CD Review: Pericopes + 1 - Legacy.

Emiliano Vernizzi (tenor); Alessandro Sgobbio (piano/Rhodes); Nick Wight (drums).

(Review by Lance).

In the beginning, Vernizzi and Sgobbio were a duo (Pericopes) who begat three albums winning the Italian TopJazz award, Padova Carrarese Prize and the Umbria Jazz Contest before meeting and collaborating with the American drummer, Wight, and thus becoming Pericopes + 1. They've played many festivals worldwide including a JNE supported concourse gig at the 2016 GIJF. This globetrotting experience gave them the opportunity to 'road test' the material before booking studio time.

It's compelling, at times gripping, material written, in the main, by Sgobbio although Emi chips in with a couple and Nick also has a hand in one of his own. 

Not a disc to play whilst you're washing the dishes or preparing a Pasta Bake; full attention is demanded there being so much going on. It's like one of those paintings where, at first glance, you think the artist, blindfolded, has applied the paint with a multi-barrelled spray gun yet, upon closer inspection, you find pattern and meaning and lo and behold it wins the Turner Prize!

This is a bit like that although not all of it. November Tears is a sound portrait of beauty and sadness. The emotion from the trio, and Emi in particular, almost had me retitling it September Tears! Red Sand Town is almost unbearable in the tension it creates then, just when you think you're heading for a cardiac arrest, it brings you down and by the track end your pulse rate is back to normal.

It's that sort of album. Contrast and cacophony (of the nicest sort!) One to digest without distraction.

Legacy's aim is to pay respect to the iconoclastic artists who bravely followed their creative vision in light of extreme uncertainty. It's up to the listener's imagination to connect the pieces.

Intriguing.

Lance.

PS: Does anyone have any memories of their Gateshead gig?

Legacy is now available in Italy but not until February 2018 in the rest of the world although I think that can be circumnavigated by going to Pericopes website and having a listen too.