"To the old friendship"

Reviews

Argenti & Rosa,
To the Old Friendship
(Do-Re, 2003)

Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa join together to create some wonderful jazz in To the Old Friendship. The give and take between the two musicians as they build off of one another's work makes the CD a joy to listen to.

For the most part there are only the two musicians on the CD: Argenti on piano and Rosa on guitar. They are joined on a few tracks by Eva Rosa, who plays alto recorder.

The first track, "Sqwaqwaz," shows off the play between the two men as they pass the lead back and forth. "Copenhagen" is a mellower composition, painting images of old building and narrow lanes. Eva Rosa joins them briefly on "Mondiale," and the sound of the piece changes drastically when she does.

"Three Minute Blues" lasts almost seven minutes, and at the end you want it to keep going. It blends jazz and the blues with the influence of the later on the first fluxing throughout the piece. There is a casual elegance in "Dubbio" as the music dances quietly. The CD ends with "Boston," and when Eva joins in on her recorder it adds to the theme.

Argenti and Rosa have created some amazing music on To the Old Friendship. The two musicians click and it shows in the byplay between them. It is good.

- Rambles
written by Paul de Bruijn
published 19 July 2003
http://www.rambles.net/argenti_oldfriend03.html

To The Old Friendship
Argenti & Rosa | DO-RE


Two forward-leaning jazz artists team up for this session of modern sounds. The 40-minute program features creative improvisation based on all original compositions. Pianist Ferdinando Argenti pushes the envelope with deep percussive thrusts in support of his soaring melodic airs. Guitarist Enrico Rosa comes from the Wes Montgomery school of melodic interpretation. Together, the two swing deftly and with passion.

Both artists originally hail from Italy. Now based in New England, Argenti graduated from the Boston's Berklee School of Music. Rosa and his wife, Eva, live in Copenhagen, where they teach and continue to fuel their love of mainstream jazz. While the reuniting of two old friends carries with it a certain amount of emotion, the duo’s album goes much further. Ballads, blues, and fierce jazz syncopation color their meeting with powerful, straight-ahead hues. Theirs is the kind of session that you can sink your teeth into -- along with nodding head and dancing feet.

Audio samples from the album may be found at enricorosa.com.

~ Jim Santella

Track Listing: Sqwaqwaz; Copenhagen; Mondiale; Three Minutes Blues; Dubbio; Boston.

Personnel: Ferdinando Argenti- piano; Enrico Rosa- guitar; Eva Rosa- alto recorder on “Mondiale” and “Boston.”
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/pf_r0503_016.htm

To the Old Friendship
Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa | Do-Re Music

Ferdinando Argenti follows up his 2000 self-released record Argenti with a brilliant duet recital with fellow Italian guitarist Enrico Rosa. Argenti has spent the last three years wisely, as is abundantly evident in his forward-looking composing and performance. A native of Pisa, Italy, Mr. Argenti received his formal musical training at the Berklee School of Music before going on to support the likes of Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler and Lee Konitz. Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Herbie Hancock touch his piano style, which is tempered with Argenti’s own percussive touch and time.

Enrico Rosa, an Italian expatriate to Copenhagen, has been an associate of Argenti’s for many years. They share an interest in mainstream jazz and come together here to make some fine examples of that genre. Rosa divides his time between electric and acoustic guitars. The former is demonstrated in the delightful complexity of Rosa’s "Sqwaqwaz" and the latter in the wistful whimsy of his "Boston." Rosa’s wife, Eva, provides alto recorder on the latter tune and the Joe Pass-ballad-like "Mondiale." All of these elements make for an entertaining and easily listened to collection of tunes. This disc is worth seeking out.

For more information, see Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa.

~ C. Michael Bailey

Track Listing: Sqwaqwaz; Copenhagen; Mondiale; Three Minutes Blues; Dubbio; Boston.

Personnel: Ferdinando Argenti- piano; Enrico Rosa- guitar; Eva Rosa- alto recorder on "Mondiale" and "Boston."

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/pf_r0803_101.htm

Featured Artist: Ferdinando Argenti & Enrico Rosa

CD Title: To The Old Friendship

Year: 2002

Record Label: Independent

Style: Contemporary Jazz

Musicians: Ferdinando Argenti, piano. Enrico Rosa, guitar. Eva Rosa, alto recorder on tracks 3 and 6.

Review: TO THE OLD FRIENDSHIP is a highly engaging, innovative contemporary jazz collection from composers Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa. The piano and guitar solo performances are lively and creative. Another important aspect of this CD collection is that it uses the recorder, a fine compact instrument of intricate voice and tone that is turning up more frequently in jazz recordings.
There are 6 original jazz compositions in the collection. Each sparkles with life and style, each entertains! The songs are: "Sqwaqwaz," "Copenhagen," "Mondiale," "Three minutes blues," "Dubbio," and "Boston." Eva Rosa appears on alto recorder in "Mondiale" and "Boston."

For an enjoyable jazz outing, TO THE OLD FRIENDSHIP is well worth your listening time. The CD flyer lists the artist contacts as: www.enricorosa.com, www.interjazz.com/argenti, and www.rosae.dk.

A nice collection and highly enjoyable. Excellent.

Tracks: "Boston" is an outstanding jazz performance, one that showcases the talents of the three performers.

Record Label Website: http://www.interjazz.com/argenti

Artist's Website: http://www.enricorosa.com

Reviewed by: Lee Prosser

http://www.jazzreview.com/cdreview.cfm?ID=5445

Argenti & Rosa - "To the Old Friendship"
Mit dem unaussprechlich betitelten Stück "Sqwaqwaz" haben die beiden gebürtigen Italiener, der Pianist Ferdinando Argenti und der Gitarrist Enrico Rosa einen sehr schönen, funkigen Auftakt für ihr Gemeinschaftswerk gefunden. Argenti war jahrelang mit Größen wie Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler und Lee Konitz auf Tour – Rosa hingegen wandelt schon lange erfolgreich auf Solopfaden; zuletzt 2002 mit "Passione & Musica".

Argenti & Rosa - "To the Old Friendship"

Der Titel "To the Old Friendship" steht nicht nur für die Freundschaft der beiden Musiker zueinander, sondern auch für ihre Verbundenheit zu den zwei Städten, in denen sie leben: Kopenhagen und Boston werden in je einem Song portraitiert. Alle Songs, mit Ausnahme des Auftakt-Tracks, sind eher ruhig – von klassischem Gitarren- und Pianospiel getragen, und alle lassen sehr viel Raum für Improvisationen.

"To the Old Friendship" ist ein klassisch-jazziges und sehr kurzweiliges Album, auf dem zwei Meister ihres Fachs und ihrer Instrumente zeigen, was sie können. Man hat beim Zuhören das Gefühl, dass sie sich beim Einspielen des Albums gegenseitig inspiriert haben, um ihre Virtuosität auszureizen. Das mitzuverfolgen ist durchaus spannend und macht das Album zu einem echten Hörgenuss.

Peggy Thiele

CD: Argenti & Rosa - "To the Old Friendship" (Do-Re Records DoReCD4)

Mehr bei Jazzdimensions:
Enrico Rosa - "Passione & Musica" - Review (erschienen: 23.6.2002)
Ferdinando Argenti - "Argenti" - Review (erschienen: 24.9.2001)

erschienen: 29.9.2003 © jazzdimensions 2003
http://www.jazzdimensions.de/reviews/jazz/2003/argenti_rosa_friendship.html

Argenti & Rosa (Italy / Denmark) - 2003 - "To the Old Friendship"
(39 min, Do-Re)

TRACK LIST:

1. Sqwaqwaz 5:32 (Rosa)
2. Copenhagen 7:11 (Argenti)
3. Mondiale 7:58 (Argenti)
4. Three Minute Blues 6:53 (Rosa)
5. Dubbio 4:09 (Rosa)
6. Boston 7:50 (Rosa)

LINE-UP:

Ferdinando Argenti - acoustic piano
Enrico Rosa - acoustic guitar

With:

Eva Rosa - alto recorder (on 3 & 6)

Produced by Rosa & Argenti.
Engineered by Rosa & Argenti at "Thin Ice", Boston, MA.

Prolusion. Enrico Rosa is known for being the main mastermind behind Italy's Campo Di Marte that had existed in the first half of the 1970 (though there are rumors that something new will soon be released under the 'banner' of this band). As for his friend and collaborator on this album, Ferdinando Argenti, I know nothing about his musical past.
Synopsis. As well as in the case of Rock, Jazz can be progressive, proto-progressive, and non-progressive. Overall, the music on "To the Old Friendship" is nothing else but Acoustic Progressive Jazz, though in a pure form it is presented only on Sqwaqwaz (1). Also, this is the only track here consisting of a highly intensive improvisational jam, which was performed very fast, yet, a bit straightforward, in my view. All the arrangements on the album represent the constantly developing interplay between passages of piano and solos of acoustic guitar (plus those of recorder on a couple tracks). But while all of this is mainly jazzy in character, everything is quite easily comprehensible and looks coherent even from a 'classic' progressive standpoint. Copenhagen (2) is a more thoughtful and diverse composition with an obvious romantically nostalgic feel to it and is about Acoustic Jazz-Fusion with elements of Jazz Classical Music and, with that, not without those of a symphonic 'origin', too. The 7-minute Three Minute Blues and Dubbio (4 & 5) are as excellently thought out and diverse as Copenhagen and are done in a similar style, though there are more bluesy and symphonic shades in the musical palette of these compositions. Both of the remaining pieces: Mandiale and Boston (and these are the longest tracks on the album) contain the parts of alto recorder, performed by Enrico's wife Eva, and are my absolute favorites. On each of these compositions, there are episodes where the interplay between passages of either Spanish or classical guitar and solos of recorder are clearly about Art-Rock, and thus, here we have Acoustic Progressive Jazz with elements of guitar and symphonic Art-Rock or just a real progressive Jazz-Fusion.

Conclusion. "To the Old Friendship" presents the high-quality music performed by real dabs. Metal heads will definitely avoid this, but all the open-minded music lovers able to perceive and comprehend Progressive in any form, not to mention those into Jazz and related genres, should appreciate it, at least.

Vitaly Menshikov: September 26, 2003

http://www.progressor.net/review/argenti_and_rosa_2003.html

Argenti & Rosa: “To the Old Friedship”, 2003.

Enrico Rosa es un viejo y querido amigo de este sitio, además de un músico apreciado sensiblemente por muchos de los lectores. Líder de la histórica banda italiana Campo di Marte, ha desarrollado una carrera que cubre diversas vertientes. Residente desde hace años en Dinamarca, esta obra celebra el encuentro en EEUU durante el año 2002 con su antiguo camarada, el tecladista Ferdinando Argenti. Ambos recrean composiciones que rememoran sus encuentros desde 1977 en adelante, inmersos en el jazz con Enrico en la guitarra y Ferdinando el piano, enmarcados en un clima de permanente cordialidad que pasea desde delicados jams hasta afectuosos blues. Puede decirse que son prácticamente tomas en directo que exteriorizan toda la calidad técnica de este dúo. Eva Rosa, esposa de Enrico y flautista de formación académica tercia en un par de temas, enriqueciendo el espectro sonoro y aportando sutilezas desde su instrumento. Quienes disfruten de estas vertientes musicales no saldrán defraudados con “To the Old Friendship”, un álbum de delicadas melodías, sin estridencias y con atmósferas que surgidas del fraternal dialogo de los instrumentos hacen honor al título

Humberto Luna progresiva70

http://www.progresiva70s.com/nuevos_albumes.htm

ARGENTI & ROSA
'To The Old Friendship'
EGET FORLAG .40 MINUTTER www.rosae.dk
World-Jazz. Italien. Danmark.

Pianisten Ferdinando Argenti og guitaristen Enrico Rosa er to italienske musikere,der har en global og udforskende tilgang til rytmisk musik. CDens seks skæringer er alle egne kompositioner, og på to numre medvirker Eva Rosa lyrisk på altblokfløjte.

Det er sjælfuld musik med klassiske undertoner, som samtidig egner sig til fordybelse og meditation,vekslende med energisk polyrytmisk musik - som i 'Dubbio' og 'Sqwaqwaz' der begge har koblinger til funk, jazz og blues.

Samspillet vidner ikke alene om et mere end tyve år gammelt venskab mellem dem, men også om at den musikalske dialog - som al anden dialog - kræver, at parterne giver plads og lytter til hinanden for at bevæge sig i samme retning.

Peter Krog

DJEMBE no 47 Januar - Marts 2004

Alla vecchia amicizia: Argenti e Rosa

Dopo “Passione & Musica” e “Rosae” il nostro Enrico Rosa prosegue nella sua carriera solista.
In attesa di pubblicazioni del Campo Di Marte, il baffuto chitarrista livornese (da anni in Danimarca) torna al suo più grande amore: il jazz. Nel 2003 la Do-Re pubblica l’ottimo “To the old friendship”, realizzato con il ventennale amico pisano Ferdinando Argenti, pianista residente da anni a Boston e collaboratore di giganti del jazz come Lee Konitz, Chet Baker e il compianto Massimo Urbani.

L’album contiene sei brani di ottimo jazz contemporaneo: fluido, elegante, venato di folk e riferimenti classici, un elemento oramai costante nella composizione e nello stile di Rosa. Si parte da semplici canovacci e sui vamps si improvvisa: il feeling e la reciproca stima sono un carburante eccezionale. Un così lungo e durevole periodo di amicizia ha dato luogo ad una sola session d’incisione: l’album è stato registrato in un sol giorno (17 ottobre 2002) a Boston!

In apertura l’eccitante “Sqwaqwaz”: è un nomignolo che i due usavano tempo fa ed è un brano funky-jazz in ricordo delle vecchie jam di fine anni ’70. Interplay eccezionale, come raramente ci è dato sentire. E non è solo l’occasione per ascoltare un Rosa in perfetta forma, ma anche un delicato equilibrio pianoforte-chitarra, un connubio tra i più difficili da realizzare. Ancora un ricordo di vecchie jam riaffiora nella fumosa “Three minutes blues”, anch’essa improvvisata con coinvolgimento e classe.

“Copenhagen” richiama al loro incontro avvenuto nel 1981: un brano romantico e riflessivo, in cui il piano tesse trame di insuperabile lirismo. L’incalzante “Dubbio” invece, scritta nel 1981 dopo il loro incontro, esprime la gioia e l’ansia del musicista nel momento della creazione.

“Mondiale” vede la partecipazione di Eva, consorte di Enrico e flautista impeccabile: è un brano più ricercato, che tocca diversi temi (flamenco, folk, musica classica, funk e jazz) in un approccio che i due da anni cercavano di realizzare compiutamente. Così anche “Boston”, il lungo e malinconico brano finale scritto da Rosa durante il suo arrivo in USA. Anche qui l’apporto di Eva risulta intelligente e il brano è sicuramente tra i più riusciti.

Jazz moderno, raffinato e creativo, da due vecchi amici. Da non perdere.

Recensito da: Donato Zoppo - www.movimentiprog.net

http://www.movimentiprog.net/database/view.php?id=781

from DoggyBag (English review)

do-re Argenti & Rosa
To the old Friendship - 2002 records
All songs by Enrico Rosa & Ferdinando Argenti
Argenti Ferdinando : Piano
Rosa Enrico : Guitar
Rosa Eva : alto recorder (track 3 & 6)
Classical Jazz.

"To The Old Friendship" is a jazz record, which consecrates the reunion of two friends : the guitarist Enrico Rosa and the pianist Ferdinando Argenti.

In 1971 Enrico Rosa founded the band "Campo di Marte", a progressive rock band, which has unfortunately released only one record. Fortunately this record has been a major work in the Italian progressive rock history.
In 1974 Enrico settled in Denmark and gave a jazz orientation to his musical career. He played within both small and Big Bands. Thanks to his numerous collaborations, he has improved a great deal his guitar game.
He developed his own right-hand technique on the guitar, using combination of plectrum and finger picking.
Since 2001 he has launched a new project: ROSAE, which aims to develop and present new musical approaches.

Ferdinando Argenti is a pianist. He has been into jazz from the beginning.
In 1984 he went to the States where he played with lots of jazzmen. This has enabled him to experience new jazz styles. He has also played everywhere around the world with different bands.

From the first notes of the album you appreciate the great skills of both masters. They have both and equally taken part in the composition of the album.
Accuracy and warmth are key words of the work. The pieces are perfectly linked and lead by both masters. The whole has a nice consistency, even though the themes tackled cover some of the numerous ramifications of jazz, like blues. There is also a little reference to progressive rock thanks to the participation of Eva Rosa who plays the alto recorder.

Without being pioneers, the two friends offer us a classic of the best taste. Nice as a good old friendship.

Added on Monday, 29 December 2003
Uncle Chris

http://www.doggybag.org/review/cd0008.htm

Doggy Bag (French Review)

L'album "To the old Friendship" est un album de jazz, qui consacre les retrouvailles entre deux amis, Enrico Rosa à la guitare et Ferdinando Argenti au piano.

Enrico Rosa a formé en 1971 le groupe "Campo di Marte". Groupe de rock progressif, qui n’a malheureusement produit qu’un seul album, mais qui restera une œuvre essentielle dans l’histoire de la musique progressive italienne.
En 1974, Enrico s’installe au Danemark et oriente sa musique vers le jazz. Jouant aussi bien dans de petites formations qu’avec des Big Bands. Au fil de ses nombreuses collaborations, il va parfaire sa maîtrise de la guitare.
Il va également développer une nouvelle technique pour la main droite à la guitare qui consiste en une combinaison de plectre et finger picking.
Depuis 2001, Enrico Rosa s’est lancé dans un nouveau projet, ROSAE, au travers duquel il présente de nouvelles approches musicales.

Ferdinando Argenti, est pianiste de formation. Il s’est intéressé très tôt au jazz.
En 1984 il rejoint les Etats Unis. Là il joue avec de nombreux jazzmen. Ces collaborations vont lui permettre d’explorer de nombreux styles de jazz.
Il va également participer à de nombreuses tournées à travers le monde avec toute sorte de formations.

Dès les premières notes de l’album "To the old Friendship" on remarque la grande maîtrise technique dont font preuve les deux maîtres. Les morceaux sont composés à part égale entre les deux protagonistes.
Précision et chaleur sont les maîtres mots des compositions. Les morceaux s’enchaînent et jamais nos deux musiciens ne sont pris en défaut. L’album fait preuve d’une grande cohérence. Même si les styles abordés exploitent quelques-unes des nombreuses ramifications du jazz, comme le blues. Et se paient même le luxe d’un petit détour vers le progressif, grâce à l’intervention de Eva Rosa à l’alto recorder.

Sans être des défricheurs, nos deux compères nous livrent ici un classique du meilleur goût. Agréable comme une bonne vieille amitié.

Uncle Chris

http://www.doggybag.org/review/cd0008.htm

Argenti & Rosa
To the Old Friendship

Ferdinando Argenti, piano; Enrico Rosa, guitar; Eva Rosa, alto recorder
Italian chums Ferdinando Argenti and Enrico Rosa have teamed up to put together this energetic set; five pieces written by Rosa and two by Argenti, kicking off immediately with some funky Jazz in a piece called "Sqwaqwaz", which Rosa's guitar explores with dexterity.

They improvise well together; Argenti plays an assured, firm piano, producing some fine sounds. "Mondiale", opens to an almost Flamenco guitar before we are introduced fleetingly to the alto recorder of Eva Rosa, a pity more space could not be found for this wonderfully simple, plaintive instrument. One forgets that all the great classical composers wrote music for the recorder, and in the right hands it is truly beautiful. Through a modal blues, "Three Minutes Blues" (which lasts nearly seven) and "Dubbio", they combine their fast-paced style with confidence, bite, and a good awareness of each other. In the final track, "Boston", Eva Rosa gets a better opportunity to show off her recorder skills; one notices how sophisticated the guitar sounds when up against the recorder. Not an overly long set, but hugely enjoyable.

by Ferdinand Maylin

http://www.jazznow.com/0504/0504NSF.html