The Wire magazine (UK) Daniel Spicer May 2010
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| "Ughi seems less concerned with the usual strategies of Free Jazz, although much of what he writes falls in that genre, than with the integration of improvisation and composition in a seamless unit that meshes melodic abstraction with sophisticated writing." Steven Loewy, All Music |
selected press
All Music
(USA) "it is clearly Ughi’s game, with the drummer nudging, cajoling, and pushing the limits" No.1 No.2
All About Jazz (USA) "Combining the timbral savvy of Tony Oxley with the controlled power of Rashied Ali."
Signal To Noise (USA) "Drummer Federico Ughi is a different kind of foil"
Jazz Journal International (UK) "... Ughi is a sensitive drummer...exploiting the full sonic possibilities"
Free Jazz (Belgium) "Ughi's drumming keeps his unbelievable energetic power"
Il Manifesto (Italy) "spazi dilatati ricchi, comunque, di tensione"
Cadence Magazine (USA) "Ughi... a solid improviser on his instrument"
All About Jazz (Italy) " ... quanto di meglio il jazz attuale ha da offrire." No.1 No.2 No.3
Alto Adige (Italy) "Ughi con il quintetto... prevale una solida struttura compositiva"
The Wire magazine (UK) "Youthful enthusiasm"
The Wire magazine (UK) Daniel Spicer May 2010 |
Federico Ughi, Kirk Knuffke,Chris Welcome - Garden Of Gifts (577 Records, 2009) ****½
Drummer Federico Ughi created with the 577 Records label a series of great albums with like-minded spirits such as Daniel Carter and Ras Moshe. On this album he is joined by trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and guitarist Chris Welcome, two upcoming musicians with a style of their own, but working in the tradition of Other Dimensions In Music (if that exists!), with long slowly elaborated pieces that explore sounds, moods and interaction. The slowness gives the music a sad, sometimes spiritual or contemplative feeling, while the open interaction leads to surprises and creative exchanges. Even if rhythm and melody are unclear, the music is relatively accessible, without shock element, or too much use of extended techniques of the instruments, whose basic sound is the norm here, with the musicians most of the time trying to play as quiet as possible. The nice thing about the music is to be found in the openness of the texture, the feeling that anything is possible, yet at the same time the three musicians to their utmost to play in a very restrained and focused way. The overall effect is almost organic in nature, without any straight lines or repetitive elements, in contrast with most man-made constructions, with sounds flowing in reaction to other sounds, like water finding its way through rocks, like leaves growing in many directions, but still growing on the same stem. Their total lack of urgency, especially their sublime use of silence and knowing when not to play, especially exemplified in the last track, gives the music a soft, meditative quality, appreciative of the moment itself, of the sound, of the creation, but then one with sufficient tension and vital force to make it all very captivating. A beautiful and very free-spirited album. Stef @ FreeJazz
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Federico Ughi, Gene Janas, Daniel Carter - People's Resonance (577 Records, 2008) ****
On the first piece of this album, "Talk in Play, People On Mercy", you will hear a rare wall of sound created by two acoustic instruments : Federico Ughi's drums and Gene Janas' bass. For close to nine minutes they bury every aspect of quietness under an avalanche of rhythmic power and relentless drive, over which Daniel Carter's sax wails expansively and fiercely. The second track, "Flowers Reach Clouds", starts quietly, with subtle percussion and flute, free and open, floating like clouds in the sky, fully breaking open when Carter switches to trumpet, increasing the tempo a notch, but not too much, increasing the drive and the fire, and when Janas (of the Brooklyn fire-jazz band Owl Xounds) switches to arco, Carter goes for his sax, while all the while Ughi's relentless many-armed drumming channels the trio into musical rapids and leading them through it. The real treat, however, is the last long track, "Protecting Cosmos", in which Ughi's drumming keeps his unbelievable energetic power, full of polyrhythmic pyrotechnics, with Carter and Janas at the start sounding as if they're accompanying a drum solo, but then Ughi slows down and gives the space to Carter and Janas, who keep things pretty meditatively open. But guess what? Ughi can't stand the silence, he can't stand the quiet, and in he comes again in full force, like a percussive pandemic, pushing the two others on, and on, and on. Half-way the track Carter starts with a rhythmic theme, boppish, with even a discernible repetitive pattern in it. Ughi calms down at times, allowing Janas to come in with some walking bass, and Carter to further explore his very expansive spiritual soloing, that evolves into fierce blowing as the rhythmic storm picks up momentum again. I am not sure how they're "protecting the cosmos", but they're sure as hell creating one. This is free jazz from the old school: raw, expansive, powerful and magnificent. Stef @ FreeJazz
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All Music (USA), Steven Loewy 2003
Review: Federico Ughi "South Of Brooklyn" 577 Records
4 stars (excellent)
After relocating from London, England to New York City in 2000, Italian free-style drummer Federico Ughi hit his stride, documenting his work on his own record label, 577 Records, which features his compositions and groups. Daniel Carter, with whom Ughi is closely associated, appears on the final four tracks of this album, but what distinguishes the album are the “options” (taken from the name of the group) and eclecticism of the approaches pursued. Bringing together mostly little known sidemen, the drummer achieves some dramatic effects that are thankfully devoid of common clichés, making this a fascinating entree to Ughi’s world. For example, the funky “Never There” punches with a deliciously upbeat verve, and could be confused with something a bit more commercial, while “Slight” is almost atmospheric with its slow tempo draped by three saxophonists. Electric guitarist Sean Moran plays a critical role throughout, with his hard-laced solos blending a rock sensibility with a free aesthetic. Ughi seems less concerned with the usual strategies of Free Jazz, although much of what he writes falls in that genre, than with the integration of improvisation and composition in a seamless unit that meshes melodic abstraction with sophisticated writing. There is not a weak voice in evidence, with group improvisation a common element. The saxes lock horns but never trip over one another, and if the guitar seems to occasionally solo without regard to context, he is always interesting. In the end, it is clearly Ughi’s game, with the drummer nudging, cajoling, and pushing the limits, careful not to go over the edge. By including ambient pieces such as “White,” which could have come from Bill Frisell, Ughi lets it known that his vision is broad enough to encompass a wide palette. Steven Loewy
 All About Jazz Italia (Italy) Fabio Strada 2010   |
Alto Adige (Italy) G.Se. 2004
ARTICLE: E il jazz di New York è un po' italiano Il quintetto Options di Federico Ughi questa sera
Bolzano. Sono sempre più numerosi i giovani strumentisti jazz italiani che decidono di trascorrere un periodo negli Stati Uniti per affinare la propria preparazione, respirando il clima musicale di New York e dintorni, certamente più stimolante di quello di tante città europee.
Molti, dopo questa esperienza, perlopiù maturata nelle scuole piu' accreditate e nei club, tornano in Italia fregiandosi di questa specializzazione, nell'intento di fare breccia nel mondo sempre più saturo e difficile del jazz. Alcuni però scelgono una via piu' ardua, ma certamente di maggiore soddisfazione, fermandosi negli States e cercando la' la propria collocazione. È il caso del batterista di origine romana Federico Ughi, che dopo aver fatto da giovanissimo un'esperienza a Londra, suonando soprattutto be-bop, si è trasferito a New York nel 2000 e là si è introdotto nella scena più interessante e prolifica dell'avanguardia, quella che fa capo a locali come il Knitting Factory e il CBGB.
Suo è il merito, per esempio, di aver portato in Italia un paio di anni fa il polistrumentista Daniel Carter, figura leggendaria della scena afroamericana di oggi, compagno di registrazioni di Matthew Shipp e William Parker. Ora Ughi torna in Europa con il suo ultimo progetto, il quintetto Options, che ha recentemente pubblicato l'album "South Of Brooklyn", per l'etichetta 577 Records, nel quale troviamo ancora come ospite speciale Carter.
E come nelle passate occasioni, il suo tour, che passa da Milano, Roma, San Marino e Slovenia, tocca anche la nostra regione, fermandosi questa sera a Bolzano, da Hopfen. Nella musica presentata da Ughi con il quintetto prevale una solida struttura compositiva, dovuta alla prolifica penna dello stesso batterista, che nei suoi brani fa balenare influenze di rock progressivo e free jazz, con uno spiccato e articolato gusto per gli incastri melodici.
La formazione che completa il quintetto Options è formata dai sassofonisti Matt Glassmeyer e Nathan Hanson, dal chitarrista Sean Moran e dal contrabbassista Dan Fabricatore.
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Signal To Noise (USA) Kurt Gottschalk, Winter 2003
REVIEW: FEDERICO UGHI and STEVE DALACHINSKY "I thought it was the end of the world..." 577 Records
A year later, and the number 'two' still carries with it a tinge of horror in New York City. Two parallel lines, two events in succession, two become none. On his new CD, New York poet and frequent improv collaborator Steve Dalachinsky never even mentions the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. The cover is a photo of seagulls flying against a plane of blue, not a shot of destruction and devastation. But while the city's wound is healing, it's still tender. The title - the suggestion that the world ended twice - like the paranoiac strains within - don't need to spell out terror in order to explore it. The thirty-minute suite is actually about vulnerability, albeit at a sensitive time.
Dalachinsky is known for his work with the best of New York's jazz and creative improv community. His earlier Knitting Factory release included Susie Ibarra, Thurston Moore, Matthew Shipp, and Daniel Carter, among numerous others. Such projects work because the poet knows how to leave plenty of room for his collaborators. Drummer and electronicist Federico Ughi is a different kind of foil, however. Rather than a jazzy state-theme-solo-and-vamp construction, Ughi creates quiet but effective washes behind the poet's words, and puts occasional live effects to Dalachinsky's voice, adding to the drama without getting in the way. The result is two artists working on an even plane, creating a single, evocative work.
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All About Jazz Italia (Italy) Letizia Renzini 2002
Review: Federico Ughi "ULERS Two - Unrehearsed Live Editing of Recorded Sounds" 577 Records
Per ben inquadrare questa produzione di Federico Ughi, batterista romano di giovane età da diversi anni residente a New York, occorre soffermarsi sull'idea che sta alla base del suo ULERS, progetto in fieri qui alla seconda puntata.
ULERS sta per Unrehearsed Live Editing of Recorded Sounds, ovvero un montaggio a posteriori (improvvisato!) derivante da due diverse registrazioni. La prima è una registrazione di solo di batteria dello stesso musicista, che riconosciamo dal suono leggero (Ughi predilige i piatti e qualsiasi cosa che suoni leggera all'interno del drum-set) e dalle frequenti escursioni dell'espressione. La seconda è una registrazione d'ambiente, effettuata in una passeggiata di un'ora nel centro romano, che riconosciamo (oltre che, in qualche caso, dai suoni stessi) dai titoli che individuano le quattro tracce del lavoro finito.
Ughi ci fa dunque riflettere sui suoni d'ambiente e sulla loro musicalità con un comporre che è qui piuttosto gesto: i due mondi (mondi reali della vita del musicista, uno esterno e l'altro interno) si incontrano virtualmente in una sorta di colonna sonora al contrario, dove il traffico e i rumori della vita di una città possono facilmente costituire il supporto su cui punteggiare il proprio discorso musicale, da qualsiasi parte del mondo esso venga enunciato. Ughi crea così 5 diversi ambienti su cui far vivere le proprie interazioni, seguendo la regola di inserire un evento musicale importante per ciascun mondo.
Alla base di ciò c'è certo una familiarità con l'improvvisazione quindi una passione per l'ascolto dei suoni "emotivi" della musica concreta; Ughi, poi, non ha una pratica del montaggio invasiva, e molte sequenze restano intatte, editate o alterate con misura, oltre a conservare sempre un suono "rough" che non dispiace, e le sue soluzioni non suonano mai pretestuose.
Così può succedere che il passaggio di un motorino in lontananza messo in loop può diventare una sequenza ritmica, una voce isolata porta con se tutto il suo mondo e ci emoziona, un crescendo urbano "naturale" ispira un crescendo ritmico e sonoro, rischioso e poco confortante, proprio come può essere l'ambiente in cui viviamo.
Un pregevole esperimento abitativo-musicale.
Valutazione: * * * *
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All Music (USA), François Couture 2002
Review: Federico Ughi with Daniel Carter "Astonishment" 577 Records
Astonishment: the title may sound pretentious but for once it is well deserved. Federico Ughi and Daniel Carter's CD surprises and charms. Both players are well accustomed to free improvising, but their take on the genre is a lot more atmospheric than one would expect. Carter alternates mainly between his trumpet and alto saxophone (a touch of flute or clarinet here and there too). His short, pensive trumpet lines recall Bill Dixon. His reed playing can be a little more gutsy, but things rarely escalate over the whisper. Ughi mainly uses soft mallets, tickling the cymbals, less playing the drums than letting them release their inner vibrations. He also sings long, delicate notes he samples live to accumulate. The resulting music is dreamy, cloudy, surprisingly quiet, and gentle for a free improv session. One thinks of Ben Monder's albums with Theo Bleckmann (the two voices also share similarities), some of Pauline Oliveros' pieces, or some strange, otherworldly world music -- Astonishment emits ritualistic, incantatory vibes. Singling out a particular track would not do justice to the other ones, since they all share a similar mood and seem interconnected in a unique musical vision. This CD could be used as an entry point for someone interested in free improvisation. Wrapped up in the music you hardly notice the absence of a script until you focus your attention on either player. To be listened to with eyes closed after a particularly stressful day. Strongly recommended.
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Il Manifesto (Italy), Luigi Onori February 23rd 2002
Review: Federico Ughi with Daniel Carter "Astonishment" 577 Records
Questo CD documenta l'attivita' newyorkese del musicista italiano. Egli suona la batteria, utilizza la voce e lavora campionando suoni dal vivo mentre al suo fianco agisce uno dei piu' interessanti strumentisti della Big Apple, quel Daniel Carter che suona sassofoni, clarinetti, tromba e flauto. La musica viene creata quale composizione istantanea dei due jazzisti e si muove su piani prevalentamente orizzontali; giocati su spazi dilatati ricchi, comunque, di tensione, i pezzi combinano i suoni della trombe sordinata con lo scampanio dei piatti, il fraseggio delle ance con i campionamenti, il linguaggio del free con un relax quasi cool. "Stupore" e' un titolo quantomai esatto che riassume la dimensione attonita, sognante ma indagatoria dei sei brani dell'album. 6/7
All About Jazz Italia (Italy) Sisifo 2000
Review: Federico Ughi "The Space Within" Slam 236
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All About Jazz Italia (Italy) features Federico Ughi "The Space Within" Slam 236
