AR MEN is the name of the most legendary lighthouse of Brittany.
Its light has shown quiet seas and endless storms that improvise...
The sensibility of the trio follows these natural elements trying to discover the colors of a musical fabric based on the interplay and on an attentive care of sound.
The thematic lines are developed clearly and at great length.
The colors become each time brilliant or soft, sometimes in shadow.
The cleanliness and composure of sounds the instruments produce exceed
at times in rebellious and anarchical moments.
The AR MEN project started in 2005 as a duo featuring Roberto Gemo on guitars and Carlo Alberto Canevali on drums. Alessandro Fedrigo joined on bass in 2006, and in the same year the trio recorded the first part of their trilogy in the excellent ArteSuono studio run by Stefano Amerio in Cavalicco (Udine).
Starting from Fall 2008 the new drummer of the trio is Gianni Bertoncini.
AR MEN TRIO's Volume II is due to be published in Spring 2009.
ROBERTO GEMO (guitars, composition)
Born in Bassano del Grappa in 1959, started playing guitar at the age of 6 and by the age of 14 was already playing live. He then put together the progressive rock-oriented band Slogan, recording three works with them. His meeting with M°Paolo Muggia took him in the direction of a classical guitar diploma. The study of the contemporary classical music and of the main artists of the present greatly influenced his style and personality. Graduated at the conservatory "Pollini" of Padua (Italy), he also attended stages with Guillermo Fierens and Mario Gangi and jazz workshops with Mick Goodrick and Joe Diorio. Released two works with his G'emo band, also playing in Paris at the "Fète de la Musique". In the ZZ Age duo with the vibraphone player Saverio Tasca, he performed a combination of jazz, contemporary music, improvisation and experimentation. His solo work Le phare was released in November 2000.
ALESSANDRO FEDRIGO (acoustic bass guitar)
Born in Treviso in 1970, studied with bass players as Harvie Swartz, Mark Egan, Ares Tavolazzi, Furio Di Castri. Played with Chris Hunter (Gil Evans Orchestra), Francesco Bearzatti, Robert Wyatt, Claudio Fasoli, Stefano Battaglia, Tony Scott, Guido Bombardieri, Glauco Venier, Ferenc Nemeth, Marco Tamburini, Zlatko Kauçic, Ben Monder as well as with the Veneto AMJ Orchestra directed by Marcello Tonolo, Gershwin Orchestra, and Open Jazz Orchestra directed by Mimmo Cafiero. Working with these large ensembles allowed him to share the bandstand with soloists like Paolo Fresu, Pietro Tonolo, Maurizio Caldura, Stefano D'Anna, Paolo Birro and many others.
GIANNI BERTONCINI (drums and percussions)
Born in Schio, flute diploma in Conservatory A.Pedrollo in Vicenza. Studied drums and percussions at Libera Scuola di Musica in Vicenza and Piccolo Conservatorio in Milano, and attended workshops with Peter Erskine, Tommy Campell, Don Moye, Bruno Biriaco, Ettore Fioravanti. After leading his own bands (Revue Blanche, Techne) he played in international festivals with Claudio Fasoli, Riccardo Brazzale's Lydian Sound Orchestra, Cheryl Porter (The Real Cheryl Porter Quartet, IGM International Gospel Messengers, VoxBox), Maurizio Camardi's Kammer Ensemble. He's also part of the Stand Hard Trio (feat. Silvia Donati on vocals) and Debora Petrina's Trio.
