Review by Stuart Broomer - The New York City Jazz Record Review, February 2020
The London Improvisers Orchestra (LIO) is one of the essential institutions of improvised music, a monthly gathering of some 30 musicians that has been convening since 1998, inevitably with some permutations in personnel each time, to explore large-scale, usually conducted, improvisation. Along the way, it has demonstrated the variety and quality of music that can be achieved by such an ensemble. With its cooperative spirit, mixed methodology and high level of performance, it has emerged as a model for others, including “Improvisers Orchestras” hailing from Glasgow, Berlin and Toronto.
The LIO dates from a fundamental crisis in group conception, the 1997 British tour of Butch Morris’ “Skyscraper” with an assemblage of British improvisers. There was, to put it mildly, a fundamental disagreement among many of the musicians with Morris’ methodology, from his fixed signals to the notion of an authoritarian head. The LIO has made the process far less dramatic and far more egalitarian. The role of conductor shifts several times in a performance
as do compositional ideas and every performance includes large-scale, conductor-free improvisations.In his liner essay, Evan Parker, a founder of the LIO and regular member for its first ten years, writes “The system of appointing a person with the kinds of power
Butch wanted is, in my view, only justified when a group has reached the size where individuals may have trouble hearing each other across the physical space.”
He adds, “The first concerts made it clear that there was never going to be an agreed system of signals.” Twenty Years On is not an easy work to absorb or even to ‘read’. There are two and a half hours of music here, 14 tracks from 11 different monthly performances
recorded between December 2015 and June 2018. Two (and a half) performances are identified as improvisations; 11 (and a half) are identified by conductors, seven of which have titles beyond the name of the conductor. No conductor appears more than once and the personnel listings—instrument, followed by names (in alphabetical order), followed by
track number(s) on which the musician appears—make it difficult to assemble mentally each individual ensemble. Struggling through the code, one discovers co-founder and pianist Steve Beresford (Parker calls him “at this point…surely spiritus rector [guiding spirit] of the LIO”) appears on 11 tracks, including one he also conducts; soprano saxophonist Adrian
Northover appears on 12; Theo Ziarkis, one of seven bassists, appears on ten, as does violinist Susanna Ferrar and Adam Bohman (objects). Other longtime contributors also appear frequently. Clarinetist Noel Taylor is here for nine, including one he conducts.
Others, often visitors, appear only once, like trumpeter Roland Ramanan, California reed master Vinny Golia and the brilliant Québécois alto saxophonist Yves Charuest; Swiss violist and vocalist Charlotte Hug appears only once as well, but it’s conductor Alison Blunt’s “Concerto for Charlotte Hug”, making it the one piece featuring a singular principal.
Further sorting out the separate lists for each CD to determine how many musicians appear altogether, or who appears on any given performance, would take substantial effort, contributing to a certain sense of anonymity as well as democracy about the music.
It really is the LIO, not a collection of stars but people dedicated to the possibilities (and thrill) of large-scale, relatively free, improvisation, the same thing that inspires groups that have appeared in its wake.
Do pieces and performances stand out? Yes, in some way all of them, but one has to single out some. “Rinse, Rondo for Orchestra”, conducted by Ashley Wales, is brilliantly organized, from the virtuoso violin soloing of Luiz Moretto to the pointillist punctuation of the winds in which high reeds and trumpets merge seamlessly. No one ‘writes’ for a section like the section itself, as Count Basie proved 80-odd years ago.
“Concerto for Charlotte Hug” is spectacular, not just for the irrepressible voice and viola of the subject but for the breadth and power of the evolving orchestration.
The music also lights up whenever the trombone choir, including Alan Tomlinson, appears.
This requires sustained and repeated listening to absorb its layered implications, but it’s also a social document, demanding a certain degree of commitment, even action.
It suggests that if you have a similar ensemble nearby, the least you could do is support it.
VAMPYROTEUTHIS INFERNALIS - LUIZ MORETTO QUINTET Slam Productions 2015
* TOP TEN Albums 2015 - JAZZ WEEKLY (USA) by Zim Tarro http://www.jazzweekly.com/2016/01/its-top-ten-time-3/
Review by Jason Bivins - CADENCE MAGAZINE Oct Nov Dec 2015 - USA
http://www.cadencejazzmagazine.com/membersonly/admin/assets/CadenceOctoberIssue2015.pdf
(1) is a vivid, and wondrously engaging date, like an old Dolphy session with Hutch recorded on some far flung planet. The tart, keening sound of Moretto’s rabeca and violin interact really well with Neto’s horns, all suspended in a supple web of vibes, bass, and percussion. The band trades in a music that balances texture with rhythmic intensity, and it’s hard to deny how compelling that combination can be. Many of the pieces build from simple ideas, from the billowing texture of the opener to folkish lines of “Rope em Fuga,” to raw propulsion. It’s all shaped by three distinct band elements that blend marvelously: the intense expression of the two frontline players, the generous rhythm team (who really shape the music via the space they leave between the notes), and Lo Cascio’s vibes the coloristic middle. It’s cohesive, and as a group they play with control and dynamic variation. On tunes like “Rio” and “Rope em Fuga,” there’s a near romanticism that blooms with the largely free-ish music (think Motian in terms of the balance of abstraction, if not the actual musical language). But there’s also a propensity for quick dancing heads and bright melodies, at times recalling some of India Cooke’s groups. The soloists play bracingly, but it’s the moments of interplay that get me the most: the Dolphy-to-Rahsaan lope of the title track, the propulsive “Refracoes” and its hot counterlines, the earthy funk of the closer, with hard vibes playing of the grainy sound of the rabeca (the fiddle from northeastern Brazil). My one gripe is that the leader sometimes comes across as too understated on his own session, but that’s also something to admire. Do check this one out
Review by Brian Morton - JAZZ JOURNAL - UK
http://www.jazzjournal.co.uk/review/6/0/2015-05
Alípio C Neto (ss, ts, pc, wh); Luiz Moretto (vn, rabeca); Francesco Lo Cascio (vib, pc); Gianfranco Tedeschi (b); Marco Ariano (d, pc).
Rome, October 2013, March 2014. ****
Slam's a rich source of new music from Italy and this, along with recent work by fellow violinist Stephano Pastor is among the most compelling. Moretto has a wild, slightly eldritch tone, with a fine instinct for rhythmic variation. Brazilian and African (Ghanaian?) sources collide and combine. Great support from the rest of the group: Neto´s already widely admired, but Lo Cascio is a monster, who'll be spreading alarm among the Chicago guys. Recommended. (Brian Morton)
Review by Ken Cheetham - JAZZ VIEWS
http://www.jazzviews.net/luiz-moretto-quintet---vampyroteuthis-infernalis.html
Luiz Moretto – violin & rabeca; Alípio C Neto – tenor & soprano saxophone, Brazilian bells, whistles; Francesco Lo Cascio – vibraphone, percussion; Gianfranco Tedeschi – double bass; Marco Ariano – drums, percussion
Exquisite bowing introduces the album in its opening track, "Espiral do Tempo", which continues on its way with lovely, spirited work from both violin and vibraphone. Lo Cascio sustains the saxes and violin beautifully in the absence of piano, as well as taking some enthusiastic solos. He studied the instrument originally at Berklee College, Boston, under the tutelage of Gary Burton and now has a busy programme of clubs, festivals, radio, television and teaching. He works within the Free Jazz culture in Italy, along with Marco Ariano and Gianfranco Tedeschi. These latter may be best known for their contribution together to the trio Xubuxue, with Elio Martusciello (laptop) appearing on the 10-CDMusica Improvvisa. This has become something of an obsession or cult 'must-have' for aficionados of Italian improv (anybody got a spare copy?).
All but tracks 6 and 7, which are collaborations with other band-members, were composed by Moretto and it will be clear that, in spite of the provenance of the musicians discussed, this is not 'free' music. Moretto hails from Brazil, moving to Portugal in 2000 and Alípio C Neto has worked with him for some ten years. Moretto's compositions are strongly evocative of Afro-Brazilian arrangements which allow the individual's improvisation to flourish. It's cool and there is a strong sense of empathy between the musicians which, with the strength of Lo Cascio's provision, holds it all together.
Review by Andrew Rigmore & Antonio Terzo - JAZZ COLOURS - ITALY
http://www.jazzcolours.it/indexeng.htm
La ribeca è uno strumento ad arco a metà fra violin e liuto, che dal Tardo Medioevo attraverso il Portogallo giunge nella musica tradizionale del Brasile. Ed è fra ribeca e violino che si destreggia Luiz Moretto, musicista brasiliano che impiega I suoi strumenti nell’ambito della scena improvvisata, a metà fra Jean-Luc Ponty e Leroy Jenkins. “Vampyroteuthis Infernalis” lo vede circondato da musicisti ben noti in Italia: dal portoghese Alípio C. Neto ai sax al vibrafonista Francesco Lo Cascio, Gianfranco Tedeschi al contrabbasso e Marco Ariano alla batteria. Se il primo brano, Espiral do Tempo, lascia perplessi (a parte l’intro di Tedeschi), convince di più Rio Vermelho do Desterro, struttura creata da vibrafono e contrabbasso con svolgimento affidato al sax tenore, e interessanti assoli di vibrafono e del leader, nonce un raccolto intervento di Tedeschi. La stridula voce della ribeca espone Rope em Fuga, tempo veloce su cui spicca il tocco fulmineo di Lo Cascio, seguito dalla lucida estemporaneità di Neto e dalla galoppata di Moretto. La traccia eponima si riferisce al nome scientifico del calamaro vampiro, mollusco degli oceani temperate e tropicali che vive a profondità di più di mille metri: il movimento iniziale è lento, dal silenzio acquatico di contrabbasso e vibrafono emergono violino e soprano, pulsanti ma lineari, che intrecciano i rispettivi assoli nel disegno dei tentacoli e della membrana del cefalopode, per zittirsi infine di nuovo verso le profondità marine. Refrações Geométricas richiama un’altra caratteristica del mollusco, la bioluminescenza, usata come arma di difesa per spaventare o cogliere di sorpresa gli altri abitanti degli abissi: anche qui non c’è un vero tema, ma le voci di tutti gli strumenti — plauso particolare a Neto — si uniscono in modo difforme per generare combinazioni cromatiche che danno risalto all’intesa collettiva. Breve trionfo del pizzicato in Photophores, quindi Saturnia, dove si distinguono Neto e Ariano, artefici di un tenace duo soprano-batteria, ed ilgioioso trio finale violino-vibrafono-soprano. Terras de Arroz e Acuar chiude con ribeca, sax tenore e percussioni. La forza della musica d’avanguardia, in un quintetto che va ben oltre la splendida accoppiata sax-violino egregiamentesupportata dalla ritmica italiana._An.Rig.&An.Te.
Review by Bob Rusch - CADENCE MAGAZINE April 2015 Edtion - USA
http://www.cadencejazzworld.com/album-reviews---papatamus---a-round-up-of-the-latest-releases.html
VAMPYROTEUTHIS INFERNALIS [Slam 558] may also be LUIZ MORETTO’s [vln/rabeca] first release. Here the group [Alipio C Neto-ts/ss, Francesco Lo Cascio-vbs/perc, Gianfranco Tedeschi-b, Marco Ariano-dms] is well tuned in to each other and solos dovetail nicely within their free constructs. The eight cuts here are all originals and the use of vibes here harkens back to the free music of the 60s and 70s as it gives a suspended sense while soloists set their ideas in motion. Neto is the outstanding soloist in the group but it is the contributions and coloring of all that makes this such a successful listen.
Review by Rui Eduardo Paes - JAZZ.PT ****
http://jazz.pt/ponto-escuta/2015/02/11/luiz-moretto-quintet-vampyroteuthis-infernalis-slam/
Lembram-se do Alípio C Neto do IMI Kollektief, dos Wishful Thinking e do álbum “The Perfume Comes Before the Flower”, saxofonista brasileiro que viveu durante alguns anos em Portugal, antes de se mudar para Itália? E lembram-se de Luiz Moretto, violinista igualmente do Brasil que trabalhou com as comunidades africanas de Lisboa, interessado em estudar os fundamentos no continente-mãe da música popular do seu país (tema do doutoramento que está, de resto, actualmente a fazer no King’s College de Londres)? Pois ei-los aqui reunidos, no quinteto do segundo, cujo integra uma secção rítmica formada por parceiros habituais de Neto: o vibrafonista Francesco Lo Cascio, o contrabaixista Gianfranco Tedeschi e o baterista Marco Ariano. A fórmula não é habitual, se bem que comece a dar frutos (projectos recentes de António “Panda” Gianfratti e Thomas Rohrer): cruzar a música popular de raiz das terras de Santa Cruz com a improvisação de matriz directa (o caso presente) ou indirectamente jazzística – com Moretto, de resto, a trocar com frequência o violino pela vernacular rabeca. O resultado? Imaginem uma versão tropicalista e actualizada do Revolutionary Ensemble de Leroy Jenkins com Karl Berger e Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre e estarão lá perto. O título do disco, referente à pouco vista lula gigante dos mares profundos, não podia ser mais apropriado…
Review by Luc Bouquet - LE SON DU GRISLI - France
http://grisli.canalblog.com/archives/2015/09/17/32640457.html
Faire parler la dissonance puis la taire. Faire crisser les tympans. Déambuler. Ne pas taire les chauds solos de saxophone ténor. Tourner autour des tempos sans jamais les contraindre. Faire du violon un être volage et infectieux. Penser à Roland Kirk. Laisser soprano et batterie gambader comme bon leur semble. Danser autour des décalages, les choyer. Trop ? Ne rien bousculer mais improviser sans béquilles. Agacer l’harmonie, lui donner porte de sortie. Et ne pas oublier que le jazz, parfois, bouge encore. Ici, la juste preuve. Voici, en résumé, quelques-unes des petites choses proposées par le Luiz Moretto Quintet (L.M : violon, Alípio C. Neto : saxophones, Francesco Lo Cascio : vibraphone, Gianfranco Tedeschi : contrebasse, Marco Ariano : batterie).
Review by Dave Summer - BIRD IS THE WORM - This is Jazz Today - USA *****
A gripping avant-garde session from violinist Moretto. He doubles up on rabeca for this session, which is reflective of the unconventional instruments he brings together so splendidly on this recording. A strangely alluring melodicism throughout this fun, invigorating challenge of an album.
Review by Vittorio Lo Conte - MUSICZOOM - Italy
http://www.musiczoom.it/?p=22432
Il calamaro vampiro del titolo e della foto in copertina è una creatura delle profondità degli abissi marini il cui nome deriva dal suo aspetto di incappucciato che gira per l´oscurità alla ricerca di cibo che cade dalle superfici degli oceani. La musica invece ha molto di solare, un incontro positivo fra il violinista brasiliano Luiz Moretto/, presente in alcuni brani alla rabeca, un tipo violino usato nella musica tradizionale del suo paese, ed il connazionale Alipio C Neto ai sassofoni tenore e soprano insieme ad una ritmica italiana costituita da Francesco Lo Cascio al vibrafono, Gianfranco Tedeschi al contrabbasso e Marco Ariano alla batteria. La musica del gruppo italo-brasiliano è piuttosto accattivante, abile nel mettere assieme la tradizione del free, ad esempio il Revolutionary Ensemble di Leroy Jenkins, con i suoni che provengono dall´Africa e che lui ha studiato in Portogallo ed il Brasile. Il vibrafono di Lo Cascio diventa uno strumento che dà un particolare colore all´incisione, sulle orme di un Karl Berger, un ottimo esempio è il suo intervento su Refrações Geométricas, perfettamente integrato con il leader. I momenti improvvisativi, le aggregazioni degli strumenti, il sax soprano di Neto (ad esempio sul brano che dà il titolo al disco), sono ben gestiti dalla mano compositiva del leader, la sua scrittura dà spazio ai sidemen ed evita che si vada verso momenti confusi o poco incisivi. La gestione del flusso sonoro è perfetta così che la musica scorre fluida, coerente ma senza ripetizioni, perfettamente interpretata da una band che ha tutti i numeri per acquisire nel genere una dimensione internazionale. Fra i brani più riusciti il nervoso Saturnia, qui ha modo di mettersi in vista il batterista in un passaggio in duo insieme al sax soprano di Neto. Anche l´iniziale Espiral do Tempo e il finale di Terras de Arroz e Açúcar sono dei brani che hanno quel qualcosa di speciale nell´ambito di quella che è l´avanguardia odierna per come funzionano le relazioni all´interno del quintetto e l´empatia con il sassofonista. Un gruppo che conferma la buona vena di Moretto e Neto, sicuramente due musicsti molto interessanti, e di chi in Italia si dedica all´avanguardia.
Genere: avanguardia
Review by George W. Harris - JAZZ WEEKLY - USA
Violinist Luiz Moretto leads a wide ranging team of Alipio C Neto/ts-ss, Frencesco Lo Cascio/vig-perc, Gianfranco Tedeschi/b and Marco Ariano/dr through a collection of brooding and moody originals. Dark sounds from reeds and vibes create spooky atmospheres on “Rio Vermelho do Desterro” and eerie violin pitches will make you look over your shoulder on “Espiral do Tempo.” Modern classical modes step up to the bar on “Refracoes Geometricas” while the shadows great long and stark on “Saturnia” and “Terras de Arroz e Acucar.” The interplay between the lurking vibes, ominous violin and harrowing reeds are good for some imaginatively melancholy moments.
Review by Fabricio Vieira - FreeForm, FreeJazz - Brazil
http://www.freeformfreejazz.com/2015/03/play-it-again-algumas-novidades.html
Play it Again... "Algumas Novidades Imperdíveis" O brasileiro Luiz Moretto (violino e rabeca) deixou o Brasil há mais de uma década, tendo se estabelecido desde o começo dos 2000 em Lisboa, onde trabalhou extensivamente com comunidades africanas. Interessado por free jazz e improvisação, se uniu ao saxofonista Alípio C Neto para gestar esse álbum, no qual une elementos tradicionais brasileiros (mais explícitos na interpretação de Moretto) à música livre. Para completar o quinteto, convocou três instrumentistas italianos – Francesco Lo Cascio (vibrafone), Gianfranco Tedeschi (baixo) e Marco Ariano (bateria) –, o que ajudou a dar um tom algo mais universal ao resultado. Saxes e vibrafone se revelam fundamentais para as belas composições de Moretto alcançarem seus melhores momentos.
Review by Savvas Hantzaridis - BREAKAPLATE - Greece
http://www.breakaplate.com/index.php/slam-productions/
A moment that cannot,perhaps,be described in words,but which can be perceived perfectly,as one of those fantastic occasions when music bypasses the intellect and is channelled solely through feelings,emotions.That special moment is the precise moment when the sounds that musicians make cease to be mere notes and take on their own life,beyond their control.The moment when all the contributions that they make as they play together are much less than the overall result,which possesses emerging properties that are impossible to explain through mere mathematics.The moment when a collective intelligence appears,manifests itself,fusing and transcending these contributions.
Review by Bruce Lee Gallanter - DOWNTOWN MUSICGALLERY - NY - USA
http://www.downtownmusicgallery.com/Main/news/Newsletter-2015-01-02.html
Description: Featuring Luiz Moretto on violin & rabeca, Alipio C Neto on tenor & soprano sax, Francesco Lo Cascio on vibes, Gianfranco Tedeschi on double bass and Marco Ariano on drums. Unlike the three other Italian discs from Slam that I reviewed today (1/1/15), this quintet does feature a member with whom I know previously: Alipio C Neto, who can be found on a few discs from the Clean Feed label. Mr. Moretto wrote all but two songs here and co-wrote the other two with different band-members. The opening song, "Espiral do Tempo" is laid back and features some fine solos from the acoustic violin and vibes. Mr. Moretto sounds a bit like Jean-Luc Ponty in his early days (late sixties) as he spins out those feisty lines. The violin and soprano sax sound great together as they bend their notes in similar snake-charming ways. Instead of using a piano, it is the vibes player who supports the violin and sax so well. Vibesman Lo Cascio is also strong soloist and takes a few inspired solos throughout this disc. I dig that this music is often laid-back yet adventurous at the same time, loose but not really free. What is interesting about this group is that they don't quite sound like anyone else, even the leader's violin playing & sound is completely unique. There is a section on "Refracoes Geometricas" where the violin, bowed bass, soprano sax and percussion all swirl together in an unusual yet compelling way that stands out. It sounds as if this quintet has been playing together for a while since no matter how far they go out, there seems to be underlying connection between all five players. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
Live
Wadada Leo Smith at Cafe Oto, July 2016
Drawing by Geoff Winston. © 2016. All rights reserved.
Wadada Leo Smith at Café Oto
Review by Geoff Winston
WADADA LEO SMITH W/ JOHN EDWARDS + MARK SANDERS + LUIZ MORETTO + ALISON BLUNT + BENEDICT TAYLOR + PALOMA CARRASCO + MARCIO MATTOS + DAVID LEAHY + HARDEDGE
http://www.londonjazznews.com/2016/07/review-wadada-leo-smith-at-cafe-oto.html
Wadada Leo Smith
(Café Oto, 23 July, first night of two-night residency; review and drawing by Geoff Winston)
Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith is something of an international treasure in the creative musical firmament, linking avant-garde jazz with contemporary classical compositional practice. At 74 his wealth of experience includes early involvement with Chicago's AACM, stints with Anthony Braxton and Derek Bailey's Company, and recording for cutting edge labels such as Cuneiform, Treader and Tzadik, and, since 1979, ECM, most recently with Vijay Iyer. He has garnered numerous awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination, and is also much in demand as an inspiring educator. With his warm, generous personality he connected with the Saturday audience at Café Oto right from the start.
If Wadada can do anything he can make the trumpet speak - and it speaks volumes. For him, the trumpet is a vehicle for exploration, for getting deep in to the subterrannean heartland of jazz and for building up cast-iron bonds with the musicians he plays with and with his audiences. The urgency and immediacy of Wadada's delivery is underpinned by a deeply ingrained authority and an incisive process of imaginative distillation that finds expression in complex, layered compositions, notably his epic Ten Freedom Summers suite or, as in this Café Oto concert, flights of inspired improvisation.
Two improvised sets, two entirely different propositions, both steered and shaped with a confidence born out of Wadada's natural sixth sense.
The first was in trio format with two of the most resourceful and versatile jazz improvisers around, percussionist Mark Sanders and John Edwards on double bass. Dreadlocked, grizzle-bearded, in an elegant cream suit, Wadada's hunched figure brought a shimmering energy into play. With Sanders and Edwards his history goes back around eight years, and the duo locked straight in to a soft-textured, rapidly morphing substrate to complement the crisp, vibrant poetry of his playing. Wadada's sharp, fluorescent tones cut through the high-performance bass and drum carpet ride, with ringing mute applied to summon echoes of the directions Miles would have travelled.
After the break, the trio expanded to include a frequent collaborator with Wadada, New York-based sound artist, Hardedge and, in the spirit of his Ten Freedom Summers performances at Café Oto in 2013 (Reviewed HERE and HERE ), six string players whose cosmopolitan range brought one of many smiles to Wadada's face as he introduced them. With Kenyan-born Alison Blunt (violin) were Luiz Moretto (viola) and Marcio Mattos (cello), both Brazilians, and Paloma Carrasco, originally from Madrid, each now London-based, along with Benedict Taylor (viola) and David Leahey (as a second bass player).
Peppered with minute electronic cracks and interventions, the set had the spirit of structured, industrial anarchy, drawing on the imperative to share the initiatives within the large group organism and to work with the bursts of clear sky offered by Wadada to shape its visceral edge. His sequence of intense, one-on-one duets with each of the string players brought out fast-forward one-liners that magically added up to a rounded, organic whole. With Moretto the energy level of the duet was at high-flying bluegrass pace, a contrast to the quiet restraint of the concluding passages, stripped down to focus thoughtfully on the original trio - and he hinted, too, that he, Edwards and Sanders may well be recording together soon.