Milanese pianist and composer
Stefano Battaglia has walked on both sides of the
classical and
jazz street with ease and comfort. Whether performing
Bill Evans or
Pierre Boulez, he plays with integrity and authority. The double-disc Raccolto is his ECM debut, and he performs in two different settings to illustrate his tremendous gifts as both an improviser and a composer. His romantic leanings and sometimes pointillistic playing reveal his influences, from
Evans to
Paul Bley to
Keith Jarrett. He carries his mentors with ease inside his gig bag. Disc one showcases
Battaglia in a
jazz trio setting with bassist
Giovanni Maier and percussionist
Michele Rabbia (who plays on both discs). Here, lush lyricism folds into
free improvisation as the dreamy movement between the opening title cut gives way to the long, abstract "Triangolazioni." And though the latter track is completely outside, it has no edges, no burrs, no dissonances that are not enveloped inside the whole. Likewise, the skeletal space of "Triosonic" provides breathing room in contrast to the dense, more fluid
post-bop improvisation in "All Is Language," where
Battaglia dazzles with his multivalent ostinati. The second disc in this collection features
Rabbia and
Battaglia with violinist
Dominique Pifarély, a member of
Louis Sclavis' group. These 12 tunes are full of bracing improvisations and textural tension. The edgy "Porquoi?" and the hissing string introduction to "Il Circo Ungherese" are enough to send most
jazz fans screaming for the hills. Those new music fans who haven't heard
Pifarély or
Battaglia before will be delighted at their structured approach to the outside. There is no self-indulgence here, only disciplined listening and authoritative execution. These 12 pieces are without reservation explorations into unknown sounds and combinations of sounds. The two discs together are all but irresistible to fans of the new European music. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
