Paul Collins Artist Services International: Reviews

Pianist Roberto Magris has never shied away from exploring, whether bringing European and American jazz musicians into the ambit of his Europlane Orchestra, or merging hip-hop, new age music and new jazz with his Alfabeats Nu Jazz. For Mating Call, Magris set his sights firmly on mainstream jazz, with three of his originals and four other tunes making up the program.
Magris writes with flair. "Europlane Blues," which swings breezily, features an arrangement expansive enough to allow his band members to strut their stuff, and is a real winner. Saxophonist Paul Carr casts the dye, his alto biting into the groove and churning torrid lines, as he becomes the contrast and complement to tenor saxophonist Michael O'Neill's thick, intense permutations. Magris scintillates—his flexibility resonating within the melody, even as he fleshes the body out, with bassist Elisa Pruett's pliancy enhancing the flavor, as her notes bounce in and off the beat on this deliriously delicious workout.


The mood on "Optional Man" is lissome; the melody swirling, the sway gently heady. Carr and O'Neill interject angularities, pushing deeper into the grain as they shed the melody. The horns' intersections and crisscrossing take the tune to another plane, the road full of inventive turns and surprises. The lure stays on, as Magris romps in, his two-handed attack interjecting clusters of notes with single runs and solid chords.

The gentle strains of Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town" waft in on piano. The melody is gracefully essayed, with time the essence in the theme's deliberate intonation. Once again, Magris is a fertile fount of flowing ideas in the improvisatory avenues he explores. This solo outing envisions Magris's copious talent and becomes the perfect closer to this CD.


Track listing: Optional Man; Hill of Illusions; Lament; Theme for Ernie; Mating Call; Europlane Blues; Lonely Town.

Personnel: Roberto Magris: piano, Wurlitzer (2); Paul Carr: soprano and tenor sax; Michael O'Neill: tenor sax; Elisa Pruett: acoustic bass; Idris Muhammed: drums.
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INT... 3 GEN .... . .......... COR 926
MUSIQUE/ MEDIAS/
« Mating Call »: Nouvel enregistrement pour le pianiste italien Roberto Magris et son quintette

BRUXELLES, 18/08 (BELGA) = Le célèbre pianiste et compositeur italien Roberto Magris, actif sur la scène du jazz depuis la fin des années 1970, vient de réaliser, avec son quintette, un nouvel enregistrement intitulé « Mating Call ». Celui-ci permet à cet artiste, qui a notamment joué un rôle de pionnier en travaillant, y compris à l'époque de la Guerre froide, avec des musiciens de jazz orginaires d'Europe centrale et donc aussi de l'ancien bloc soviétique, de faire.étalage de toute sa science et dextérité musicales, mais aussi de présenter quelques-unes de ses compositions.
De 1998 à 2002, ce musicien de choc originaire de Trieste, va diriger le « Europlane Orchestra » composé essentiellement de musiciens d' Europe cetrale et invitera notamment notre « gloire nationale » le guitariste Philip Catherine. Auparavant; il avait déjà constitué le Roberto Magris quartet.
En 2003, il crée le « Roberto Magris Europlane », une formation qui jette cette fois des passerelles entre musiciens européens et américains de très grande qualité. C'est ainsi qu'il va collaborer notamment avec les saxophonistes américain, Herb Geller, et hongrois Tony Lakatos, dont le père et le plus jeune frère sont des violonistes célèbres sur la scène de la musique tsigane. Plus récemment il s'est tourné plus résolument vers les Etats-Unis. En effet, à partir de 2006, il va jouer avec le légendaire Art Davis, le mythique bassiste de John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong et Max Roach. Avec Davis, il va enregistrer un CD qui va faire sensation: « Kansas City Outbound »
L'annéer dernière, il renoue avrc Herb Geller qui travailla notamment avec Chet Baker, Benny Goodman et Benny Carter et avec qui il va se produire outre-Atlantique mais aussi à l'occasion de festivals en Europe.
« Mating Call ».a été enregistré avec d'excellents musiciens américains: Paul Carr au saxophone ténor et soprano, Michael O'Neill (saxophone ténor), Elisa Pruett (basse acoustique) et Idris Muhammad à la batterie. Le CD comprend sept morceaux dont trois compositions de Magris qui fait preuve ici, mais aussi ses musiciens, de beaucoup de fantaisie, d'un style souple et rapide, sans oublier une riche harmonie. ./. JVR
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For the contemporary jazz composer, inclusion of standards on a recording can sweeten the offering for those more traditional tastes. If the standard is treated with invention and grace, it can also inform those tastes, encouraging further listening. Italian pianist/composer Roberto Magris achieves both with Tadd Dameron's "Mating Call." Dameron's performance of his composition appeared on the same-titled album made with saxophonist John Coltrane in 1956 and released of Prestige Records.

Squarely a hard bop anthem, in the hands of the imaginative Magris "Mating Call" is fairly transformed into a carefully crafted blowing vehicle, with a humid jungle ambience established by bassist Elisa Pruett's insistent figure and the dry wood drums of Idris Muhammad. The falling water of Magris' piano, captured closely, gives the arrangement its heavily organic finish. Alto saxophonist Paul Carr is simpatico with tenor saxophonist Michael O'Neill, the two weaving their respective spells—well versed in hard bop, but extending that language with a classic of the jazz repertoire.

Personnel: Roberto Magris: piano, electric piano; Paul Carr: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone; Michael O'Neill: tenor saxophone; Elisa Pruett: acoustic bass; Idris Muhammad: drums.

CD - Mating Call
Roberto Magris Quintet
J-Mood™ Records

It’s becoming a very pleasurable habit reviewing the works of pianist Roberto Magris and his various iterations. He infuses all his records with a supple beauty that gently but inexorably hooks the audience on the first listen and wears extremely well with repeated spins. Whether with his excellent Europlane groups (orchestra or quintet), or in the "pick-up" quartet he established on his Kansas City Outbound album, his zest for life and devotion to the idiom uniformly shine through.

This time around it’s a quintet format with a dual sax attack - Michael O' Neill on tenor and Paul Carr on soprano, with drummer Idris Muhammad and the well-traveled California-born bassist Elisa Pruett


The proceedings start off with the bouncy Optional Man, one of only three Magris originals that pepper the relatively short program. The first real hurrah though, comes with Lament, a JJ Johnson dirge that is strikingly re-imagined as a mid-tempo Latin-tinged number.

Magris shows, similar inventiveness, although in a different key, on Leonard Bernstein's Lonely Town, which closes the CD. Performed solo, the piece begins with sprightly hops over the keyboards and whirls into a blistering crescendo.

This spirit of true enjoyment amid a high level of technical accomplishment is shared among all the players. O'Neill's deceptively cool tones are perfectly counter pointed by Carr and the rhythm section is rock solid.

This first outing from manager Paul Collins' J-Mood™ imprint bodes well for the label and creates heightened anticipation for not only the next Magris disc, but the future library as a whole.

Tracks:
Optional Man;
Hill of Illusion;
Lament;
Theme For Ernie;
Mating Call;
Europlane Blues;
Lonely Town.
Players: Roberto Magris: piano, electric piano; Paul Carr: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone; Michael O'Neill: tenor saxophone; Elisa Pruett: acoustic bass; Idris Muhammad: drums

Mating Call

Roberto Magris Quintet | J-Mood Records


In 2008, Italian jazz pianist Roberto Magris came to Kansas City to record Kansas City Outbound (PCAMI 2008) in a trio setting with the late bassist, Dr. Art Davis. Mating Call builds on that success; a straight-ahead project reconnecting with the area on the upstart Kansas City-based J-Mood Records, another evolution from Paul Collins of PCAMI Records. This time, Magris returns to the area, bringing with him jazz drummer Idris Muhammad from New York, saxophonist Paul Carr from Washington, D.C., tenor saxophonist Michael O'Neill from San Fransisco , and Charlotte, NC-based bassist Elisa Pruett. A pure straight-ahead project, the pianist borrows four vibrant charts and contributes only three originals--surprising, considering his knack for creative composition.
Magris' “Optional Man” opens the set with a catchy melody, led by Carr's soprano and a call-and-response from O'Neill, as the music moves briskly to include inevitable solos from the pianist and bassist, who sets up a calm finale. Magris plays electric piano on “Hill of Illusions,” as the band begins in semi-funky territory and turns to a more hard bop settting on the wings of Carr's devilish soprano lead. O'Neill digs right into the music with a challenging phrasing of his own, with Magris eventually taking over with a taste of wizardry on the keys.
J.J. Johnson's “Lament”--originally written as a slow ballad--is rearranged here as an up-tempo piece with a Latin-tinged bounce and plenty of swing, featuring Muhammad's slow rumbling drum solo with the reed men playing in harmony. One of the lighter moments occurs on a gorgeous interpretation of Fred Lacey's ballad, “Theme For Ernie,” marked by O'Neill's soulful, floating tenor lines. The pianist uses this occasion to demonstrate his appreciable chops with a notable performance.
Tadd Dameron's title piece takes on an entirely new twist, revisited here in a darkly hypnotic, medium tempo rhythm, extending past thirteen minutes in length in what seems like a departure from the album's main course. In stark contrast, “Europlane Blues” delivers a lively upbeat texture, incorporating a snappy swinging rhythm led by Magris' bluesy chords. Leonard Bernstein's closing “Lonely Town” is all Magris, performing a solo piece whose light touches turn into a breathtaking, command performance as his right hand covers the keys in blazing speed.
A remarkable performance by one of the world's finest jazz pianists, Magris continues to impress jazz audiences from Europe to Kansas City with Mating Call, providing another shining example of this artist's boundless potential. The music here is not typical or ordinary; it is creative, quite entertaining and superbly performed by all.

L´uomo delle opzioni
di
Vittorio LoConte

Fa piacere riascoltare di tanto in tanto il pianista triestino Roberto Magris. Dopo l´avventura con la Soul Note è approdato ora in USA a Kansas City, dove il produttore Paul Collins lo ha messo nelle condizioni migliori per registrare sue composizioni e arrangiamenti con dei musicisti americani di ottimo livello. Un riconoscimento per il lungo e appassionato lavoro svolto finora e per il jazz italiano, anche se, a dire il vero, è proprio in patria che gode della minore visibilità, quasi a volere confermare il famoso proverbio che nessuno è profeta dalle proprie parti.
Su questo nuovo CD tre sono le sue composizioni, al solito brillanti, capaci di distinguersi da quello che di solito si scrive in giro. Il suo lavoro sul genere mainstream trova qui un apogeo, con dei musicisti che lo seguono, perfettamente sintonizzati sulle sue intenzioni e direttive. È una tradizione che ha interiorizzato e che sa ridare in modo personale, anche utilizzando il piano elettrico ("Hill of Illusions") in modo così bluesy, che quasi ci si chiede dove abbia preso tutto questo feeling e lo swing, cosa mica facile da ascoltare in chi abita da questa parte dell´oceano. Buon per lui che lo abbiano notato gli americani..
Ad accompagnarlo ci sono Paul Carr al sax soprano e tenore, Michael O`Neill al sax tenore, Elisa Pruiett al contrabbasso e alla batteria il grande Idris Muhammad (che si ritaglia un bello spazio in "Lament"), di solito è in giro con Ahmad Jamal. Un quintetto stellare che, forse per la presenza del batterista, forse per l´influenza che Jamal, come tanti capiscuola, ha lasciato sul modo di suonare di Magris, ricorda certe atmosfere seducenti che l´anziano pianista è ancora capace di evocare sui palcoscenici ed in studio.
Magris si dimostra un vero leader, cosa non facile con tante primedonne a disposizione, così che lo svolgimento suona compatto, gradevole, senza momenti in cui si gira a vuoto dall´inizio alla fine, uno di quelle opere che si riascoltano sempre con piacere e che danno un´idea di cosa possa essere il mainstream jazz odierno quando è suonato ad un certo livello tecnico-esecutivo.


Rated: 4.5 Stars out of 5 Stars!!!

Marc Myers @ Jazz Wax.com Reviews the “New” Roberto Magris Quintet CD “Mating Call”

There are traces of Don Pullen in pianist Roberto Magris' approach, an artistic kinship I didn't identify until Roberto sent along his new CD, Mating Call. Pullen, of course, recorded with Charles Mingus in the early 1970s, most notably on Changes One and Changes Two.
Roberto bears a similar intensity and all-chips in attack as Pullen—without going overboard. I must say that Roberto's new album is fabulous on every level. The originals here (Optional Man, Hill of Illusions and Europlane Blues) hit you instantly with their lyrical, wave-like sensitivity. The standards are all great choices—Lament, Theme for Ernie, Mating Call and Lonely Town.
Sample the waltz-time Optional Man, Hill of Illusions and Lament and see what I mean. Roberto plays acoustic and electric piano, and is joined by Paul Carr on soprano and tenor saxes, Michael O'Neill on tenor sax, Elisa Pruett on bass and the great Idris Muhammad on drums

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".