A New Day Giovanni Guidi, James Brandon Lewis, Thomas Morgan, João Lobo

• 1Cantos del ocells06:23
• 2To a Young Student03:57
• 3Means for a Rescue07:42
• 4Only Sometimes05:48
• 5Luigi (the boy who lost his name)07:30
• 6My Funny Valentine05:52
• 7Wonderland06:43
• Total Runtime43:55

Info for A New Day

Rekindling the familiarly flowing interplay with fellow travellers Thomas Morgan and João Lobo – the trio’s musical partnership goes back over a decade at this point –, on A New Day Italian pianist Giovanni Guidi moreover expands the group’s instrumental grasp with the introduction of American saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, who makes his ECM debut here. Not only is the ensemble scope widened; with Brandon Lewis in tow, new dialects and fresh perspectives are broached, and different instrumental paths taken, inspired by an overall heightened sense of communication and Lewis’s unmistakable, confident tone.

On the opportunity to include the saxophonist in his band, Giovanni explains that his conversations with Brandon Lewis go back many years and that witnessing him live led Guidi “to believe that with James, the group dialogue could develop towards more abstract, open and improvisational approaches. In a way it was quite the gamble, as we come from very different paths, but the session for A New Day proved us right: the trio is pushed into new territories, while James – in my view – finds a very unique and interesting way to connect with us. It was a sincere journey of discovery.“

Rubato is not just guiding principle but inevitable consequence of these individual forces joining together – and the result all the better for it. Throughout the set, a relative pulse, rather than strict time, dictates the organic ebb and flow of musical expression, as the four highly attuned players exchange ideas, glances or even just inklings of thought, developed – like connecting dots – to a greater whole. While navigating through this maze of impulses and reactions, powerful, often wistful melodies are intoned, naturally – almost autonomously – rising from the respective structures like mountain peaks cutting through clouds.

The album opens with „Cantos del Ocells“, a Catalan traditional famously interpreted by Joan Baez in the 60s. After an expansive trio introduction to the song, carefully considered between piano, bass and drums, Lewis makes his entrance with curved lines and expressive temperament, not clinging to the main melody but rather swaying alongside its most significant notes with improvisatory freedom. Guidi contrasts these nimble lines with drone-like, arpeggiated piano patterns, embedding the quartet in a spellbinding haze – the pianist will continue to draw on this approach frequently as the programme continues to unfold.

Five of the seven tracks are Guidi originals, bar one group improvisation, that demonstrate the pianist’s multiple-expressions-channelling jazz vernacular in bubbling group dynamics, where each individual plays to their strength. Thomas Morgan’s striking bow-work is to the fore on „To A Young Student“, while „Means for A Rescue“ opens the field for João Lobo’s vivid percussion etchings – both canvases feature the trio in its pure form and more adventurous than ever.

The fabric of the core trio’s communication has shifted over time and evolved into a more varied kind. “The idea was to regroup and find out together where we would take our music and our relationship,“ Guidi notes. “We soon discovered that we were ready to push into new territories, be more daring and open. I see this session as a new departure in many senses, existentially but also musically. During the session, I had the feeling that we had become each other’s extension, able to understand each other and push without fear.”

Brandon Lewis rejoins the group halfway through the freely improvised „Only Sometimes“ and leaves an especially memorable mark in conversation with Guidi on „Luigi (The Boy Who Lost His Name)“. The rendition of „My Funny Valentine“, the sole standard of the session, is a subtly gliding vehicle for the pianist to stretch out with impressionist key strokes. With “Wonderland”, one of the album’s most memorable themes and strongest group performances is revealed at the very end, providing a powerful statement as the programme’s conclusion.

Guidi: “I’ve worked with Manfred [Eicher] for many years now. Each time is a new opportunity for deep introspection and free dialogue, for sharing and learning. In the studio, Manfred told us to imagine a ‘new album’, and not ‘the next album’, so to speak; the relationship was so strong and trusting that we all took the chance to lead the way and go for it.” Hence, A New Day.

Recorded at Studios La Buissonne, Southern France, in August 2023, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Giovanni Guidi, piano
James Brandon Lewis, tenor saxophone
Thomas Morgan, double bass
João Lobo, drums

Giovanni Guidi
Born in Foligno 1985, meets Enrico Rava during a Workshop in Siena. Rava notices his talent and decides to include him in “Rava Under 21” project, that would become “Rava New Generation” after a little time. With this group Guidi will record two CDs , in 2006 and in 2010, for “ESPRESSO” magazine.

At the moment, beyond the partnership with Gianluca Petrella, his own personal trio with Luca Aquino and Michele Rabbia, his quartet leaded with the young sax “enfant prodige” Mattia Cigalini, Guidi is always leader of his own groups.

He took part to a very large number of important jazz festivals all around the world. We may mension Umbria Jazz, Vicenz New Conversation, Zurich Nu Jazz, Umbria Jazz Balcanic Windows, Stavanger Mai Jazz, Jazzlandia, Noth Sea Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Molde Jazz, Portland Jazz Festival, and many others. Moreover , he performed in many clubs and theatres in New york, San Paolo, Rio De Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Slavador De Bahia, Berlino, Parigi, Londra, Monaco, Dublino, Seoul, Hong Kong.

His first album as a leader is “Tomorrow Never Knows”, recorded by the japanese label VENUS, receiving five stars in a review by the “Swing Journal” magazine.

After that he released other four albums for CAM JAZZ label: “Indian Summer” and “ The House Behind This One” recorded with his quartet, “The Unknown Rebel” with a band of ten elements and “We Don’t Live Here Anymore” recorded in New York with Gianluca Petrella, Michael Blake, Thomas Morgan and Gerald Clever.

His first album as leader released by the prestigious ECM label is dated 2013: “City of Broken Dreams”, recorded in trio with Thomas Morgan and Joao Lobo.

Guidi had just recorded previously two other albums for ECM: “Tribe” and “ On The Dance Floor”, both by Enrico Rava.

Guidi won, moreover, several awards, such as the “TOPJAZZ “ award by “Musica Jazz” magazine. In that occasion the young pianist is been named by a 58 members jury the best talent of 2007. On March 2015 ECM released “This Is The Day” recorded with Thomas Morgan and Joao Lobo.

Booklet for A New Day