Peo Alfonsi, Salvatore Maiore - Alma (2015) [SACD]

There is a mood of calm introspection that pervades the whole set, even in the dance-rhythm tunes. Alma offers perfect late-night listening; the atmosphere of the Tuscan 'medieval cellar' translates into your listening room so effectively that the distance between audience & musicians is erased.
Sonics 5/5 Music 5/5 HRaudio

As no editing has been made, all the tracks on this record are heard as they were performed.
~ Giulio Cesare Ricci

"Salvatore Maiore was born in Sassari in 1965, & studied double bass at the Cagliari conservatory. He has played with numerous Italian configurations & worked with visiting musicians including Lee Konitz, Billy Cobham, Joseph Jarman, Steve Grossman, Cedar Walton, Oliver Lake, & David Liebman. His discography includes recordings with Glauco Venier, Klaus Gesing, Al DiMeola & many others."
~ Gube Music

In Certaldo, heavenly place of the most real Tuscany, there is Il Castello, an hotel managed by a dear friend & great drummer with whom Salvatore & I had the pleasure
to work on several occasions. From the meeting between Alfred Kramer & an equally excellent character, Giulio Cesare Ricci, that all of you fonè followers know very well, was conceived a special project that saw Salvatore & me happily involved. Behind this project there is the idea to record a musical event with the most possible fidelity without external 'additions'. What Giulio Cesare Ricci is doing since decades is known to you all, & it is an admirable research work for the most absolute fidelity
reproduction of a sound event. To this end, as well as using his extraordinary passion & competence with microphones & recording equipment of esoteric value, 'Signoricci' recorded this event in a unique place, the medieval cellar of the Il Castello hotel. Try to capture a sound event as truthful as possible is very charming idea.
In this historical time, when technology just does not seem to settle as a service to music but wants to become even its author, try to bring an event to its original purity, totally avoiding any type of editing, & addition of reverbs or any other effect, is a brave venture & against the tide, not without risk but certainly fascinating.

Salvatore & I accepted the challenge with great pleasure, what you hear here is the faithful reproduction of our 2 days meeting, with NO EDITING, NO CUT, NO MIXING,
NO ADDED EFFECTS OF ANY KIND. The goal of Giulio Cesare Ricci matched with our idea to bring back the music as much as possible to its dimension of 'unique & unrepeatable event.' I must confess that when listening to the master that 'Signoricci' sent us, we were in truth at 1st slightly displaced, accustomed as we are, even us acoustic musicians, to an array of 'doping' which now constitutes an integral part & is taken for granted in every recording. But this listening is essentially different, & you will surely be able to feel its precious uniqueness. For our part, Salvatore & I wanted to be on the same spirit & record our compositions in a totally 'live' atmosphere.
What you feel is a concerto for each & every 1 of you. The title of this project, 'Alma' in addition to being the acronym of our family names, wants to be an omen that the soul may once again be the beating heart of the music ...
Soul has hovered for these 2 days of music, we heard it with the same intensity with which we could hear the chirping of birds (that you as well can hear in the recording). My heartfelt thanks to Alfred & Giulio Cesare for having involved us in this ambitious project, & thanks to all of you.
~ Peo Alfonsi: chitarra