Guerrino Mazzola/Heinz Geisser: Toni’s Delight

Pianist Guerrino Mazzola and percussionist Heinz Geisser comprise the duo that performs five selections on this CD, cut live in Seoul, Korea. Because Mazzola’s playing is technically brilliant and often loud, percussive and dissonant, some listeners will view him as being a cutting edge musician. He’s not all that modern, though. His influences, Cecil Taylor and avant garde classical musicians who came to the fore prior to 1950, obviously have been around for some time even though they’re still not accepted by the general public. Mazzola’s not an innovator, other pianists have drawn from and synthesized the artists that inspired him, but he does have an identity of his own. His performances will impress certain fans as uncontrolled, but he knows what he’s doing; in fact he’s very interested in motivic development, and makes reference throughout the entire album to material he introduces during the opening of the first track. Mazzola favors thick, heavy textures, uses his left hand aggressively and frequently his work’s busy. But at times he eases up to give his work contrast and openness, as on “Nibula.” The impressive Geisser functions as a close-to-equal partner of Mazzola, engaging in a dialog with him rather than functioning as an accompanist.

Originally Published October 1, 1999