Press Release by: Kailing Chang
We are pleased to intorduce “Clarinet”, the latest album by the clarinetist/composer and Professor of Clarinet Luca Luciano “classically trained Italian virtuoso resident in London” (“Jazz UK”).
Luca is very much appreciated in the UK and abroad for his unique style and the quality of his compositions and this latest project keeps faith to his uncompromised and sometimes controversial approach to jazz and the will to experiment.
Luciano’s sound has been built on a vintage “Bb” Buffet clarinet which bears more keys and rings (20 keys and 7 rings) than the “regular” French clarinet (generally 17-18 keys and 6 rings) and goes a semitone lower as well. The instrument, then, is slightly longer than an “A” clarinet which explains its darker tone, versatility and more hybrid tone, almost like a Basset Clarinet, that fits so much Luca’s style. Yet the extra keys and extension give him the chance to create sound effects otherwise almost impossible to generate (e.g. Divertimento #4 and Divertimento #9).
The two Sequenze for Clarinet Solo are the core of the album. They are a remarkable, pure improvisational journey where Luciano tries to embrace all the styles of music he loves in an imaginative tour around the world from classical European music to Afro-American or folkloristic music of the South of Italy, from contemporary music with chormaticism and angular-shaped melodies to lyric and almost operatic atmospheres, from polyphony to blues and swing. In fact Luciano firmly believes in the great potentiality of the clarinet and its expressivity and tries to stretch it to the limit including modulating the tone when necessary (as in the two Sequenze) to make it sound like a Chalumeau on the “tarantella” parts or more like an American clarinetist of the 30s and 40s.
Luca’s music has been inspired by composers such as Gershwin, Copland (who wrote for Goodman), Debussy and most of all Igor Stravinsky (much loved by jazz players like Charlie Parker) to whom the album is dedicated.
The two Sequenze and Divertimento #7, #8 and #10 shows Luca’s interest in free improvisation and chromatic music strongly influenced by the saxophonist and educator Dave Liebman.
Naima is a jazz tune Luca has always loved since he first listened to a version live by Coltrane with an inspiring bass clarinet solo by Dolphy.
The album, MCPS Licensed, has been produced by Luca Luciano and Gianni Varone who is also responsible for the distribution and selling of the Digidesign equipments in Italy. The album is available to the public on the dedicated web-page www.clarinetalbum.cjb.net, on Ebay, mp3s downloads on Sound Click (www.soundclick/lucaluciano), on My Space (www.myspace.com/lucaluciano) in exclusive at the clarinet specialist Howarth Clarinets Marylebone London and very soon in Italy and Brazil.
A series of free-entry lunchtime recitals will be held in London to promote the album and the compositions and you are most welcome to attend to listen to the music live and meet Luca Luciano in person.
The “Luciano Clarinet Trio” will be performing:
- February 28th 2008, at "St Mary le Bow" London EC2V 6AU, from 1.05pm;
- March 5th 2008, at "St Andrew's Holborn" London EC4A from 1pm;
- April 26th 2008, at "St Alfege" Greenwich, Church St, London SE10, from 1.10pm;
- May 19th 2008, at the "All Saints' Church" Kingston KT1 1JP, from 1.15pm;
- June 13th 2008, at "St Brides" Fleet Street, London EC4Y (free entry) from 1.15pm
For more information: http://www.clarinetalbum.cjb.net
Photo by: © Biagio Ippolito
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