Edoardo Marraffa

Bio:

CONTACTS
edoardomarraffa@yahoo.it



...producing an extremely varied compendium of sounds, oscillating from the range of accompanying sounds to the basic one, both of an harmonic nature and of an indeterminate type (variations on “deflected” breath, vibration of controlled distortion), over-acute notes lacking the basic one, multiple sounds, rapid jumps from the over acute to the real note, multiple staccatos, microtonal intonation on the note jumped to, intra-tonal glissandos, phantom notes, unusual fingering, and so many other things, which together form what is astonishing in the combinatory capacity of the vocabulary in real time, all in all, flexibility... The accompanying harmonic sounds in Marraffa do not follow any fixed pattern of succession but alternate irregularly the closest and farthest intervals between the series of harmonics, forming unforeseeable, fractionary sequences and generating a protean sound that chooses to break apart and multiply itself following the inspiration of the mood of improvisation.
(Stefano Zorzanello for Angelica festival)

On tenor and sopranino saxophones, and on one occasion both simultaneously, Marraffa traded in split tones and squeals with his squawking, bubbling overblown tenor particularly likely to overflow the confines of group decorum.
(John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz)

Marraffa’s big, blustery tone on tenor included tongue pops and squeals and He also impressed on sopranino.
(Ken Weiss, Jazz Improv New York)

Voilà quelque chose à ècouter qui laisse une trace, qui donne envie d’en savoir plus et d’entendre le musician en livre. Ce son unique, les sifflements d’anche, ces bribes de melodies spontanèes, une telle vocalitè du tenor!...Quand Edoardo fait siffler les anches de deux saxophones à la fois, on croit rèver.
(Jean-Michel Van Shouwburg, Improjazz)

Un saxophoniste pareil… on n’en a pas entendu souvent! Un son proche de celui d’Albert Ayler, un vrai sens mélodique dans le maniement des textures et de l’éclatement des overtones, une articulation personnelle. Quelqu’un qui sait crier dans un sax sans aucun cliché. On retrouve chez Edoardo Marraffa, certaines des qualités les plus remarquables d’un Lol Coxhill ou d’un Joe Mc Phee.
(Jean-Michel Van Shouwburg, Improjazz)

non da meno è l'ascolto del sax di Edoardo Marraffa, di cui si deve ammirare il controllo dello strumento e la coerenza espressiva anche nei momenti di maggiore furore e sperimentazione sonora.
(Pierluigi Basso, Orfeo Nella Rete)

this is a player with plenty of ideas, and the patience to work through them in an unhurried manner.
(Gerard F. Tierney, Rubberneck)

...que toca saxofones tenor e sopranino à vez ou em simultâneo, aplicando-lhes um vasto arsenal de técnicas ortodoxas e heterodoxas. Música criativa, inteligente e bem-humorada, produzida para ser pensada e sentida em toda a sua fácil complexidade, simultaneamente leve e profunda no modo de se expor à fruição por ouvidos receptivos.
(posted by eduardo chagas)

Tenor player Marraffa takes self-expression to an extreme on his solo recording. It is a very emotional and unsetting performance, not unsetting in a negative context but in the sense that it hits you between the eyes and makes you take notice.... Using circular breathing and extensive tonguing techniques, Marraffa plays as though possessed by demons...
(Frank Rubolino, Cadence)

Ensuite, un travail sur le son brut, l'interaction physique entre les lévres et le souffle nous permettent d'apprecier son approche technique de l'instrument avant de deboucher sur un souffle continu multiphonique. Décapant.
(Philippe Renaud, Improjazz)

... Marraffa analizza e reinventa quell'età dell'oro del free, aggiunge solo qualche sprazzo dell'improvvisazione totale europea. Ha l'asprezza accorata e morbida dello Shepp migliore, non trascura, avendole introiettate e rivissute, le esperienze dei Brötzmann e dei Butcher. Ma solo un pochino di questi ultimi.
(Mario Gamba, Alias)

Marraffa suona i sassofoni con la prepotenza di una lingua di ghiaccio che scavi una vallata ad U.
(Giampiero Cane, Alias)

on player:

VAKKI PLAKKULA
BABIRUSSA CAPIBARA 2009
Lullo Mosso voce, basso
Edoardo Marraffa tenore, alto, sopranino
Mirko Sabatini batteria, voce

Honsinger-Sanna-Marraffa-Edwards
ARTACTS 2007 (St. Johann in Tirol)
Tristan Honsinger cello
Edoardo Marraffa tenor sax
Eugenio Sanna guitar
John Edwards double bass

ECO D'ALBERI
VISION FESTIVAL 2008 (New York)
Edoardo Marraffa tenor sax
Alberto Braida piano
Antonio Borghini doublebass
Fabrizio Spera drums

MRAFI
DESERTIFICATI 2009
LA TERRA DI GIUBBA 2006
Edoardo Marraffa saxophones
Pasquale Mirra vibes
Antonio Borghini doublebass
Cristiano Calcagnile drums

EdusTonus
MARRAFFA-MIANO 2008
Edoardo Marraffa sopranino
Tonino Miano piano