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Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas, Mischa Mullov-Abbado

Za Gorami

ECM
Release Date: September 20, 2024

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1 Dezile A Mi Amor  
2 Sueltate Las Cintas  
3 Los Bilbilikos  
4 Tonada De Luna Llena  
5 Nani Nani  
6 Je Suis Trop Jeunette  
7 Za Gorami  
8 Gentle Lady  
9 Dame La Mano  
10 Arvoles Lloran Por Lluvias  
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Collected on our travels and taught to us by our friends, these are songs we have learnt and loved together. Gathered from Argentina, France, Venezuela, Poland and the deep well of Sephardic culture, these folk tales speak to the moon, the mountains, the rain, the madness of humans and the prophecies of birds. 
– Alice, Fred and Misha

Vocalist and violinist Alice Zawadzki, pianist Fred Thomas (who also plays the vielle and drums here) and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado present a rare alchemy on their trio debut, fusing folk idioms from a multitude of sources with free flowing interplay and fluid structures. Inhabiting their own stylistic realm, the trio encompasses folk song, chamber music, improvisation and jazz, and on Za Górami they present the full span of their reach in a mesmerizing whole.

“Our trio relies on the intimacy of deep listening and a trust in our long-standing friendship” writes the trio in a short performer’s note accompanying this release. “The discovery of what each song wanted to be was a patient process of contemplation, omission and distillation of ideas, animated by the flexibility of our instrumentation: voice, piano, double bass, violin, vielle and percussion”

Half of the pieces included on Za Górami hail from the deep treasure trove of the Sephardic heritage. The subjects of these ladino songs are inhabited by love and tragedy, yet the lyrics appear codified and transfigured, revealing their true meaning and emotional depth only in synergy with the musical expression they are given, which in return is bestowed with an almost spiritual connection and much dynamic detail through the performances of Alice, Fred and Misha.

“There’s a sort of abstraction to the lyrics,” explains Alice. “A lot of metaphor and imagery that allows you to be swept into the world that these words create. They become an amazing vehicle for one’s emotions, because in a way – even though codified with symbols like water, bred, the sunrise – the songs’ meaning feels inherent as soon as the music and lyrics are fused together. We become aware that words are not our only language and these ladino songs are able to connect with you in way that one can’t verbalize otherwise.”

The opening “Dezile A Mi Amor” is a lover’s plea in the rain, “Los Biblikos” a nightingale’s song that calls on spring to awaken the soul and in the lullaby “Nani Nani” the protagonist wrestles with her lover’s infidelity. Both “Dame La Mano” and “Arvoles Lloran Por Lluvias” are wistful contemplations in which an air of melancholy, even grief unfolds with biting sustain. Each song is treated differently in the music – both Alice’s alternating but equally mastered vocal stylings and the respective instrumental choices carefully considered and adapted to the individual pieces. Simultaneously authentic and innovative, the trio handles the impassioned songs playfully, and with much thought.

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