Songs from an unknown land
Songs by Ana Pilat and Klaus Gesing
featuring
Simone Locarni - piano
Yuri Goloubev - double bass
Roberto Dani - drums
Rosa Mussin - voice
Annamaria Varsori - voice
When words meet melodies, new songs come into existence.
Beginning a new song sometimes opens a door to an unknown land, or reveals a glimpse of an inner place we didn't know about. That is the moment we get curious, the moment the adventure begins.
The music and words we have found offer varying sceneries, some might be called Singer/Songwriter, some Modern Jazz, some Acoustic Pop. At the end of the day, though, we couldn’t be less concerned about questions of genre, style or what name it should be called by.
To combine melodies and words was the initial momentum and motivation to set out on this expedition; the songs that came to be reflect the ever changing landscape of human experience.
To perform these songs means much more than to share the genuine enthusiasm we experienced during their discovery.
They will be infused with the combined talent and spirit of a wonderful group of musicians, all of whom have travelled far on the courageous path of their personal, musical expression.
We gladly invite you to join us on this journey.
Ana Pilat - Lyrics/Vocals
Ana Pilat (CRO/FI) is a graduated vocalist, lyricist and holistic vocal pedagogue. She recorded her first album at 16 and continued actively performing in various jazz, world music projects and Big Bands. In 2019, she released an album with a chamber group Violoncelli Itineranti, and earned a second prize at the International Folkest Festival. Her talent in lyric writing was recognized by Norma Winstone and Egberto Gismonti, while her co-written song ‘Tides’ reached the semifinals of the International Songwriting Competition 2023. She recently recorded 'Music for Voice and Big Band' album with Klaus Gesing and the Latvian Radio Big Band.
Simone Locarni - Piano
Simone Locarni (ITA) is one of the great promises of the new European jazz scene. Recently awarded the 2024 Bettinardi Prize as Best Italian Soloist and the prestigious European Young Artist's Award in Burghausen (DE), the young pianist from Piedmont has been active on the European scene for several years, both alongside highly esteemed musicians (such as Bebo Ferra, Andrea Dulbecco and Asaf Sirkis, to name a few) and as a solo artist.
Yuri Goloubev - Double Bass
Yuri Golubev (ITA/RU) is one of Europe’s most sought-after jazz double bassists with over 100 album releases. Trained in Moscow, he has performed in over 60 countries at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Berlin Philharmonie as well as major festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, and North Sea Jazz.
His collaborations span international jazz stars such as Bob James, Till Brönner, Chico Freeman, Kenny Werner, Ralph Towner, Billy Kilson, Julian Arguelles, Alex Sipiagin, and Norma Winstone, among many others. His album "Two Chevrons Apart" was listed among the best releases of 2020 by Downbeat.
Roberto Dani - Drums
Roberto Dani (ITA) is a self-taught musician known for his research between written music and realtime composition through solo performances on a custom-made drum set. Notable are his works in various art forms including ballet music for Teatro La Scala, contemporary operas and theatre productions. During more than 25 years of career, he worked with some of the leading jazz artists such as Annette Peacock, Louis Sclavis, Kenny Wheeler, Tim Berne, Dave Liebman, Paul McCandless, Norma Winstone, Al Di Meola etc. Among others, nowadays Dani performs with Stefano Battaglia with whom shares four ECM recordings. His overall discography includes more than 100 titles.
Rosa Mussin - Voice
Rosa Mussin works as a singer and chorister in various groups with which she tours Italy and Europe: since 2012 with the North East Ska*Jazz Orchestra (Rototom Sunsplash, Erromo Festival, etc.), Carpenteria Sonora Bianco, Amazin' Gospel, Anthony Basso & Love Caravan, in 2017 gave life to his solo project Rose & theNuProject, as well as actively collaborating with various musicians from all over Italy. She has until now recorded 10 CDs with various ensembles.
She teaches modern singing in music schools and workshops.
Annamaria Varsori - Voice
Annamaria Varsori (ITA) is a jazz singer, songwriter, choral director and vocal coach. She performs in solo projects of her own music, jazz duos, singing in bigbands and in modern music concerts. As choir director, she is a member of vocal ensembles with which she has participated in national and international festivals, tours and competitions.