Misinterprotato
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Misinterprotato

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"Misinterprotato live"

In 2003, Misinterprotato named its debut album Now For The Free. Four years on, the Brisbane group is continuing to explore what freedom might represent in the context of a jazz trio. On their new album, Variations, the musicians make judicious use of effects (prepared piano, distorted bass) and guest artists to expand the parameters of the classic piano-bass-drums format.
Launching Variations in Melbourne on Sunday night, the trio kept these effects and additions to a bare minimum. Sean Foran prepared his piano slightly on two pieces, producing a faint but audible ‘buzz’ in the keyboard’s lower register. And Melbourne trumpeter Peter Knight joined the trio for a free improvisation and one composed piece (Ascent), his beautifully muted tone enhancing the tune’s innate lyricism.
For the most part, though, the ‘variations’ in mood and texture were created purely by the interplay among the trio members. Foran and drummer John Parker have been working together since 1999, and are so familiar with each other’s playing that even their freely improvised pieces have an intuitive structure and logic. Bassist Pat Marchisella joined the group a year ago, but his muscular and interactive approach means he is already an equal contributor to the trio’s sound.
Sunday’s program alternated between driving, intensely dynamic numbers and tunes with a more delicate, textural feel. Several compositions combined both moods: Branching Out was propelled by vigorous, rapid arpeggios from piano and bass, and also incorporated a spacious interlude featuring Parker’s feathery brush strokes.
Foran and Parker (the trio’s composers) are both fond of odd time signatures and rhythmic division and displacement, yet their metric tricks never interrupted the music’s flow. This was especially apparent on the night’s ambitious but satisfying closer, Variations on a Bad Day – a bracing, dramatic piece filled with the kind of imaginative spirit that can turn a bad day into an unexpected adventure.
- The Age


"Variations Review"

When original music comes your way you are propelled to stop what you are doing, listen to that feeling, take a deep breath and think 'I want to hear that again!" Brisbane-based jazz band Misinterprotato is making works of art with it's recently released album Variations. From minimalism to European jazz, art rock and contemporary classical, Misinterprotato combines sounds that create music that is intense, moody, spacious and full of explosive energy.
It's unique talent rolls effortlessly off the various instruments to create sounds that are breathtakingly stunning
Carl Lindgren - MAP Magazine


"Dazzling Trio"

Dazzling trio draws fans from beyond their bounds

There is plenty of noise made about the quality and breadth of talent in Brisbane's rock scene.

And why not when you hear artists like Jackie Marshall and The Gin Club, who performed dazzling sets at last week's Q Song songwriting awards, and I Heart Hiroshima, who have an excellent new album, Tuff Teef.

Less often remarked is the quality in other areas of contemporary music. Foremost among these is instrumental trio Misinterprotato, who have already toured to Japan and Canada and, with the release of a third album, Variations (Jazzhead), have firmly established themselves as one of the best young bands of their type anywhere in the world.

You'll notice I've gone this far without mentioning the word "jazz", and though the trio – pianist Sean Foran, drummer John Parker and double bassist Pat Marchisella – is jazz-trained, the musicians' explorations have appeal which goes beyond that usual market. They attract a young audience, many of whom who don't usually venture into jazz gigs.

Here's why: Variations, quite simply, is dazzling, building on the band's interests in improvisation, the avant-rock of later Radiohead and the minimalism often associated with European jazz label ECM.

The opening, Island of the Sun, with its (mostly) 7/8 time signature, shows the supple interplay of Parker and new bass player Marchisella, whose addition of acoustic bass adds a fresh dimension. These might be acoustic instruments but here they build up to a storm of sound, before giving way to the quiet release of the 10-minute slow-burn of At the Right Moment.

After the success of collaborations on the concert stage the band brings in guest players to the studio, with a string section integral to the burbling energy of Start and trumpet complementing the late-night groove of Ascent.

Of course, Foran's melodic and harmonic approaches are everywhere, sometimes muscular and ominous (see Variations on a Bad Day and Chunk), sometimes hypnotic (Everything That Isn't), sometimes positively gleeful (Branching Out), always inventive.

Foran has won a Brisbane Lord Mayor's Emerging Artist Fellowship for 2007, and leaves next month to undertake a master of arts at Leeds University in the UK. The rest of the band will follow for some serious European touring in 2008. - Courier Mail


"Now For the Free Album Review"

Australian Financial Review - Shane Nichols 14th Nov
Now For The Free. Misinterprotato (Newmarket) 8 stars: The piano trio is a forbidding format: exposed, without a sax or similar putting on a show up front; a long history of groundbreaking and virtuosic forebears rooted in the Bill Evans' style of cerebral, contemplative and radical music-making.
Yet here's a young Brisbane trio, formed at the Con in 1999, tackling the genre with astounding confidence and maturity. It goes beyond playing well.
Misinterprotato not only sound at home in their European-influenced modernism, they are genuinely creative and vital. Sean Foran's piano playing has a crystalline beauty, elegant and spacious, supported by a rhythm section - James O'Brien (bass) and John Parker (drums) - that has a ton of verve and taste. Whether the chilled and sparse melodicism of the ballad, Motion, which sets the tone of the album, the Necks-inspired organic groove of Domino vs the Powerful Owl, the atmospheric intro to Shorter Than Some and the groove of Waiting, the band sounds focused and the music satisfyingly whole, all the more for its economy and poise. This debut is quite addictive and it's exciting to come across a trio whose concept is so well stated and which promises even more.
- Australian Financial Review


"Breath of Fresh Air . . ."

Rhythms Magazine March 2004
MISINTERPROTATO, “now for the free”. Here’s a breath of fresh air from Brisbane. Misinterprotato is a young, comprising of Sean Foran on acoustic or electric piano, James O’Brien on bass and John Parker on drums, percussion and vibraphone. The media release for the CD suggested some elements in common with the Necks. Along with similar instrumentation, there are several tracks here where Misinterprotato displays a similar patience in the way they allow to unfold and take shape at it’s own pace. The Necks may well be an influence, but I doubt that anyone will mistake one band for the other.
The best example of what I mean is ‘Waiting’ : at one stage, Foran sprinkles just a few notes over the repeating bass line, then works over a handful of notes in the upper register, much as Chris Abrahams might. But then from there, the music accelerates into a latin groove, the pianist’s lines becoming increasingly busy and excited; it’s not how the Necks would resolve things at all.
The disc includes eight tracks, all around the four to six minute mark. Some of the themes or melodies are more interesting than others, but the important thing is that the trio usually manages to inject some kind of surprising or interesting twist into the way the music develops. Certain European piano trios, like those led by Esbjorn Svensson or Tord Gustavsen, are probably equally useful reference points for their music.
Electric piano is used sparingly, making its use on ‘Duckdive’ a welcome change of texture. (There is a video track showing the band on stage; unfortunately my computer couldn’t open it.) On the whole, it’s a convincing debut, and we can look forward to hearing a whole lot more from Misinterprotato.
- Rhythms Magazine


""In Is In" CD Review by Adrian Jackson"

This young Brisbane trio - keyboardist Sean Foran, bassist James O’Brien and drummer John Parker - made a promising debut in 2003 with Now For The Free. In Is In shows an impressive growth in their maturity and assurance. This is evident in both the music they write (eight pieces by Foran, two by Parker) and the way the trio explores and develops the ideas inherent in those compositions. Space is an important ingredient in their sound, but they generate some energy at times, too. There is also textural variety, with Foran switching between acoustic and electric piano, and Dan Curro adding cello on two tracks. One band they admire is Sweden’s Esbjorn Svensson Trio, and their influence is apparent here and there, such as the fuzz-toned bass guitar solo on Mesmerisation, and on the dark, forbidding When She Left. - The Bulletin


"In Is In CD Review"

Much like their debut Now For The Free, Australia’s most forward-thinking contemporary jazz trio recorded their latest album over a livid and inspired live studio session. The result is an album that boldly walks the thin chalk-line between pulse-settling reflection and gloriously unhinged, hep-fuelled disorder.

Famed for their brash approach to composition and instrumentation, the Brisbane outfit make discriminating use of distortion, modified piano, cello and percussion within the bold framework of their original compositions.

‘The Discontent’ is simultaneously the darkest and sweetest moment of this dazzling opus, clearing a path for the windswept ‘Tacit’ and erratic ‘The Sum Of’. In Is In is a multi-headed beast, broadly smiling and intermittently poking its tongue at the fundamentalist jazz world, then cocking its ear lovingly towards a contemporary music space occupied by latter-day Radiohead and the full gamut of genre-defying oddballs.

As infinitely listenable as it is gallant and challenging, In Is In should, and will, find its way into the CD collection of anyone whose heart swells at the sound of something honest, joyful and brimming with life.

(Robert Lukins) http://www.timeoff.com.au/archive/1232/reviews/index.html

- Time Off Magazine


"In Is In Review by Doug Spencer"

“In is In goes well beyond 'generic jazz trio'. Often, it sounds decidedly ‘northern European’, but Misinterprotato is Brisbane-based. Their debut was promising, but this – their second CD – really delivers. “ - ABC RAdio "The Planet"


"In Is In Review by John McBeath"

This young piano trio from Brisbane has an enigmatic name that sounds like shorthand for the absurdity of a misunderstood potato. Their music however, is un-enigmatic, accesible and original. The first IN of the title could stand for intergration because of the accent is very much on smoothly combining three instruments - with cello added on two tracks - whilel eaving space for individual solos.
Most tracks are composed by pianist Sean Foran and range from thoughful ballads to swinging works that travel varied rhythmic landscapes. John Parker's drum kit is cleverly arranged as a melodic contributor using many cymbals and other superbly integrated high end effects, as well as providing rhythmic force.
These are interesting compositions : intelligent and sometimes moodily reflective, but always in touch with their jazz origins. Foran's piano style is brimful of ideas applied equally well to ballads and up-tempo pieces, often incorporating them, into one piece, as in the title track.
4 Stars
- The Australian


"Variations Review"

This release from the Brisbane piano trio with and intriguing name sounds even more classically influenced than their 2005 album “In is In”. Pianist and leader Sean Foran has composed most of the pieces , with another three by drummer John Parker. Island of the Sun establishes a bossa-beat before the piano begin a running fugue like theme. This builds to a crashing crescendo of a solo followed by Pat Marchisella’s fast moving bass interlude, preceding a return to theme.
Several guest artists make an appearance: violin, viola, alto sax, plus Peter Knight’s moodily expressive trumpet on a introspective ballad Ascent.
A more energetiic approach is used on Chunk. A jagged polyrhythmic exposition with free jazz style clashes between the instruments.
The final track Labyrinth, is a completely improvised soundscape using prepared piano, sliding bass harmonics, and a busy but not overpowering drum kit.
A fine example of contemporary music in various tempos, incorporating a range of moods and drawing extensively on diverse classical references fused with 21st century jazz ideas.

- The Australian


Discography

Now For the Free - debut album released 2003 through Newmarket Music
In Is In - 2nd full length album released July 2005 through Jazzhead/MGM
Variations - 3rd Full length Album released July 2007 through jazzhead/MGM

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Bio

Misinterprotato are one of Australia’s most inventive contemporary music ensembles.
So much more than a traditional jazz trio, this group expands the capacities of the classic piano/bass/drums combination with elements of the avant-garde and a fresh attitude they bring to their music.
Truly captivating for a variety of audiences, Misinterprotato skillfully blend dense, exciting improvisations and delicate atmospherics, conjuring up sounds of modern jazz, ambient music, avant garde rock, free improvisation and contemporary classical music.

Formed in 1999 while studying at the Queensland Conservatorium, the group’s sound is driven by pianist Sean Foran, teamed with John Parker’s expansive dynamic and timbral range on percussion and Patrick Marchisella’s visceral touch on the double bass.
Their debut album “now for the free” released in 2003 gathered them critical acclaim. The Sydney Morning Herald called them “full of brilliant promise” while The Age noted - “a polished debut...finesse not usually found on a first album”.

Their second release “In is In” released on the boutique label Jazzhead is an even stronger development for the group. The Australian called it “intelligent and moodily reflective….4 stars”, while “Rhythms” said, “Filled with emotion and space and rich in texture and interaction, ‘In is In’ marks and impressive growth in their maturity and assurance.”

The trio’s third full length album, "Variations" encapsulates the vision, virtuosity and passion to discover new ground which sets this group apart, and is their finest yet. Vastly dynamic the group expand on the trio lineup with guest artists on trumpet, strings, and electronics, giving an added dimension to the music. "Variations, quite simply, is dazzling, building on the band's interests in improvisation, the avant-rock of later Radiohead and the minimalism often associated with European jazz label ECM." - The Courier Mail

Misinterprotato have performed around Australia at the Wangaratta Jazz festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Melbourne International jazz Festival, Brisbane Festival, Valley Jazz Festival, and the Apollo Bay Festival, among others. Internationally the trio have also appeared at the Calgary International Jazz Festival Canada, clubs throughout the UK, the Kutchan Jazz Festival Japan, World Expo Japan, and toured Japan several times. Their strength is a remarkable abilility to appeal to jazz fans and the more non-jazz audiences, giving them the ability to fit an array of venues and festivals. They do this without compromising on style, and intensity in the music.

Inspiring improvisations, intuitive interaction, music does not often draw in its listeners so deeply. Misinterprotato are a trio at the forefront of creative music

“Australia’s most forward thinking jazz trio” – Timeoff Magazine

"intelligent and sometimes moodily reflective, but always in touch with their jazz origins. Foran's piano style is brimful of ideas applied equally well to ballads and up-tempo pieces" - 4* The Australian

"Variations, quite simply, is dazzling, building on the band's interests in improvisation, the avant-rock of later Radiohead and the minimalism often associated with European jazz label ECM." - The Courier Mail

"boldly walks the thin chalk-line between pulse-settling reflection and gloriously unhinged, hep-fuelled disorder". - Time Off

“Misinterprotato not only sound at home in their European-influenced modernism, they are genuinely creative and vital. Sean Foran's piano playing has a crystalline beauty, elegant and spacious, supported by a rhythm section that has a ton of verve and taste.” - Australian Financial Review

"part of the new wave of piano trios, citing influences such as EST, The Necks and Radiohead. Emphasizing an ensemble approach, they are more than comfortable cranking up the volume, generating mesmeric and fluid runs, working in tight with each other". - Live Review, Wangaratta Jazz Festival - The Age

"A fine example of contemporary music in various tempos, incorporating a range of moods and drawing extensively on diverse classical references fused with 21st century jazz ideas". - The Australian

"A breath of fresh air from Brisbane....”- Adrian Jackson - Rhythms

"...outstanding confidence and maturity. They are genuinely creative and vital" - Shane Nichols, Aust. Financial Review

"A polished debut......with a finesse not usually found on a first album" **** (4 Stars) - Leon Gettler, The Age