When
Gianni Gebbia performed with his trio Terra Arsa at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in May 1997, he was already well-established in the Italian new jazz scene. His style draws from Coltranian jazz, Sicilian folk music, and mostly contemporary players like
Evan Parker, although he can be a lot more playful than his senior. Terra Arsa is made of Miriam Palma (vocals, Jew's harp) and Vittorio Villa (drums, percussions, Jew's harp). Palma is a great vocalist. She has a warm, full-bodied voice, but she can also create strange vibrations and buzzing chords, an unusual ability featured in the first minutes of "Gilda Mignonette" and "Euridice," two of her compositions. She slips from one to the other effortlessly. With his didgeridoo, Villa creates an out-of-this-world atmosphere. On drums, he favors hypnotic circular rhythm patterns -- one can distinctly hear a
Can or Faust influence on "Alobar" and "Gilda Mignonette."
Gebbia uses short segments of bouncy melodic lines to tie together the freer portions of the pieces. His Mediterranean preferences recall
Pino Minafra's Sud Ensemble, although
Il Libro Degli Eroi doesn't have the same festive atmosphere. The blend of jazz, rock, vocal experimentation, and free improvisation is both puzzling and charming. This album is simply impossible to categorize, embodying what true "musique actuelle" is. Recommended. ~ François Couture