I don't believe what I am hearing.
greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 01/14/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First off, I want to thank the reviewers and list makers who brought Scodanibbio to my attention (props to Mr. Edwards and to Ginzo especially). This CD is as amazing as they describe. The first time I heard it, I spent the 45 minute duration wondering how in the hell he does it. I remember hearing Leo Kottke's armadillo album when it first came out, the first time I listened to Coltrane taking a cadenza on I Want to Talk About You or Marc-Andre Hamelin play Alkan. In all of these cases the effect is to wonder how such technical mastery is possible at the same time you wonder at the musicality of it all. Scodanibbio has insane technique: I swear to you you will not know if he is bowing in some passages or play the fastest strums imaginable. He has total command over the tonal possibilities of the instrument-at times he sounds like steel drum player, sometimes like a very strange piano, at times like the Australian aboriginal flutes whose name I have forgotten, always like a double bass. He sounds as if he is able to chord and play melody at the same time. In fact, the whole thing sounds to me like it is multitracked but it isn't. And here is the great central thing- as good, as innovative as his technique is, it is the music that grabs you. I love what I hear in composers like Reynolds, Nono, Xenakkis, Ives, Liefs, Braxton, etc. Scodanibbio is as good as any of these guys. Tell Amazon to load up some sound samples. Or go to the New Albion site- there may be some there. Better yet, buy the CD, put it on a good system, put it on medium loud, turn out the lights, and (to borrow a phrase from Rahsaan Roland Kirk)prepare thyself to deal with a miracle."
Strangely, expansively, and astonishingly beautiful
Richard Edwards | Seattle, WA United States | 05/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This supurb CD has kept me spellbound through several listenings. The music is hard to describe-- imagine Hovnanian's "The Bass as a Frum", Bottesini's "Tarentella", Adams' "Nixon in China", Bartok's SQ4, Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner", and Bach's "Chaconne" for unaccompanied violin, all rolled into a cohesive whole. Scodanibbio's virtuostic playing is incredible, and his technique is completely in the service of the sound. String players especially will wonder how on earth he makes those sounds. I've never heard anything like it. Yet, for all my wonder about his technique, it was really his music that carried me away. This is simply a great beautiful CD with great integrity."
Track Listings (1) - Disc #1