Friendly Game

Arrivederci. A warm breeze from the south brings a first outing for classy Italian sidekicks Capanni and Alesini.
 
Like a more Meditteranean take on Jan Garbarek, Nicola Alesini's soprano sax is a rare phenomenom; a foil to Roedelius whose alchemic gifts are every bit as equal to his. With a supple armory of romantic tones, he twists and dive bombs in and out and around the big man's Atlantean atmospheres and nature sounds. We are also introduced to e-bow guitarist Fabio Capanni whose melodic gifts now enhance ten albums in the Roedelius oeuvre. A live sequence of solos, duos and trios evoke the kind of soft jazz-ambient that would sell tons if it were on ECM label - a gentle exchange of chromatic tones and delicate melodies, drifting like jasmine scent in the night air. You sense here that the act of listening is as important as playing. Sometimes a little too tentative for it's own good, as if holding out a promise of greater things to come, as indeed it did on 1999's Aquarello.

Source: Stephen Iliffe