CD ECM Records Third Reel ( Masson Pianca Maniscalco )

2012

Nicolas Masson - saxofon tenor, clarinet
Roberto Pianca - chitara
Emanuele Maniscalco - tobe

There's no denying the influence of Motian on Italian-born, Denmark-based drummer Emanuele Maniscalco, who demonstrates a similar penchant for texture over time, even when driving jagged pieces like ‘Freeze’ with near-primal, mallet-driven toms. Representing the final piece in Third Reel's nascency puzzle, Maniscalco joined Swiss saxophonist/clarinetist Masson and Italian guitarist Roberto Pianca in 2010, after—in true 21st century fashion—the two met via social networking, trying out a number of other drummers, unsuccessfully. [...] Rather than being imitative, Third Reel expands and expounds upon the free-spirited aesthetic of the late Paul Motian's trio, injecting clear and unequivocal differentiation, especially in the writing. Masson's ‘Orbits’ may hover ethereally in a very Motian fashion, while its melody floats over Maniscalco's turbulence and Pianca's jaggedly overdriven guitar (speaking to Frisell's more aggressive edge), but amongst these 16 written and spontaneously composed miniatures—eleven well under four minutes, and only one cracking the six-minute mark)—Third Reel goes places that Motian, Frisell and Lovano never did. Masson's ‘Miserere’, comes from a more classical space, with Maniscalco's malleted toms creating a soft pulse for Pianca's warm-toned arpeggios and Masson's oblique clarinet lines. The same applies to at least part of the reed player's ‘Ginkgo’, Pianca's more fervently finger-picked support following an intro of swelled chords that lead to a brief, brushed drum solo of refined delicacy.
John Kelman, AllAboutJazz

The two opening tracks of ‘Third Reel’ neatly represent the yin and yang of the trio’s stylistic approach: guitarist Roberto Pianca’s ‘After All’, an ‘exploration of chordal colours’ (saxophonist/clarinettist Nicolas Masson’s description), is immediately followed by drummer Emanuele Maniscalco’s ‘Furious Seasons’, an appropriately turbulent, almost grungy piece that transforms the band into a (tasteful) power trio. Between these two extremes lies a lot of musical territory, and Third Reel (conceived from the outset as a bass-less trio – ‘more responsibility for each player, as well as more risk-taking’ is Masson’s explanation for this) explore a great deal of it on this, their debut (eponymous) album. Although the instrumentation brings the superb trio formed by Paul Motian, Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano to mind (and the odd Third Reel track does feature Lovanoesque smoky, warbling tenor against Frisell-like guitar flickering and swooning), the Swiss/Italian trio is more firmly rooted in free music than its illustrious US predecessor [...] overall ‘Third Reel’ is as original as it is absorbing, richly rewarding repeated immersion into its highly individual sonic world.
Chris Parker, London Jazz

There’s fire and ice in the improvised music of Third Reel, making their ECM debut with this new disc. The trio of reeds, guitar and drums create soundscapes ranging from the ethereal to the explosive, but with an overall sense of musical unity. [...] It is Pianca’s guitar which sets the tone for each piece – on some tracks he is in full, rip-snorting Hendrix mode and on others he plays more melodically with a straightforward sound. Strong musical imaginations are at work here, and it’s a very promising debut.
John Watson, JazzCamera.co.uk