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Gaia Wilmer, Ra Kalam Bob Moses: Dancing with Elephants

By Angelo Leonardi
July 21, 2025
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Gaia Wilmer, Ra Kalam Bob Moses: Dancing with Elephants

Questa collaborazione tra la sassofonista e compositrice

Gaia Wilmer

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Gaia Wilmer e il batterista/bandleader

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Moses, �� stata progettata dieci anni fa, quando i due si sono incontrati al New England Conservatory, nei ruoli di allieva e docente.

Il giudizio che Moses esprime in copertina sulle doti di scrittura di Gaia pu�� apparire eccessivo (la paragona a

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus,

Hermeto Pascoal

flute
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Hermeto Pascoal,

Gil Evans

composer / conductor
1912 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Evans,

Maria Schneider

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Maria Schneider,

Michael Gibbs

trombone
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Gibbs) ma basta ascoltare il suo ultimo album orchestrale (Folia, Sunnyside 2023) per capire che non �� troppo esagerato. Dopo un periodo discontinuo, Moses �� tornato alla piena attivit�� discografica a 77 anni con alcuni album: al monumentale The Story of Moses e altri lavori, fa seguito quest'opera condivisa, il cui titolo riecheggia il suo album immaginifico del 1983, When Elephants Dream of Music.

Dancing with Elephants �� un'opera ambiziosa e ricca di suggestioni, difficile da sintetizzare. Gli "organici tappeti percussivi" di Moses sostengono temi evocativi di sapore etnico, altri liberamente improvvisati o modali, altri ancora focalizzati sui magnetici assoli coltraniani di

George Garzone

saxophone, tenor
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">George Garzone al sax tenore. In questo variopinto gioco timbrico-percussivo (cinque sassofoni e un flauto pi�� ritmica) i momenti suggestivi sono molti a cominciare dai raffinati impasti tra la voce di

Song Yi Jeon

vocals
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Song Yi Jeon e il collettivo. Ricordiamo ancora i vibranti confronti improvvisati tra Garzone e la Wilmer ("When They Meet") ed i lunghi interventi solisti di Yulia Musayelian al flauto.

La fervida eloquenza di Garzone �� tra i punti di forza dell'album e caratterizza in particolare "Blue Desert," "Finding Water" e il travolgente "Chase Machine."

Album della settimana.

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Track Listing

Dancing with Elephants; Leaving with the Herd; Turning the Tide; Finding Water; When They Meet; Blue Desert Jellyfish Lake; Whales Part to Play; Chase Machine; Finding Water (Take 2).

Personnel

Gaia Wilmer

saxophone

Bob Moses

drums

Yulila Masayelyan

flute

Song Yi Jeon

vocals

Gustavo D'Amico

saxophone, tenor

Daniele Germani

saxophone, alto

George Garzone

saxophone, tenor

Neta Raanan

saxophone, tenor

Leandro Pellegrino

guitar

Leo Genovese

keyboards

Album information

Title: Dancing with Elephants | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

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