local Community Radio
in Liezen, Styria, a small town in the Alps located right in the center of Austria. Sure, it is always going to be a bit risky; two artists each having their own artistic views, but with that there came about this very spontaneous, vibrant and personal relationship, which just fil led the room… And so Livio quickly found the duos first name: Fast Feeling.
I’ve known them personally for many years: Roland Neffe, the Austrian, grew up in my hometown of Gleisdorf, where we got in touch about 25 years ago and have stayed friends ever since. The Ita lian, Livio Minafra, attracted my atten tion at a concert in Graz back in 2003, while the city was European Capital of Culture. Here he was playing with SUD Ensemble, which was led by his father,Pino Minafra.
Skip to 4 years later at the UNESCO International Jazz Day 2013 in Liezen. The Fazioli piano had already been well prepared for the evening’s live stream ing. Livio and Roland were the duo act for this Radio Jazz Day, and again, it had been a very creative and exciting interplay between the two.
For their grand finale the French tuba & serpent player Michel Godardjoined them on stage as a guest; this truly made for something of a special moment between three musicians. And thus, this was how our trio was born in its final incarnation: Campo Armónico.
One track from that special evening even found its way on to this album.
Enjoy!
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The Musicians about their compositions:
1 Sound of Aether (Roland Neffe)
It‘s about the subtle stages in one’s life and existence of the soul. The tune itself is dedicated to a close fri end who passed away unexpectedly and way too early.
2 Boomerang (Livio Minafra)
A good dose of energy, the unmis takable smile of that Sardinian,Antonello Salis, and some sunshine: Boomerang was Salis’ nickname, while the piece also pays homage to Balkan music, which is a genre I’ve always loved. It’s the first piece I wrote for the trio… So dynamic and playful. So open.
3 Lost Love (Roland Neffe)
It‘s one of my oldest compositions and my take on the classic “first love” story: complete with its painful ending and my realization that a longdistance relationship does not work.
4 Forgotten Ritual (Roland Neffe)
It‘s like a dream or an archaic vision of a forgotten ancient world; strange rituals and ways of worships of early humans.
5 Raindrops (Livio Minafra)
This is a music for a film I never realized. It represents the steps in life, one by one, from childhood to paradise.
6 Tarantella Di Ruvo (Livio Minafra)
This famous Italian dance originates from Puglia, my region. I know this tarantella very intimately thanks to my grandfather, Nonno Michele, who would often sing it to me. It details the last dying moments of a mother: “Mamm mo mor…” What more can I say, only that this song’s part of my roots.
7 Xaël (Michel Godard)
Composition played live at the Snow Jazz Festival.
8 Cieli (Livio Minafra)
In the music of Skryabin andMessiaen each note possesses a certain color for me. In my case E flat is blue and Cieli (Skies) are also blue. The rest is very simply up to the liste ner to fill out with their own internal imagery as improvisational patterns are weaved throughout.
9 Adrenalin (Roland Neffe)
Once I saw a documentary about young Russian subway surfers. I im agined the adrenalin kick which they must have been getting from surfing on top of a subway.
10 Risplendente Folia (Michel Godard)
The future looks bright after all… also recorded live at Snow Jazz Festival.
Thomas Hein
