Search - Gilfema :: Gilfema

When Gilfema released its self-titled debut album in 2005, they effectively put an end to any lingering doubts that jazz, although undeniably rooted in America, had evolved into a truly international art form. Here were a guitarist/vocalist, Lionel Loueke, from the West African nation of Benin; a bassist, Massimo Biolcati, who grew up in Sweden and Italy; and a drummer, Ferenc Nemeth, from Hungary--all coming together in New York City. Now, with Gilfema + 2, the follow-up to that auspicious, cross-cultural introductory statement, the trio has returned to take it to the next level. One of the most significant elements of the sophomore Gilfema recording, however, is that it isn't a trio recording at all, but one by a quintet, hence the + 2 of the title. The number refers to the guest clarinetists, Anat Cohen, playing a B-flat clarinet, and John Ellis, on bass clarinet and ocarina. Gilfema + 2 was recorded in all of two days in February 2008. Its melodically luminous, rhythmically propulsive sound is indicative of the electricity that was constantly in the air as the musicians and producer Michele Locatelli laid down the tracks. The resultant music--built around the kind of intuitive interactivity that can only come from years of making music together--suggests numerous influences from around the globe, yet it's impossible to pin down, other than to say that it reflects both where these musicians have come from and where they are right now. There's a serenity that coats the entire proceedings, but an intensity as well, fueled by the artists' unflagging enthusiasm to create something previously unheard. No strutting, no flash, nothing to prove--other than the truth that the connections forged by like-minded artists investigating the possibilities of the creative spirit can result in music that's made to last.