Apocalyptic saxophone carries the day
Nicolas Masson/Roberto Pianca/Emanuele Maniscalco
Third Reel
ECM ***
Beginning with a little tune that recalls the melody of ‘Nature Boy’ this Swiss Italian trio though has written all the fairly short tunes themselves with single, double or band credits and the album is a curiosity. The name of the band suggests folk you might think or ‘reel’ as tape whether audio or celluloid, but by the second track it’s more a cosmic Pharoah-esque sound that sticks with a kind of an apocalyptic feel to Masson’s keening tenor saxophone lead. Recorded in Lugano the band apparently came together from the duo of Masson and guitarist Pianca and via MySpace and jamming in Geneva honed their sound. The band reminds me a little of Partikel (although it’s guitar instead of bass) but the approach is similar if a little more abstract. It’s all a slow burn requiring some patience and to be frank a little too dour at times, especially from ‘Fasten’ onwards. That said Masson has a certain personality that makes him and this promising band worth discovering.
Emanuele Maniscalco (above left), Nicolas Masson, and Roberto Pianca
Released on Monday 1 April