Paolo Bacchetta - The Storytellers (2020)

Far from being yet another organ trio, Yerkir are true “Storytellers”: hypnotic dances, rough and uncontrollable sounds, gentle ballads, plus a touch of progressive. All of this is done with an immediate approach, putting arrangements aside and rather focusing on interplay.

Brought together by a common love for Paul Motian’s work, the trio featuring Paolo Bacchetta (guitar), Giulio Stermieri (Hammond organ) and Zeno De Rossi (drums) was born at Auand Days 2017, the artistic residency organized by Marco Valente in the music label hometown, Bisceglie (Puglia, Italy). It hosted dozens of the most creative musicians in the Italian scene, diving deep in improvisation and innovation. Since then, Bacchetta, Stermieri and De Rossi have started playing together for two years, eventually working on this recording, published by Auand Records.

«Live shows – Paolo Bacchetta says – helped us refine the sound and better understand how to make it work. I wanted to record with them because since the beginning I felt something powerful going on. We tried to carefully work on the repertoire, exploring what would fit us as musicians. I’m still surprised by the dynamism of some tunes, even after performing them a million times.»

Each member adds an invaluable personal touch. «The sound of each of them – Bacchetta adds – is always unpredictable. Playing with them, I’ve never had the feeling of working with an “organ trio”, at least not the conventional way. They both have a top-notch music approach, often a complex one. This is why the tracks often take unexpected, tension-filled detours.»

They all started with at least one thing in common: their devotion for Paul Motian, which «basically motivated us to form a band. We started playing his compositions, then we added some originals, still inspired by his music, and encouraged by someone as tireless as Auand Records’ founder Marco Valente. Motian has been a constant point of reference since we first met. Even in the originals, I find there’s something related to the American drummer, especially from a poetic point of view.»