Bolling / Adriatic Guitar Quartet - Concert for Classic Guitar [CD]

Nando Di Modugno writes: "... I was unaware of the rest of Bolling's production and his qualities as a pianist, improviser and arranger. Considering my difficulties and my ignorance on the subject, I "jumped" into the reading of Bolling's autobiography, combining my reading with some more listening of his music, as the author's stories, considerations or anecdotes solicited my curiosity. Therefore, I suddenly felt thankful to the Adriatic Guitar Quartet (AGQ) who, with it's unusual request, allowed me to deepen the knowledge of the creative and rich universe of one of those rare talents, who are often underestimated. Bolling's music is pervaded by a certain happiness (or "bohneur" in French) which, I believe, comes from an unconditional and disinterested passion for music. Indeed, this absolute and total passion is a pattern we find in most of the events of Bolling's biography. It is a passion captured in his enthusiastic words for other musicians (his model Duke Ellington, above all), and it is perceived in his performances (with his Big Band, with Stephane Grappelli, in the duets with Oscar Peterson or with Michel Legrand). The passion in his music turns into a sense of positivity, expressed in different ways and nuances. For this recording, the Adriatic Guitar Quartet has ventured into a hard and brave challenge: making a transcription of the "Concert for Guitar and Jazz Piano trio" by Claude Bolling. The mission was accomplished: the whole piece seems to wear a tuxedo instead of the usual mismatched suit proper of the guitar quartet, it acquires timbre uniformity, without losing it's musical and expressive peculiarities. The album is an original choice, far from intellectualistic conjectures and mediatic opportunism, because it follows the same approach as Bolling's: the pleasure of making music. A pleasure that, surely, will be also shared with the audience."