4 November 2017 (Saturday) 7pm

Pietro Ballestrero, Achille Succi (Italy)

concert

Church of Creative Communities, ul. M. Skłodowskiej–Curie 22

Achille Succi — bass clarinet
Pietro Ballestrero — classical guitar

The deep sound and the wide extension of the bass clarinet of Achille Succi allow an intense dialogue with the nylon strings of Ballestrero’s acoustic guitar, where each instrument can sing out or be an harmonic and rhythmic support for the other. Counterpoint, open dynamics and a great variety in timbre form the field in which the music of this duo develops, with original compositions, loops, lines, short melodies and songs. A unique blend between the language of contemporary jazz improvisation and the lyrical emotional impact of popular music characterizes this project, maintaining a strong continuity with Ballestrero’s previous works.

Achille Succi and Pietro Ballestrero started their first collaboration in 2006, playing together in the CD “LINNAS” by Ballestrero together with guitar player Francesco Saiu.

In 2013 they had the opportunity to meet again when they received a commission by the Festival “STRADE DEL CINEMA” (Aosta), to compose and play a live soundtrack for the old mute movie “Le mystere des roches de Kador”. In that occasion Pietro and Achille played for the first time in the duo format.

In September 2016 the duo recorded the album ROOTS, which was printed a couple of months later by the label VELUT LUNA, the fourth CD as a leader for Ballestrero with this Label.

The work ROOTS was first presented in concert at the 2017 edition of the Torino jazz festival.

“I like to draw musical inspiration from nature. A few months before the recordings of my work with Achille I have been to Puglia, in the south of Italy, and I had a chance to visit an incredible field of ancient olive trees. One of them is called the Grande Vecchio and is dated to be more than 3000 years old. I was really impressed by these ancestors, who have witnessed such a large part of our history and culture, and their images made me think about our origins, in the short and in the long past. The word ROOTS seemed perfect to me to describe these wrinkled and twisted woods, but also to embrace a wider variety of meanings, where we come from, what are the experiences that formed our emotional qualities, what music we have listened to. Curiously enough, the roots are also the fundamental notes in musical harmony.„
Pietro Ballestrero

phot. Stefano Fusaro

Pietro Ballestrero

guitar player and composer, was born in 1973. He studied music since he was ten years old, taking classical and jazz classes with different teachers in Italy and abroad. His musical training took place trough many varied experiences. He followed four editions of the Siena Jazz summer courses, various workshops, such as the ones with Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, John Stowell, and a three days master class with Ralph Towner within the Nuoro Jazz summer courses. This last experience and some lessons with brazilian guitar player Nelson Veras had a very important influence in the creation of his personal style, particularly strengthened by the choice of using mostly acoustic guitars.

Along with his musical studies he studied Mathematics in the University of Turin (Italy), where he graduated with the highest votes in 1997. Between 2003 and 2006 he participated to the “Permanent workshop of musical research” lead by Stefano Battaglia within the “Siena Jazz foundation”. In 2008 he took a diploma in Jazz Music at the Conservatory “G.Verdi” of Torino (Italy), with the highest votes.

ARTISTIC ACTIVITY

His musical activity began in 1999. He recorded five records as a leader and various other works as a sideman. He played in important festivals in Italy and abroad, such as for example “Linguaggi jazz” (Italy), “I suoni delle Dolomiti” (Italy), “ECK” (Poland), “Miasto” (Poland), “Chalon dans la rue” (France). He composed music for theatre, working together with the company “Stalker” (Italy). He made concerts together with Andrea Ayassot, Achille Succi, Alex Rolle, Marco Tardito, Furio di Castri, Gianluca Petrella, Aldo Mella, Lucia Minetti, Marco Decimo, Gabriele Mirabassi and many others. In the field of contemporary music he worked together with Ezio Bosso, Giacomo Agazzini, Claudia Ravetto, Roberta Bua, Roberto Tarenzi, Valerio Iaccio and with the ensemble “Orchestra da tre soldi”

TEACHING ACTIVITY

Pietro Ballestrero worked as a teacher in guitar and improvisation technique in the school “Centro Jazz Torino” from 1999 to 2012. From 2012 he taught in the new “Jazz school Torino” and in the civic school “Pietro Canonica” of Moncalieri (Torino). In the year 2016/17 he taught in the school SFOM (Aosta). He worked in eleven editions of the summer musical courses in Perinaldo (IM, Italy), teaching jazz guitar, ensemble music and improvisation techniques for classical musicians.

DISCOGRAPHY

Qfwfq, SCARABORECCHI (1999)
Pietro Ballestrero quartet, LA CASA DEGLI SPECCHI (2003)
Lucia Minetti, LUZ (2004)
Pietro Ballestrero Francesco Saiu LINNAS (2006)
ORCHESTRA DA TRE SOLDI (2007)
Pietro Ballestrero trio PELLE (2008)
Marco Tardito OISEAUX ENSEMBLE (2011)
Demo Barbieri Ballestrero & Tiberti GARAGE (2011)
Pietro Ballestrero ensemble with Gabriele Mirabassi KYRA (2012)
ORCHESTRA DA TRE SOLDI VOLII (2013)
Pietro Ballestrero Achille Succi ROOTS (2016)

phot. Palma Fiacco

Achille Succi

Saxophonist, clarinetis, jazz composer 
Born in Modena on July 23rd 1971

Musical Studies

Mainly self taught;
Took part at the jazz workshops of:
Henghel Gualdi (1986), Siena Jazz (1988 and 1994)
IASJ Scholarship (International Association of School of Jazz), workshop at the Rimon School in Tel Aviv 1995
Umbria Jazz Berklee Clinics 1992, won the scholarship to attend one semester at Berklee College of Music of Boston (1993)
Classes of orchestral formation in the “O.F.P. Orchestra” of Bologna (1994-95)
Scholarship “Pépinieres Europeénnes Pour Jeunes Artistes”, Three months residency at the Rhythmic Consevatory of Copenhagen (january-march 1997)
David Liebman masterclasses at Stroudsburg (USA), 1997 and 1999.

Biography

Achille Succi, has recently been singled out as “one of the European musicians to keep an eye on in the next ten years” (Bill Schoemaker, Giornale della musica, January 2010), while journalist Mario Gamba defines him as a “genius of italian Jazz” (Alias, March 20th, 2010). Born in Modena, Italy, in 1971, he began self-taught and later won several scholarships that gave him the chance to study in some of the most important schools and workshops in the world (Berklee, D.Liebman masterclasses, Kopenhagen Rhythmic conservatory, Siena Jazz). 

Among the many artists he has collaborated with are Uri Caine, Ralph Alessi, Sylvie Curvoisier, Steve Swell, Louis Sclavis, Ernst Reijseger, Pierre Dorge and Franco D'Andrea; he also took part in the recording of many CDs and performed all over the world. 

As leader Achille Succi has recorded two CDs: “Shiva's dance” and “Terra”, and a duo session with Bass player Salvatore Maiore: “Pequenas flores do inferno”. 

Together with Fabrizio Puglisi and Alberto Capelli he founded the “Atman” group, with two CDs released. 

With pianist Christopher Culpo he just released “Fresh Frozen”, for the “El Gallo Rojo” record label, featuring tuba player Oren Marshall. 

Achille Succi teaches music ensemble in Nonantola (Modena) and holds improvisation workshops and masterclasses in several Italian cities. Since 2001 he has been a faculty member of famous summer workshop Siena Jazz, and recently taught at the In.Jam masterclasses; since 2006 he also teaches clarinet and improvisation techniques at the Ferrara, Bologna and Brescia Conservatory. 

What they say about him: 

Succi is as free as a bird, and fits easily into any situation ranging from plaintive beauty to organized chaos. 
(Budd Kopman, Allaboutjazz.com) 

Although his own sessions as leader aren't that numerous, Modena-born saxophonist and clarinetist Achille Succi seems to be the go-to guy when adventurous Italian composers want to add professional zing to their projects. 
(Ken Waxman) 

In relying more on folk-tinged melodies, odd meters, and slightly unusual instrumentation, two ensembles exemplified the distinctive varieties the grapevine model yields. Achille Succi, who can wield a fiery alto saxophone, but on this occasion only played bass clarinet, led a strong quartet with Beppe Caruso, who put the tuba squarely in the front line as well as his trombone, bassist-cellist Salvatore Maiore, and Roberto Dani, an impressively resourceful drummer. Succi's compositions are rife with ear-tugging melodies and a rhythmic undertow that draws the listener deeper into the materials. 
(Bill Schoemaker)