Andrea Ruggeri Ensemble releases 'Musiche Invisibili' inspired by Calvino's Invisible Cities

Andrea Ruggeri Ensemble, led by drummer and composer Andrea Ruggeri, released the album 'Musiche Invisibili' in 2022 on Da Vinci Jazz, marking the 50th anniversary of Italo Calvino's 'Invisible Cities'. The album is a seven-track suite that translates Calvino's literary cities into sound. Recorded live with both audio and video, the initial plan was a DVD, but the decision to release only a CD enhanced the spatialization of sound, as mixing engineer Carlo Cantini worked with visuals in mind. The ensemble features thirteen musicians from various Italian regions, including Sardinia, Calabria, and Lombardy. The music blends jazz, chamber music, world music, and progressive rock from the 1970s, with an emphasis on acoustic sound and empirical risk-taking. Tracks like 'Zora' are described as 'minimalism in motion', while 'Tamara' and 'Dorotea' evoke expansive spaces and burning desire. Ruggeri emphasizes the physicality of sound and the importance of collective improvisation, aiming to 'sculpt the sonic mass' through silence, metric changes, and subtraction. The album reflects Calvino's idea of a book as a space where readers can get lost and find their own path.