Blooming Federico Rondolini Quartet

• 1 Nest 05:10
• 2 Wave 04:03
• 3 Yemen 06:03
• 4 Blooming 06:05
• 5 Lullaby 04:50
• 6 0765 04:32
• 7 Home 02:46
• 8 Autumn 02:40
• Total Runtime 36:09

Info for Blooming

Jazz tradition blends with rock on guitarist Federico Rondolini’s debut album, Blooming, due for release on 12 March on the Emme Record Label. A modern work, open to influences from other genres, born of a desire to fuse these two musical languages by combining structured sections with moments open to improvisation. The band that took part in the creation of this album is completed by Matteo Bassi on bass, Gianmarco Giannetti on piano and Joshua Frau on drums. The album is a work of synthesis, drawing on the composer’s roots whilst bringing together two sonic worlds that are only seemingly polar opposites. Each track carries its own specific meaning, making the repertoire not only a musical exploration but also a personal one. From this perspective, ‘Yemen’ marks a turning point, as it features defined structures alongside ample space for improvisation. It is, in fact, built upon thematic cells and rhythmic patterns which nevertheless leave plenty of scope for interplay and expressive freedom. The track also carries a symbolic meaning, evoking the destruction and tensions caused by humankind in a world marked by conflict and division. ‘Blooming’ is probably the most luminous track on the album, as it represents the element of light – the flower that blossoms amidst the rubble. It is a ballad with a flowing melody, built upon a more accessible harmonic language, with nuances that border on pop music, whilst retaining a jazz identity. Whilst ‘Yemen’ embodies the dimension of destruction, ‘Blooming’ represents its counterpoint, like an affirmation of hope in a context marked by shadows and destruction, where, nevertheless, fragments of beauty exist that make it worth persevering. ‘Autumn’ closes the album, marking a decisive shift away from the jazz idiom, as it is devoid of improvisation and the compositional form takes centre stage. The aesthetic draws closer to a world reminiscent of progressive rock, bringing to the fore those sonic tensions already hinted at in the other tracks. Within this rigorous structure, however, a clear melody emerges – instantly recognisable in its immediacy – which becomes the central thread running through the entire piece. A track that represents the pinnacle of the album’s compositional evolution: a synthesis of formal rigour, rock intensity and melodic sensibility.

Federico Rondolini, guitar
Gianmarco Giannetti, piano, keyboards
Matteo Bassi, bass
Joshua Frau, drums

Federico Rondolini
Born in Termoli in June 1994, Giovanni di Carlo began taking guitar lessons at the age of five. A few years later, he obtained his fifth-year diploma in classical guitar and music theory at the Lorenzo Perosi Conservatoire in Campobasso. In 2013, he moved to Brussels to study at the Koninklijk Conservatorium, where he was awarded a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in jazz guitar with the distinction ‘Magna cum Laude’, under the guidance of Fabien Degryse and Peter Hertmans.

During his time at the conservatoire, Giovanni also took composition lessons with the renowned Belgian pianist Diederik Wissels, with whom he would soon begin a significant collaboration. In July 2016, Giovanni was selected as one of the ten semi-finalists in the prestigious Montreux International Competition, where he had the honour of meeting and subsequently collaborating with Philipp Fankhauser, a member of the jury. In 2018, he won third prize at the “Sharon Lynne Wilson Center” International Jazz Guitar Competition in Brookfield (USA).

This album contains no booklet.