Paul Collins Artist Management International: PressKits-Reviews

June 3. (Wed.) Gaea Schell. And here’s another blonde jazz singer/pianist from Canada, with a brisk sense of swing and an appealing way with a phrase. Must be something in the water up there. Vibrato Grill Jazz… etc.

Featured Artist: Roberto Magris Trio

CD Title: Kansas City Outbound

Year: 2008

Record Label: J-Mood

Style: BeBop / Hard Bop

Musicians: Roberto Magris (piano), Art Davis (bass), Jimmy “Junebug” Jackson (drums), Zack Albetta (drums)

Review: Roberto Magris an Italian pianist of considerable talent has released a special album, Kansas City Outbound. On this recording he has captured the beautiful spirit of bassist Art Davis (December 5, 1934 - July 29, 2007) in two trio settings. The album recorded on July 2nd and 3rd of 2007 is the final recording featuring the master bassist. The trios are anchored by drummer Jimmy Junebug Jackson, serving time joyously on four tracks and Zack Albetta swinging through six tracks. This album swings. It starts out dark and deep with a hard bop sensibility, progresses through the blues, adds a touch of melancholy and fires off some avant-garde distraction before boiling over with a hot handed closer, that finds Magris burning up the keys.
The music of Roberto Magris, there are four original compositions on Kansas City Outbound, the title track, “Iraqi Blues”, “KC Inbound” and “Rainbow Eyes” all lend themselves to a feel that is reminiscent of a McCoy Tyner style. There is that percussive edginess, making great use of space and adding bright colours to accentuate his music.

The trio’s cover the standards with a fine and delicate touch, “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”, “Lonely Woman”, “Darn That Dream” and “Alone Together” all carry a melancholy feel that gives rise to hope, love and beauty. “Alone Together” breaks out fast to swing madly. One of the best versions of “Darn That Dream”, with a bass intro that actually describes the dream.

On the Andrew Hill composition “Reverend Du Bop” Magris opens with a beautiful sermon, note by note he builds the dynamic to introduce the band with a couple of well placed chords. Dr. Davis plays a free style pizzicato that transitions to col-arco and Zack Albetta mixes it up with a combination of syncopated brush and stick strokes.

The album closes fittingly with “Bye Bye Baby”. Magris introduces the song with rapid keyboard work. The drummer, Zack Albetta, joins in and between the two of them they proceed to tear it up. An old style cutting contest, alla Art Tatum and Buddy Rich.



Tracks: Kansas City Outbound,I Fall In Love Too Easily, Iraqi Blues,A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, KC Inbound, Reverend Du Bop, Rainbow Eyes,Bemsha Swing, Lonely Woman, Darn That Dream, Alone Together, Bye Bye Baby

I now have several Roberto Magris albums under my reviewer's belt. One thing has become quite clear. The pianist and composer can be counted on to consistently offer interesting and engaging music. His trio's performance of "Kansas City Outbound" does nothing but bolster that view. The approach is totally modern. Of his many piano-playing influences, it is McCoy Tyner's that is most heard on this performance. There are touches of Tyner in Magris' introductory chords and in his fluid runs. Art Davis's walking bass and Jimmy Jackson's steady beat provide the sturdy backbone of this short bluesy swing piece. The trio is in sync from Kansas City onward. As you find yourself totally taken in, and are looking forward to more, the tune suddenly fades away. You wonder where the rest of the song is. Always leave them wanting more, is what I say.
Reviewer: Walter Kolosky @ Jazz.com

Jean-Claude Pennec from the French Citizen Jazz.com
Reviews the Roberto Magris Trio
Kansas City Outbound

Kansas City Outbound est le dernier-né de Roberto Magris, pianiste originaire de Trieste relativement peu vu en France mais qui, d’album en album (déjà une quinzaine), installe une belle aventure musicale. Sur cet album, enregistré à Kansas City, il mêle ses propres compositions à quelques titres de Monk, Andrew Hill, Benny Carter ou Billy Strayhorn. Mieux encore, il y invite Art Davis contrebassiste de légende (Coltrane, Olé et A Love Supreme, Gillespie) rencontré l’année précédente lors de ses débuts à Hollywood dans les clubs, et côté percussions Jimmy « Junesbug » Jackson (qui escorta longtemps Jimmy Smith) et Zack Albetta. Autant d’ingrédients justifiant d’emblée l’intérêt que suscite cet album. Dans l’art du trio piano–basse–batterie à l’histoire marquée de chefs-d’œuvre, ce pianiste au parcours inhabituel apporte une « pierre » tout sauf anodine.
Dans ce « set » d’une heure - original et savoureux car mûrement pesé -, c’est surtout le cheminement complexe du trio qui retient l’attention. Tour à tour apaisé ou virevoltant, Magris a un jeu dépouillé faussement simple, toujours étincelant. De « I Fall In Love Too Easily » à « A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing », on peut évidemment pointer ses sources d’inspiration mais on cède vite à l’étonnement devant le brio de son style, où la fantaisie est la trame qui noue et renoue la rencontre. Le maître mot est ici la clarté, et les exposés en sont presque pédagogiques. Magris s’efface volontiers pour laisser ses complices se dévoiler ou montrer le chemin. Mais quelques thèmes favorisent particulièrement les élans des trois musiciens, tel « Reverend du Bop » (Andrew Hill) ou « Bemsha Swin », (Monk). On est convaincu par son art de la pirouette gracieuse, modeste ou nonchalante - un art de la note précise qui n’est pas sans rappeler Ahmad Jamal. A déguster ici, au piano solo cette fois, « Lonely Woman », incisif. Ailleurs, la présence débonnaire de la basse ou le jeu de drums de Jimmy « Junebug » Jackson se plaisent à renverser les rôles ou à les compléter.
Pour le pianiste, Kansas City Outbound n’est pas un disque comme les autres : il l’a enregistré il y a deux ans aux Etats-Unis, après un festival où il rendait hommage à Jay McShann. Le résultat a manifestement profité de cette rencontre entre musiciens venus d’horizons très divers.
Jean-Claude Pennec

Randy McElligott Reviews Roberto Magris New CD "Check-In"

Randy McElligott of Jazz Review .com reviews Roberto Magris New CD
"Check-In"

Don Mather in the United Kingdom reviews Roberto Magris Europlane

Ray Comiskey in Ireland rates "Check-In" five stars!!!!!

KEVIN LYNCH reviews Jason Moran, Fred Hersch, Dave Douglas, Charles Lloyd and PCAMI* own ROBERTO MAGRIS

Mike Zwerin reviews Roberto Magris new CD-"Check-In"

C.Michael Bailey reviews Roberto Magris new CD "Check-In".

Artisti al controllo
di
Vittorio Lo Conte


Di solito i musicisti ospiti dei gruppi italiani provengono dagli Stati Uniti, strumentisti di tutti i tipi che danno brio e notorietà alle band della penisola. Sorprende quindi la decisione del pianista triestino Roberto Magris, di suonare con musicisti provenienti dall´Europa dell´Est, tutti, è doveroso dirlo, di assoluto livello, a testimoniare di come ormai questa musica sia un linguaggio internazionale che appartiene al mondo intero.

Check In è il risultato di un incontro internazionale guidato da Magris. Della band fanno parte Toni Lakatos, sassofonista ungherese che è ha suonato spesso in USA e che risiede a Francoforte in Germania, l´austriaco Michael Erian ai sax soprano e tenore, il contrabbassista ceco Robert Balzar insieme al batterista Gabriele Centis e, su "African Moods", Fulvio Zafret alle congas.

I temi sono di Magris, qualche standard ed il finale "Che cosa c´è" di Gino Paoli, eseguito in trio. Sembrerebbe una consueta session di mainstream, con soli di buon livello, sparsi qua e là. Invece sorprende fin dall´inizio per gli arrangiamenti ben curati e per la compattezza del tutto, una produzione che ascolteremo con piacere anche fra qualche tempo.

La duttilità di Toni Lakatos gli permette di tirare fuori il massimo da ogni brano, trasformandosi di volta in volta nelle personalità che hanno reso grande il jazz, con assoli molto fludi ed espressivi, che scavano nell´essenza della composizione. L´austriaco Michael Erian lo segue con dovizia, senza sfigurare di fronte al più esperto collega. Da sottolineare è la prova di Magris, con il suo solismo dalla pronuncia che racchiude la storia di tanti pianisti, da McCoy Tyner ("African Mood") all´indimenticato Don Pullen (anche lui su Soul Note, in incisioni senza tempo), da Ahmad Jamal ai bopper più classici come Wynton Kelly. Ma il suo non è un citare a vuoto, è solo un riferimento alla tradizione in cui la sua personalità viene fuori coinvolgendo l´ascoltatore per il notevole feeling riversato.

La musica di questo gruppo ha tutte le carte in regola per superare le categorizzazioni ed i limiti del tempo. L´ascoltiamo oggi, ma sicuramente la ascolteremo anche domani, perchè il feeling ed il calore espresso sono valori che non hanno date di scadenza.

"Check-In" (Soul Note) Roberto Magris. This dynamic, Italian pianist finally gets to be heard in the United States on this collection of four originals, three standards and one other tune. Sax player Tony Lakatos is the standout horn player in a sextet that plays with Jazz Messenger-like drive. Three stars!

Roberto Magris new CD "Check-In" receiving spins in France on "Jazz a tous les etages"

Owen Cordle, correspondent at The News and Observer in North Carolina, reviews Roberto Magris new CD "Check-In"

Jack Bowers reviews Roberto Magris new CD "Check-In"