Gerardo Frisina
(Afro Art, Schema)
Gerardo Frisina’s new album ‘Hi-Note’ is
about to be released on Schema Records. This album (containing eleven new
compositions plus the cover of Harrington’s “Beyond The Moon”)
represents an evolution of the personal Latin jazz sound that makes this
artist’s productions so distinguished.
A very keen music fan and record collector, Gerardo Frisina, together with
the founders of Ishtar, Luciano Cantone and Davide Rosa, sketched the guidelines
of the artistic evolution of the record company. His figure is of fundamental
importance for Ishtar’s history and is a point of reference that the
entire Italian jazz scene cannot disregard. His first contributions to Ishtar
saw Gerardo in the role of producer. His very first project was “Neos”,
conceived with Bruno Bolla and Gianni Bedori, and stemming from the desire
to repropose the works of famous artists deeply rooted in the Latin/Brazilian
and jazz sound, trying to reveal the obscurest aspects of those sounds.
In his activity as producer for Ishtar, Gerardo Frisina gave birth to projects
such as The Cabildos, Up and the Metti Un Bossa A Cena series. But his ultimate
contribution to the record company was the spreading of the sound of the
Clarke-Bolland Big Band within Ishtar, so much so that several artists have
been drawing inspiration from it. Ultimately Rearward Records was founded,
with the purpose of re-releasing old jazz masterpieces from the Sixties.
Besides this activity within the record company, Gerardo Frisina has always
continued his activity as a DJ and when he had the need to find new outlets
for his creativity he became an artist in his own right with the release
of his debut album ‘Ad Lib’ in 2001. In it Gerardo revisited
the sound of Latin jazz with Brazilian contaminations thanks to the help
of new technologies that exalt the warmth of the sound. With the album Frisina
finally crossed national boundaries and made himself a name as an international
point of reference. After the release of his first album, Gerardo intensified
his activity as a DJ and remixed many more records, such as "Black
Forest Stomp" by the Hipnosis on Perfect Toy and “Barloventeño
Blues" by Frank Hernandez for Dejà Vu.
As opposed to his previous album, ‘Hi-Note’ witnesses a larger
number of contributions and guest appearances including Luigi Bonafede,
Andrea Dulbecco and Emanule Cisi (on sax).
The presence of these very proficient jazz players coincided, in a cause
and effect relationship with the progressive dismissal of the easy listening/lounge
stylist elements in favor of the recovery of the warmth of Latin jazz. And
this finally is what you have now in your hands. Another ‘Hi-Note’
from Schema.
Mixes available special request.
Copyright © 2006 The Treatment