/// TO NEW LIFE – The Music of Earl Zindars ///
Luciano Troja: piano, and Earl Zindars' riq tambourine on track 8
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Tracks 1-8 MUSIC BY Earl Zindars, except “Hokees Orrant Ee Var” by Annig Zindarsian
Tracks 9-12 MUSIC BY Luciano Troja
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Rooted in a long-standing fascination with the relationship between late American composer Earl Zindars and legendary Jazz pianist Bill Evans, "To New Life - The Music of Earl Zindars" is Italian pianist and composer Luciano Troja's latest solo album, the culmination of a deeply personal and musically exploratory journey that began well over a decade ago. Troja's solo debut album, "At Home with Zindars", released in 2010 and recorded between 2005 and 2009, was the first result of his sensitive investigation into this relationship, with the support of the Zindars family. The album received critical acclaim from industry publications such as Stereophile (“Record To Die For”), and Cadence Magazine (“Best of Year”).
This new solo album of the Sicilian pianist and composer, "To New Life", is a new chapter in Troja's exploration of Zindars' music and its influence on Bill Evans, building upon the groundwork laid by his previous album.
The album takes its title from Zindars' poem 'To New Life' - whose original handwriting is reproduced in the album artwork courtesy of the composer's family - and is structured into two mutually responsive and interrelated parts, each exploring different aspects of Zindars' musical legacy.
The first part was recorded live with audience at the Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkeley, California, a venue that holds a special place in the history of Jazz piano. In this section, Troja revisits and expands upon some of the compositions featured in his previous album, adding previously undiscovered composition of Zindars, thanks to the composer's family's assistance.
The second part of the album was recorded live-in-studio at the Almendra Music studios in Palermo, Sicily, a creative hub where in recent years many works emerged that overcross geographical, historical and stylistic boundaries, including Troja's own “An Italian Tale” (
almendramusic.bandcamp.com/album/an-italian-tale) with bassoonist Antonino Cicero, and “Palermo Sketches” (
almendramusic.bandcamp.com/album/palermo-sketches) with Blaise Siwula, Rocco John Iacovone and Giancarlo Mazzù.
This studio section of “To New Life” is characterized by Troja's response to Zindars' music, in that Troja weaves together Zindars' compositions with his own improvisational work, exploring the emotional and musical resonances he has discovered between Zindars, Evans, and himself. This section is also enriched with the sound of a rare frame drum owned by Zindars, himself also a percussionist, donated to Troja by the composer's family, which adds yet another layer to the musical and personal tapestry.
In "To New Life – The music of Earl Zindars", Troja explores new musical terrain while remaining true to the spirit of the original music, resulting in a sophisticated and bravely delicate balance, thus following the very path traced by Zindars and Evans with their friendship and musical connection.
"To New Life – The Music of Earl Zindars" is a labour of love that embodies a thought process as much melodic and nuanced as it is rigorous, highlighting the importance of exramusical components, such as friendship, to create a personal perspective on musical expression and experience, and focusing on the intimate component of music as fundamental and radical in the making of music.
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