Zwosch, Zwosch & Zwosch captures a live performance of three innovative Portuguese improvisers – legendary, master violinist Carlos «Zingaro», Berlin-based cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, known for his ongoing free improvised meetings with his father, violist Ernesto Rodrigues (the head of Creative Sources Recordings) and percussionist (and visual artist) José Oliveira, known from the band of trumpeter Sei Miguel. This ad-hoc, intergenerational trio was recorded at Lisboa Incomum during Festival Dias de Música Electroacústica (DME) in July 2021. The 32-minute piece alternates between bold and restless free improvisation, abstract exploration of sound-oriented extended techniques and experimental contemporary chamber music. It is performed with a sense of urgency but keeps a cohesive interplay and form. As Guy Peters observes in his liner notes, the trio moves harmoniously, «like a flock of birds following a mysterious, shared course».
Dripping offers a like-minded, free improvised meeting, featuring violist Ernesto Rodrigues (father of Guilherme), Belgian guitar hero Dirk Serries (who mastered and released on his label Zwosch, Zwosch & Zwosch), double bass player João Madeira, who recorded, mixed and mastered this session in Lisbon in May 2023 and collaborates regularly with Ernesto Rodrigues and Guilherme Rodrigues, and percussionist Oliveira. The atmosphere of this session is intense, closer at times to the fiery energy of a free jazz meeting, but also surprises sometimes with its playful rhythmic sensibility, even swinging one. Rodrigues (who also employs a crackle box), Series and Madeira keep feeding each other with bold ideas within tight and nervous dynamics until it is almost impossible to know who is producing which sounds of its string instrument while Oliveira colors this ecstatic commotion with imaginative percussive touches.
Unknown Shores is the free improvising trio of Portuguese bass clarinetist João Pedro Viegas (who is also an author and plays in local bands like Ethnos, Dr. Estranho Amor and Just Jazz Friends), and Italian pianist Silvia Corda and double bass player Adriano Orru (who collaborates with Corda in several projects), augmented in the studio session of this sophomore album The House Of Memory, by «Zingaro» (who collaborated before with Viegas and Orru) and Swedish-American cellist Helena Espvall. Unknown Shores recorded its self-titled, debut album with Brazilian clarinetist Luiz Rocha in 2019 (Amirani Records). The new album was recorded at Namouche Studio in Lisbon in May 2019. This ad-hoc quintet is exploring a similar yet completely different kind of free improvisation that meets chamber music, leaning more into reserved and introspective, melodic textures that correspond with Third Stream jazz, but with no shortage of risk-taking. The ten short pieces are instant compositions focusing on empathic collective dynamics and are credited to the five musicians. Italian double bass player Roberto Del Piano described the listening experience of The House Of Memory as «enjoying the beauty of an exhibition of abstract paintings, yet full of warmth and sensitivity».
Eyal Hareuveni
Carlos «Zíngaro» (violin), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello), José Oliveira (percussion), João Pedro Viegas (bass clarinet), Silvia Corda (piano), Adriano Orru (double bass), Helena Espvall (cello), Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), Dirk Serries (archtop guitar), João Madeira (double bass)
