Written by The newly formed Italian jazz trio, BAT (stands for the initial of the members’ surnames: Luca Bulgarelli – double bass, Riccardo Arrighini – piano, Lorenzo Tucci – drums) is aptly named, not just for the nuances that the name itself brings to mind (think DC Comics’ Batman and his dark gothic world), but because the three musicians are truly unconventional talented players. Bringing new shades of noir to the world of jazz as well as passion and verve in what, I would define, a very welcome trio in the universe of jazz.
Although most pieces are composed and arranged by Arrighini, the chemistry amongst the three players is evident on many levels. And here a good comparison with the Dark Knight is justified: they are super-players and yet so very human, an alchemy that makes them real artists.
They recently played the club called “I Pini Spettinati” (The Ruffled Pines”) receiving an incredible welcome there. The “Pini” is a place with amazing outdoor space and located a little bit outside the centre of Rome, not too far from the famous Cinecittá. BAT is a trio that will shake the core out of all jazz traditions. Playing their own compositions, their energy and quality of music are second to none.
It was impressive to notice their fervour. BAT is a trio made up of intensity and leadership, the short teasers provided with this review are a clear example of these elements. Their capacity for creating a totally diverse and irreverent version, for example, of “An Englishman in NY” was beautifully modern and captivating.
It was also impressive to notice how quickly the audience immersed itself in their performance, so I am even more looking forward to their album which is being recorded as I write. This will certainly be a work of contrasts, just like their super-hero, full of sounds denoting “chiaroscuro”, “almost Caravaggioesque” as Vincenzo La Gioia, their Manager, tells me. Without revealing too much about the album, this will have standards as well as re-interpreted tracks from a variety of artists like Lucio Battisti, Pink Floyd, Massive Attack, to name a few.
More on BAT soon so watch this space.
Senior writer: Erminia Yardley
Photo Credits: Daniele Maglie – and (c) info: all rights go to original recording artist/owner/photographer(s).
Last modified: April 15, 2019
