Màrgo by Giovanni Francesca

Finding what’s essential by dropping what’s granted
Giovanni Francesca leads his new trio in “Màrgo”
Dario Miranda on double bass and Luigi Del Prete on drums
join the Italian guitar player in his new album, out now on Auand

Giovanni Francesca is back to the Auand Family for the third time, and he’s even more wise and confident. After focusing on elaborated arrangements and orchestrations with refined timbers, in his new album “Màrgo” Francesca aims at what’s essential, getting rid of extra layers in order to reach the core of his sound. And the lineup – a trio in its most basic form, featuring Dario Miranda on double bass and Luigi Del Prete on drums – mirrors that.

His new approach informed the whole album since the beginning. He says: «The feeling of freedom is something I chased. Freedom from structures, from arrangements, even from a stiff music plan – all of which were part of my previous projects, I think. I believe the idea behind the new album was related to a bit of soul searching, as a musician and composer, and also as a man. I felt the urge to better balance the expressivity of my music, relying on that more than I did in the past – Here, I shape the music according to the moment and the level of communication with the musicians.»

His relationship with the band is key. «It was not easy to find the right people. Their contribution was fundamental. We only met once to rehearse – and music poured out naturally. Dario and Luigi understood my visions. We don’t speak the same music language, which can also be a plus sometimes, but we do share the same approach and we give music the same meaning. We share the way we feel tempo, and how we deal with many aspects of music in general. And I must mention the role of Vincenzo Saetta’s sax: he adds a very specific color to 2 tracks.»

Giovanni Francesca’s sound visions are a pillar of the album: mostly extracted from previously recorded impromptu at-home sessions, they are yet another reaction to his need for spontaneity. «Sometimes – Giovanni Francesca adds – I press “Rec” and I just play, then I go back to listen to it and check for something I like. This is how “Luminoso” and “Terra di mezzo” were born. I didn’t feel the need to change or add something. When you play in trio, there is not much room for expressivity, at least in terms of orchestration. So I tried to find my own way – a way that could somehow start from my idea of music and adapt it to a less comfortable scenario, yet a more open-ended one.»

“…Chitarrista versatile in bilico tra pop, esperienze teatrali e jazz, Giovanni Francesca racchiude nel suo secondo disco da leader Rame – il primo, Genesi, risale al 2012 – una contemporaneità strumentale difficilmente interpretabile in maniera univoca…”

“…Francesca è un prodotto stilistico di sintesi di cui Frisell è un piccolo elemento a cui bisognerebbe aggiungere un carico di altri nomi..."

giovannifrancesca.com