In the Morning - Music by Alec Wilder Stefano Battaglia Trio

• 1In the Morning11:56
• 2River Run13:17
• 3Moon and Sand06:41
• 4When I Am Dead My Dearest04:02
• 5The Lake Isle of Innisfree15:41
• 6Where Do You Go?06:29
• 7Chick Lorimer11:28
• Total Runtime01:09:34

Info for In the Morning - Music by Alec Wilder

On his sixth album for ECM the Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia presents music with a special thematic focus: While his ECM debut Raccolto (2003) had honored his musical heroes Bill Evans and Paul Bley, Re:Pasolini (2007) was a tribute to the Italian filmmaker and polymath, and the compositions on The River of Anyder (2009) and Songways (2012) were mostly named after mythical and legendary locations, each of them conferring specific atmospheres. On In the Morning Battaglia and his trio now reflect on the work of American composer Alec Wilder (1907–1980), known for his popular songs (recorded by Peggy Lee, the Mills Brothers, Frank Sinatra and others) as well as his chamber music and operas and his influential book ‘American Popular Song: The Great Innovators (1900–1950)’.

“I first came into a more direct contact with Alec Wilder’s music in the early 90s, when I was performing his Sonata for Oboe and Piano and his Sonata for Horn and Piano”, Battaglia remembers. “I had already known some of his popular songs like ‘While We’re Young’, ‘Blackberry Winter’ and ‘Moon and Sand’ through the intense versions Keith Jarrett has recorded. But after working on Wilder’s chamber music I wanted to develop a deeper connection with his intriguing musical universe, and I've discovered an immense hidden treasure.”

Battaglia admires Wilder for what he calls “the idiosyncratic mixture of styles” in his music: “To me Alec Wilder represents the home of American music in the largest sense, from theatre to movie, from popular to classical, with a wide range of forms and genres including chamber music for all the instruments, music for children, night music, film scores, orchestrations and arrangements, operas and drama. The most interesting ‘room’ in this home for me is the one called ‘Art Songs’, where Wilder rendered in music some contemporary poems by great poets like William Butler Yeats, Tennessee Williams, James Stephens or Christina Rossetti.“

Almost three years after their last ECM album Songways, Battaglia and his partners Salvatore Maiore and Roberto Dani give evidence of an almost telepathic rapport on In The Morning, a live recording from April 2014 at Teatro Vittoria in Torino. Battaglia says that for him the trio per se is one of the most rewarding formats in music, whether in classical traditions, jazz or rock.

Battaglia sees his trio as part of a tradition which includes the legendary line-ups of Jimmy Giuffre/Paul Bley/Steve Swallow, Bill Evans/Scott La Faro/Paul Motian and Bley/Swallow/La Roca for the 1960s; the Jarrett/Haden/Motian and Bley/Peacock/Motian trios for the 1970s; and Jan Garbarek/Egberto Gismonti/Haden as well as Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette for the 1980s and later.

“I love Salvatore's sound, deep and magnetic. And his electrifying rhythm as well. And Roberto is one of the most original drummers that I've heard all over the world. He has an incredible perception and touch, furthermore he uses a special tuning, very open, with a wide range of resonances, with a very deep and dark bass drum, combined with shining cymbals. His symphonic bass drum has changed my way to choose the voicings, for this reason I prefer to use open and ‘empty’ orchestrations basically founded on neutral intervals like second, fourth and empty fifth. I think this combination has been the most important detail for the sound of the trio. Roberto's prepared drums sound like a piano, and his technique is very ‘pianistic’ as well, creating special balances for a piano-trio.”

Stefano Battaglia, piano
Salvatore Maiore, bass
Roberto Dani, drums

Stefano Battaglia
(born 1965 in Milan) first drew international attention as a classical pianist, playing music from baroque and early music to 20th century composition, touring the European festivals in this capacity, before making the transition to music that incorporated improvisation, inspired initially by Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett. A strong feeling for structure, a legacy from the ‘classical’ years, continues to inform all his work. He has been an ECM artist since 2003, when the double album “Raccolto” was recorded. Subsequent releases have included “Re: Pasolini” a tribute to the Italian filmmaker and polymath, which includes contributions from Salvatore Maiore and Roberto Dani, and “Pastorale”, an album of duets with Michele Rabbia.

Salvatore Maiore
was born in Sassari in 1965, and studied double bass at the Cagliari conservatory. He has played with numerous Italian configurations and worked with visiting musicians including Lee Konitz, Billy Cobham, Joseph Jarman, Steve Grossman, Cedar Walton, Oliver Lake, and David Liebman. His discography includes recordings with Glauco Venier, Klaus Gesing, Al DiMeola and many others.

Roberto Dani
was born in Vicenza, Italy in 1969 and began playing drums at the age of 7. He has specialized in small ensemble work, exploring the borders between improvised and written music. His own bands and projects have included Norma Winstone, Louis Sclavis, Michel Godard and others. He has also played with Annette Peacock, Ralph Alessi, Ben Monder, Mick Goodrick and many more. He has played numerous solo concerts and also issued solo drum albums, recent releases include “Lontano”, for prepared drums, on the Stella Nera label.

Booklet for In the Morning - Music by Alec Wilder