Giorgio Gaslini

Lampi = Lightnings is a 1994 album by Giorgio Gaslini and his Globo Quartet, released by Soul Note the same year. Gaslini, born in Milan in 1929, was described by ANSA at his death as a pioneer of modern Italian jazz, a composer who joined twentieth-century writing to improvisation under the name he gave it, total music. The record shows that range across seventy minutes: an original suite in five movements, a portrait of Duke Ellington, a triptych for Herbie Nichols and two versions of a Myanmar Suite. The same composer had written film music too, including the score for Michelangelo Antonioni's La Notte, as the ANSA obituary recalls.

The quartet was recorded on January 11 to 15, 1994 at Mu Rec Studio in Milan by Paolo Falascone, with Giovanni Bonandrini producing and liner notes by Gunther Schuller in English and Vittorio Franchini in Italian. Gaslini plays piano, Daniele Di Gregorio plays vibraphone, marimba and percussion, Roberto Bonati is on bass and Giampiero Prina on drums. The credits add Moe-Moe Yee on Burmese harp. The title suite moves through Lupus In Fabula, Pulsazioni Incrociate, Aura and Take Four to the closing Lampi, about 27 minutes in all. Canto Alto, at nearly eight minutes, is a Gaslini melody that would reappear the next year as a song on Tiziana Ghiglioni Sings Gaslini. Ellington Portrait is Gaslini's transcription of Morning Glory, Echoes Of Harlem and I'm Beginning To See The Light. The Trittico For Herbie Nichols is the longest piece, nearly thirteen minutes, and the Myanmar Suite returns at the end in a second version of over twelve minutes.

This is the Soul Note CD 121290-2, first released in 1994.