Flowersongs Time Filters is a powered free-jazz and avant-garde trio, where that three seasoned gypsy souls join with his creative weapons with one aim: take a step beyond the music of the Flower Power moviment and its soundtrack. Ernest Margi on electric, acoustic and double neck guitars, Antonio Córdoba on double-bass and Toni Lledò on drums, udu, musical saw and percussion. They do of every concert a trip risked in this time of present jazz.
Children of his time, a time convulsed with movement constant and faster that all times before lived. They are part the community of the "I don't play jazz for my grandpas". Without concessions, without any type of shame or taboo. Pure unexpected, raw and progressive jazz music.
Possibly the best way of understanding the birth of this band it's reading the own words of his musical director and guitarist Ernest Margi. So... here we go!
"Flowersongs Time Filters was a product of a chance, in origin. Well, probably not so chance.
Though I have never renounced the standard music, full of great songs and the whole school of what and how in jazz, always but I have this in my mind: these aren't my standards, it's not the music that I heard when I was a child or a teenager, my own standards was different.
I believe firmly that the jazz in a language (not a simple style of music) that talk about current affairs and modern times. This is very important for a jazz healthy and alive, is necessary that we update our musical speech to the feeling and thought of today people. We are necessary for create new ideas, not for only nostalgic times.
For years I have experimented on my bands with songs of Metallica, Nirvana, Living Colour, Steve Ray Vaugham... and so forth, together with all the sensational tunes of Coltrane, Miles, Ahmal, Parker, Shorter, Mingus, Monk and all the greats. Arrange again all these pop and rock songs is very funny if you think in jazz.
Almost two years ago Jordi Pallarols wanted a new jazz quartet. For it he recruited in a beginning Antonio Córdoba to the double-bass and Pep Cebrián at the drums. Pep was the one that called me to join in the new band because we had coincided in several bands and he knew well my work.
At the beginning the band was going to be work with standards of the forties and the fifties, but immediately we met put into the world of Shorter, Hancock, Harrell and all these sensational histories of the seventies, tremendously hippies and open-minded.
Pallarols said to me that I should do some arrangement of some Hendrix's song. Oh, God! I warned him of the danger that his words were carrying because I was not thinking went a arrangement already written by Jimi or some other guy, I was not going to play with a wrong covers band with ride in swing and double-bass in crotchet. New chords, new concept, new feel. If I was bringing new arrangements that one would be something new, sounding like modern jazz and avant-garde.
He accepted my conditions and this day began this intense trip.
In two weeks I had the scores of every member of the band of five tunes, and a concept: that one was our honoring to the music of the flower power movement. I was totally involved and motivated in the project. We were considering the possibility of incorporating a pianist in the band, Though Jordi and I had very different ideas about how this pianist should play this music.
For time problems (and because the band was moving away much from his original idea) Jordi Pallarols drop out the group a little time after. After his departure I was a time out of the band for personal matters and for other professional offers, but in this days I spoke with Oscar Machancoses about his incorporation in the band. I was looking for this opened and light sound, like Bill Evans, full of shades. Oscar joined in the band and during my absence Antonio Córdoba directed the rehearsals with a very good outcomes.
After some gigs Córdoba and I saw clear that that formation was not for what we were searching. The incorporation of the pianist had not just worked and Cebrián was a drummer with swing, but his attack in moments of intensity was not the wished one for us. We decide close that phase and begin again like a trio and playing more in free-form.
We shuffle several drummers to substitute Pep, but I will never forget the surprise and illusion in the face of Antonio the day when I notified my decision: our new drummer would be Toni Lledò. They already had played together in different formations like Huerfanitos, els Complets or Metamòrfos. Toni is a drummer of very opened concepts, with the sound and attack of a rock drummer, but with a cracked constant of ideas... very improviser, very free. He was the most suitable musician.
Today continues being the best formula for Flowersongs. Antonio Córdoba with his big and round sound, vibrating with every note that he plays and doing that everything takes a step beyong. Toni Lledò with this drums full of new ideas and so of the seventies, besides his contributions with udu, musical saw and percussions... and I: moving free over all this musical wall and risk it all. Playing with acoustical guitars, strats and old fuzzes, sounding like a minimoog, playing double necks and twelve strings... like a dream for a guitarist improviser.
Life forges curious alliances and this alliance was good. We have finished forming part of a small great family that plays like funny and fighting cats."
Ernest Margi's words, introduction by the FSTF staff.
