PRESS RELEASE: New York based Jazz pianist and composer Simona Premazzi, will release her third album and the first on Greg Osby’s Inner Circle Music label on October 25.
The Lucid Dreamer perfectly showcases Simona’s versatility and understated elegance at the piano. It provides ample proof that she is one of the jazz world's most diverse and distinctly unique pianists, composer and bandleader.
The album is conceptual. It’s titled after the - conscious process of dreaming known as lucid dreaming, which is realistic and vivid, allowing the dreamer a greater chance to exert some degree of control over participation in the dream – the ability to manipulate the imagery in the dream environment. Lucid dreaming is not a state of sleep, but one of brief wakefulness.
Joining Premazzi on this intimate and richly melodic collection is another outstanding former label mate, the impressive young tenor saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana. Master players,bassist Ameen Saleem and drummer Jochen Rueckert, round out the ensemble. An added bonus is special guest Greg Osby. The inimitable saxophonist is featured on the title track, “The Lucid Dreamer” and on “Optics”.
The album begins with a reading by the American poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, of her deeply moving and passionate poem, "Love Is Not All”, which happens to be the title of the first track on the album. This opening perfectly sets up the mood of the album, which is at once introspective and classically modern with a dash of the traditional for good measure. Every track offers up Simona’s uncanny ability for expression and lyricism. The trio of musicians that join Simona, provide counter balance and become the perfect ensemble on some of the more improvisational pieces - able to branch out, blend and follow when necessary.
Simona doesn’t just play good music, she sketches portraits that come to life in the hands of a truly inspired artist. Her intricate, yet fluent musical phrasing tells a complete story that takes the listener on an unmistakable and unforgettable musical journey.
Gary Heimbauer describes Simona Premazzi as – “A talented composer with a knack for creating pieces with tricky yet pretty themes, often with odd or unpredictable rhythmic figures and time signatures, that still retain a string of beauty that always runs through.…Simona Premazzi is one of the more exciting and poignant pianists on the current New York scene.” With this latest release she delivers a masterful musical treat.
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