Leo Rec. 
Tran(ce)formation Quartet : Entrance (I,2011)***
This Italian quartet was influenced by the connection between improvised music and the phenomenon of trance. As far as I understand the band’s approach well this is not at all about the kind of musical aspects that make a trance effect like in the psychedelic music sense, but is about the mood creation effect by feeling a deeper connection within improvisations. Therefore, it is easy to come to for instance Indian music associations, in rhythm, in Middle Eastern improvisations, as in melody, in association with the shamanic openings of space and time. The musical improvisation by the band therefore touches something global, not really belonging to one world or another; still this is related with jazz. It has the tendency, in the mingling moods of harmony, to relaxation music, but still there are a few wilder outcomings in certain individual instruments, if though they are not always completely followed by the others, making a few odd contrasts of movements in certain layers of some of the improvisations.
The flute improvisation on the first track has this kind of ethnic flavour, the guitar is softly lingering, the double bass adding tones and rhythms, as well as the tabla, this is a first example that tends to create a meditative investigation. Especially the jazz drum, and elsewhere the electric guitar go further away from too much relaxation, it is strange this is only sparsely responded, like by double bass. On “Addio Solo” for instance it even seems that the drumming is running away from the scene with an interesting contrast while also remaining a bit on its own so that the contrast becomes slightly odd, almost annoying, an even though the bass followed this approach it is mixed in rather silently, as if not to disturb the slower relaxation in the track. In a way the band by not choosing directly the next goal for the trance, to enhance in rhythm, into the unexpected, is neither a complete relaxation escape nor does it goes beyond the normal as a total group. With a couple of extra ideas within the approach this could easily go much further some day. The last track is inspired on a tune by Mal Waldron, making the connection with the jazz foundations strong.
Giorgia Santoro plays flutes ; Adolfo La Volpe on electric & acoustic guitars, electronics, ; Marco Bardoscia on bass ; Vito De Lorenzi on drums, tabla and percussion.
