The Squid's Ear Magazine


Rodrigues / Stoffner / Parrinha / Madeira: Altered Egos (Creative Sources)

A highly interactive and textural set of chamber-oriented free improvisations with an often pointillistic approach from the quartet of Portuguese improvisers Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & crackle box, Bruno Parrinha on clarinet & alto saxophone, Joao Madeira on double bass with Swiss electric guitarist Florian Stoffner, in three detailed and engaging conversations.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Ernesto Rodrigues-viola, crackle box

Florian Stoffner-electric guitar

Bruno Parrinha-clarinet, alto saxophone

Joao Madeira-double bass


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UPC: 5609063407839

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs783
Squidco Product Code: 33523

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2023
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 10th 2023, by Joao Madeira.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Turning straight back to another (quartet, in this case) release from Ernesto Rodrigues, and apparently my first review of a performance recorded in 2023 (in Lisbon last month), Altered Egos continues not only to elaborate a personal-collective style in the post-pandemic era, but prolific ongoing collaborations with Bruno Parrinha (here on both clarinet and alto sax) and Joao Madeira (double bass) in particular. Indeed, it seems an album such as Derive (a quintet, recorded at the end of last year), featuring all three, comes to mark the forging and refining of a new body of musical figures and practices, transformational practices once again as invoked by the Altered Egos title.

Joining that core trio for the latter then is Florian Stoffner (electric guitar) - whom I'd mentioned (in a March 2021 review) for his duo album with Paul Lovens, Tetratne on Hat - and Stoffner does inject some timbral variety, but mostly understated and seeking to blend. There's sometimes a ringing sense of electric guitar, especially for the first track of this relatively short album, but also a variety of glissandi and "elasticity" in general, a stark concluding landscape leading into more four-way free jazz counterpoint for the second track, more percussive and pointillistic, a more industrial (yet somehow zoomimetic...) feel developing only to fade away for the third and final....

There's thus a fairly typical arc for a new interaction, finding its way into what can become clearly articulated intricacy, in what can also seem (at least in the beginning) like a trio against a soloist. (And the eventual quartet sound is not so different from that of e.g. Aeon, as reviewed here in July, albeit with Flak on acoustic guitar and Rodrigues on violin.... Moreover, the latter is on crackle box here as well, something he also played on the new - likewise recorded in 2023 - Impromptu from Suspensao. For both though, the horn tends toward subtlety and color, less often centered or as strongly contoured as the strings....) In any case, it can be difficult to pick and choose what to discuss here, but the results from Rodrigues and Creative Sources seem to be in another particularly fertile (yet concentrated) period. In that fast-moving context then, Altered Egos did stand out to my ears overall for its detailed textural interactions and subtly lingering affect."-Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts


Get additional information at Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

Artist Biographies

"He has been playing the violin for 30 years and in that time has played all genres of music ranging from contemporary music to free jazz and improvised music, live and in the studio.

His main interest shifted towards contemporary improvised and composed music.

The relationship with his instruments is focused in sonic and textural elements.

Electronic music was an early influence on his approach to violin playing, which challenges traditional romantic concepts of the violin/viola through use of preparations and micro tuning.

Active in different settings on the Portuguese scene for free improvised music, both as a collaborator and in leading his own groups.

Music for Dance, Cinema, Video and Performance.

Has created the record label Creative Sources Recordings in 1999, which mainly concentrates on releasing experimental and electro-acoustic music."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Florian 'Flo' Stoffner ( 1975 ) is a Swiss jazz guitarist and composer.

Stoffner made his first experiences through performances with Harald Haerter and Erik Truffaz , including at the Lugano Festival. From the beginning of the 21st century he worked with musicians such as Marius Peyer ( Unsung Songs , 2000), Gitta Kahle , Christian Weber , Lionel Friedli , Hans-Peter Pfammatter , Manuel Mengis ( Into the Barn , 2004), Christoph Grab and Hilaria Kramer. , and in the Fat Son, Lauschangriff, Lila and Science Fiction Theater groups. In 2012 he came with a solo album... and Sorry ( Veto Records ). With Paul Lovens and Rudi Mahall he recorded the trio album Mein Freund der Baum ( Wide Ear , 2017). In jazz, he was involved in 15 recording sessions between 1990 and 2011."

-Wikipedia (Translated by Google) (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flo_Stoffner)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Bruno Parrinha - alto sax / soprano, Clarinet Sb / Alto, flute

Around the age of 10 began playing the clarinet. At 17 he bought a flute and entered the Academy of Music where he Amateurs solfeggio and instrument with Paulo Curado for two years . Later he was always playing clarinet and tenor saxophone ( self-taught ) and at age 21 he was invited to join the band Pop Radar Gaddafi with whom he recorded . Later he was cast of musicians on the play " Vieux Carré " in teatro da Graça playing tenor sax . Spent a year on the scene . At 87 he began to attend formations of Sei Miguel resulting in vinyl LP recorded at 88 " Songs love and against terrorism ." Since then he has dedicated his commitment to free improvisation and has participated in numerous trainings and concerts with illustrious musicians including Rodrigo Amado , Rodrigo Pinheiro , Miguel Mira , João Lucas , Paulo Curado , Ernesto Rodrigues , Guilherme Rodrigues , Ulrich Mitzlaff , Manuel Guimarães Cyril Bondi , " D' Incise ," Raphael Ortiz , Nicolaus Gerwinsky , Phill Niblock , Raymond McDonald , Victor Nubla , Nuno Rebelo , Marco Franco, Gabriel Ferrandini , Hernani Faustino , Luís Lopes , José Oliveira , Carlos Santos , Carlos " Zingaro " João Pedro Viegas , Victor Rua , Abdul " moimême " , Luís Vicente , João Lancaster , Luis Gil , Paulo Pimentel , Francisco Andrade , Albert Cicera and many others.

Presently a part of groups : ARGUE, IKB , VGO , Miguel Mira Quartet , Open Mind and Puma. "

-Bruno Parrinha MySpace Page (https://myspace.com/brunoparrinha/bio)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Joao Madeira: "I was born in Lisboa and I've dedicated most of my energy to the doublebass since I was 12. When I went to study at the Conservatório de Lisboa my role model was doublebassist João Panta Nunes, and lately my studies were oriented by Jorge Lee, at Cascais. I have a degree in Musicology, investigation work on Fado's candidature to World Immaterial Heritage by UNESCO, and coordination of the Music Department at INATEL/FNAT. Since 1999 I have a strong activity (studio and performance) in several styles and genres, but improvised music and original composition (whatever the style...) are the places where my musical language riches its higher satisfaction and plenitude. In the recordings you are about to hear it's me who plays all the instruments. My passion is at the simple act of artistic creation. For me, music is all about musicians and genuine expression! It doesn't matter the genre neither the instrument per si. In theater I have collaborations (musician, composer, actor) with Companhia do Chapitô and Artistas Unidos, amongst others. I also love books (...) I've studied aesthetics and Portuguese literature since I remember, and love to read and write poetry."

-Reverb Nation (https://www.reverbnation.com/eudemadeira/song/9496502-mejardim-joo-madeira)
4/9/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Bitter Butter 13:30

2. Tolerant Talent 13:28

3. Beautiful Irritation 7:12

Related Categories of Interest:


Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Jazz
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Quartet Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


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