Neuguitars 2024 #12 "Italians Do It Better" the jazz guitar by Andrea Rubini and Pablo Montagne
"Italians do It Better". It was 1987 and Madonna forcefully declared it in the video for "Papa Don't Preach", wearing a t-shirt with this phrase printed on it, which had since entered the collective pop imagination. What Mrs. Ciccone couldn't have known was that Italians not only do it well in general, but also in jazz and, as well, with the guitar.
Jazz guitar in Italy, in fact, has a rich and vibrant history, and today continues to thrive in a dynamic and diverse musical environment. Today, Italy is home to numerous talented jazz guitarists who stand out for their impeccable technique, their musical sensitivity, their creativity and a wide range of influences and styles.
One of the distinctive elements of Italian jazz guitar is its fusion of tradition and innovation. Many Italian guitarists are deeply rooted in the tradition of classical jazz, but at the same time embrace new sounds and stylistic approaches.
An example of this is Andrea Rubini's excellent album "Thoughts in slippers", made in 2023 together with Loris Leo Lari on double bass and Davide Bussoleni, but the result of recordings from the previous year, just after Covid. The ideal follow-up to "White" (2018), "Thoughts in slippers" is a relaxed album, the result of the thoughts that emerge when you are "seated comfortably in your favorite armchair... with warm slippers on your feet... memories, travel notes , pending images..”
Andrea Rubini, Loris Leo Lari, Davide Bussoleni - Thoughts In Slippers (lnk.to)
a disc of dialogue between three instruments, with an almost whispered, discreet path, suspended between silences and contents. I believe that interplay is the key to understanding this album, a scrupulous and honest game between three musicians who play a tight and interlocutory "call and response", exchanging opinions and ideas continuously. “Thoughts in slippers” shows one of the curious distinctive traits of Rubini's work, that is, his constant search for new expressive forms while moving in a personal musical confort mood.
Even for the excellent “Tranchant” by the PAP trio, interplay seems to be the watchword. “Interplay” is not a simple term and to better define it we need to take refuge in metaphors, referring to a telepathic harmony between musicians, which allows them to play together with a perfect understanding, capable of making them follow adventurous paths and unpredictable landings. PAP is in turn a metaphor, an acronym, a collective name in which the names of the three musicians merge with the aim of merging their mutual qualities and personalities into a single creative form. PAP is a trio formed by Pablo Montagne (author of all nine songs in the repertoire), a guitarist with extraordinary technical skills, but who does not indulge in empty virtuosity, from the bass of Andrea Gallo and the drums of Pierluigi Villani. PAP's music is a complex mix of jazz rock, progressive, acrobatic rhythms, improvised music and excellent harmony.
In conclusion, jazz guitar in Italy today is alive and well. Thanks to the commitment and talent of musicians such as Pablo Montagne and Andrea Rubini, with its unique combination of tradition and innovation, the Italian jazz guitar continues to inspire and enchant music lovers around the world.