Baroque and pre-Baroque composers have certain compositional habits in common with jazz musicians. Back in the days, they would draw elements from a common repertoire of Sacred Hymns and do their own version, just as jazz musicians have been arranging and playing “standards” – tunes from an oral tradition – up to the present day.
“Polyphonies” is a work that looks into the tradition of European sacred music, particularly into the book of the Lutheran Hymns and the Bach Chorales.
Every composition on the album is inspired by elements of the Baroque and pre-Baroque: melodies, polyphonic textures, harmonies, and the period’s overall solemn, introspective sounds are explored, expanded and mixed into a contemporary idiom.
The album was recorded in July-August ’18 and features some of the finest up-and-coming Italian musicians: Mirko Cisilino on trumpet, Federico Pierantoni on trombone, Giovanni Cigui on alto and soprano saxophones, Filippo Orefice on tenor saxophone, Marco Bolfelli on guitar, Vilma Ramírez Álvarez on vocals, Eugenio Dreas on bass and Marco D’Orlando on drums.
It was recorded by Francesco Blasig in Cormons (GO), Italy and released by Artesuono.