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Ben Flocks: Mask of the Muse

By Angelo Leonardi
April 2, 2020
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Ogni tanto nel mondo del jazz emerge un sax tenore orientato al vintage. Predilige le ballad, che sviluppa con timbro caldo e suadente, privilegiando la bellezza melodica con malinconica seduzione.
Mi vengono in mente quegli album degli anni cinquanta e sessanta con due innamorati fotografati al chiaro di luna: una musica leggera con accenti jazzistici che nell'Italia degli anni sessanta aveva in Fausto Papetti il suo alfiere. Ma oggi? Evidentemente c'�� ancora un pubblico che ne apprezza il fascino senza porsi troppe domande o ne accetta il sottofondo quando sale in ascensore. Non chiamiamolo per�� jazz, se con questo termine indichiamo una forma d'arte dal linguaggio innovativo.

Ben Flocks

saxophone
b.1989

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Flocks ha 30 anni ed �� ancora relativamente giovane (per i parametri attuali: ricordiamo le meteore

Jimmy Blanton

bass, acoustic
1918 - 1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Blanton,

Scott LaFaro

bass
1936 - 1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott LaFaro,

Booker Little

trumpet
1938 - 1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Booker Little eccetera) pu�� quindi tentare un percorso personale.
In Mask Of The Muse il sassofonista guida un quintetto col chitarrista

Ari Chersky

" data-original-title="" title="">Ari Chersky (che ha realizzato lavori niente affatto retr��), il pianista

Frank LoCrasto

piano
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank LoCrasto, il bassista

Martin Nevin

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Martin Nevin e il batterista

Evanh Hughes

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Evanh Hughes.
Dovendo dare qualche indicazione, ricordo la piacevole rilettura di "Dream Of Life" e due original: il blues "Unmasked" e il brevissimo "Siren's Spell" dove il sassofonista imbraccia il soprano.

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Track Listing

Muse's Mask; Dream; Dream of Life; Shangri-La; Street of Dreams; Smoke Rings; Siren's Spell; While a Cigarette Was Burning; Unmasked; Ebb Tide; Duende; Dawning Reverie (Dream of Life).

Personnel

Ben Flocks

saxophone

Additional Instrumentation

Ben Flocks: tenor and soprano saxophone; Ari Chersky: electric and acoustic guitar; Frank LoCrasto: piano, organ, Rhodes, Mellotron, Vox Continental, Prophet, glockenspiel; Martin Nevin: upright bass; Evan Hughes: drums and percussion.

Album information

Title: Mask of the Muse | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Self Produced

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