In the heart of Rome, where ancient history and modern creativity constantly collide, Threegonos, Modern Jazz Unity emerged nearly twenty years ago under the vision of bassist Toni Armetta. What began as a bold experiment has grown into one of Italy’s most dynamic jazz collectives, a sextet known for its fearless blending of tradition and innovation. From their earliest performances at festivals such as Villa Celimontana, Jazz Festival at Villa Lazzaroni, Praja Jazz Festival, and Jazz Image-Colosseo, the group quickly gained recognition for their ability to captivate both critics and audiences. Their sound is distinguished not only by Armetta’s intricate compositions and arrangements but also by the vibrant interplay among some of Italy’s finest musicians: Giuseppe Russo (sax), Edoardo “Edo” Petretti (synth and accordion), Ludovico “Ludo” Piccinini (guitars), Umberto “Maracatumbi” Vitiello (voice and percussion), and Danilo Ombres (drums and tabla).
What makes Threegonos stand out is their refusal to confine themselves to the conventional framework of jazz. Their music is built on improvisation but enriched by global influences, flamenco, tango, African rhythms, Middle Eastern modes, all seamlessly interwoven into a modern jazz fabric that is as melodic as it is exploratory. Guest collaborations with artists like Paolo Innarella (soprano sax) and Gabriella Aiello (voice) further expand their sonic world, lending depth and diversity to an already richly textured soundscape. With their 2023, Return to 80th Street, Threegonos announced themselves as innovators pushing jazz into new territories. Now, with their sophomore project, they solidify their reputation as a collective that is both deeply rooted in tradition and unafraid of reimagining it.
On July 31st, 2025, Threegonos returns with “Questioni di Pensiero”, a breathtaking new album released under MIA Progetto Musica, Collana Millenium Music. Presented live at Rome’s prestigious Alexander Platz ahead of its release, this project marks a defining moment in the band’s two-decade journey. Far more than a conventional jazz record, “Questioni di Pensiero” is an auditory adventure, a genre-bending exploration where intricate harmonies meet the pulse of flamenco, the sensuality of tango, and the depth of African and Middle Eastern rhythms. Each of its ten tracks feels like a story unfolding, a conversation between cultures, and a meditation on the very act of thought itself. It is a work that captures the spirit of contemporary jazz at its most expansive: sophisticated yet deeply accessible, intellectual yet profoundly emotional. From the reflective openness of the title track to the cinematic intrigue of “Walking Through the Black Market”, the album invites listeners to step into a soundscape that is constantly shifting, never predictable, and endlessly rewarding.
Questioni Di Pensiero Album Track List:
Questioni Di Pensiero:
The title track “Questioni di Pensiero” from Threegonos’ album serves as both a musical and philosophical manifesto, establishing the tonal and conceptual identity of the entire project. Right from its opening measures, the composition presents a carefully woven atmosphere where bass, saxophone, and synth intertwine in a dialogue that feels both intimate and expansive. The bass lines anchor the piece with a deep resonance, setting a contemplative foundation that allows the melodies to unfold like streams of thought, drifting between certainty and inquiry. The instrumentation moves with a measured patience, as if mirroring the very act of thinking, pausing, reconsidering, and reshaping ideas through harmonic shifts and subtle rhythmic accents. This reflective quality is heightened by the interplay of winds and keys, which ebb and flow in conversation, creating a soundscape that feels like a philosophical discourse translated into sound.
As the piece develops, its structure becomes a journey rather than a straightforward progression, embodying the essence of a question rather than the finality of an answer. The percussions, understated yet vital, give the track a sense of forward motion without overpowering its meditative qualities. Drums and tabla add a nuanced texture, punctuating moments of intensity with delicate precision, while guitar phrasings enter the dialogue with shimmering clarity, expanding the harmonic field. The layering of instruments feels deliberate, each new voice representing another dimension of thought, another angle in the process of reflection. The result is a piece that avoids predictability, instead moving organically, with shifts in rhythm and tone that evoke the unpredictability of internal dialogue. This compositional design makes “Questioni di Pensiero” less a song to simply be listened to and more an experience to be absorbed, an unfolding conversation between cultures, styles, and emotions.
What makes this track particularly compelling is how it situates itself within a global jazz language while remaining distinctly Mediterranean in spirit. There are hints of flamenco-like phrasing in the guitar, subtle echoes of Middle Eastern modalities in the melodic turns, and a rhythmic pulse that at times nods to African patterns, yet all of these influences are synthesized into a coherent narrative. It is not fusion for the sake of eclecticism but a deliberate weaving together of traditions that speak to one another across time and geography. In doing so, the track achieves a timeless resonance, a quality that feels simultaneously rooted and exploratory. As a title track, “Questioni di Pensiero” encapsulates the album’s ethos: music as a space of questioning, as a bridge between different cultural expressions, and as a meditation on the complexity of thought itself. It leaves the listener not with answers but with the lingering beauty of inquiry, making it a profound opening statement for the record.
Como Si Fuera Una Bulería:
From the very first pulse of “Como Si Fuera Una Bulería,” Threegonos demonstrates remarkable rhythmic agility and compositional poise, launching listeners into a vibrant convergence of jazz improvisation and flamenco vitality. The track unfolds with a compelling flamenco-inspired percussive thrust, yet it avoids clichés through its fluid, dynamic interplay. The rhythm section, especially the drums and tabla, propels the groove with just the right balance of tension and restraint, anchoring the flamenco compás while leaving ample room for creative dialogue among instruments. This restrained energy creates a lush, dance-like momentum, evoking the spirited essence of a bulería without strictly adhering to its traditional form. The musicians’ intuitive connection shines through: each voice; whether saxophone, guitar, or synth, responds in real time, shaping a collective conversation built on mutual inspiration rather than mere replication.
As the arrangement deepens, Threegonos deftly explores the sonic space between tradition and innovation. The piece doesn’t simply flirt with flamenco tropes; instead, it appropriates its rhythmic core as a launching pad for modern jazz exploration. This cross-cultural fusion feels both organic and forward-looking, flamenco’s complex syncopation merges seamlessly with the sextet’s contemporary improvisational vocabulary, allowing harmonic explorations to bloom over a dance-infused foundation. The result is a composition that feels alive and evolving, as though guided by an unspoken emotional narrative. It’s here that Threegonos’ strengths as “alchimisti musicali” truly emerge: the ability to fuse disparate influences, flamenco, tango, candombe, African and Middle Eastern rhythms, into a unified, compelling statement that is both intricate and immediately satisfying to the ear.
What makes “Como Si Fuera Una Bulería” particularly striking is how it marries complexity with accessibility, engaging both the jazz-savvy listener and someone drawn simply to its visceral groove. Despite its nuanced rhythmic structure and layered improvisation, the track remains inviting, its melodies are memorable, its pulse enticing, and its overall arc emotionally resonant. It’s a testament to Threegonos’ decade-plus of refining their sound across Italian stages, distilling their collective experience into music that feels both intimate and cosmopolitan. In just over five minutes, the sextet offers a sonic journey that affirms their place as boundary-defying innovators, rooted in tradition yet perpetually curious, always seeking expressive freedom without sacrificing melodic grace.
The Day Passage:
“The Day Passage” emerges as one of the most evocative and layered moments in Questioni di Pensiero, a track that showcases Threegonos’ ability to transform the ordinary flow of time into a sonic narrative. From the outset, the composition sets itself apart with a steady, pulsating bass that feels like the ticking of an unseen clock, anchoring the music in an almost ritualistic sense of movement. Around this rhythmic foundation, the ensemble builds textures that ebb and swell, resembling the natural rhythm of a day unfolding, sunrise to sunset, light to shadow. The saxophone enters not as a dominating voice but as a gentle narrator, weaving melodic threads that rise and fade, while guitar lines ripple like passing moments, never lingering too long but leaving impressions that feel both fleeting and eternal. Synth layers further enhance this temporal atmosphere, adding a subtle shimmer that places the listener in a space where time feels elastic and dreamlike.
As the track progresses, its structure mirrors the passage of a day in more profound ways, moments of intensity rise like midday brightness, while softer interludes feel shaded, contemplative, and hushed. The percussion plays a critical role here, not in relentless propulsion but in nuanced punctuation, shaping mood through carefully chosen accents. Drums and tabla alternate between delicate touches and more insistent beats, echoing the cycles of activity and rest that characterize human experience within a single day. What’s striking is how the ensemble resists the temptation to crowd the sonic canvas; instead, they allow for open spaces, where silence is just as expressive as sound. This balance of density and sparseness makes the piece feel alive and breathing, as if it were a living diary of time itself. Each instrumental layer feels purposeful, carrying its own sense of narrative weight, and together they produce a composition that is not just music, but an unfolding experience of continuity and change.
Ultimately, “The Day Passage” resonates as both a philosophical meditation and a deeply human piece of music. It captures the sense of impermanence that defines time, yet does so with warmth and grace, reminding the listener that fleetingness does not negate beauty. In the broader context of Questioni di Pensiero, it functions as a bridge between the album’s moments of high rhythmic energy and its more introspective explorations, embodying the fluidity with which Threegonos traverse genres and moods. What lingers most after the final note is not just the sound but the sensation of having traveled, through music, through time, through an emotional landscape that mirrors the quiet profundity of everyday life. It’s a track that invites repeated listening, each time revealing new details, new colors, and new meanings hidden within its carefully constructed flow.
Walking Through The Black Market:
“Walking Through The Black Market” from “Questioni Di Pensiero” by Threegonos is one of the most intriguing and layered tracks on the album, a piece that thrives on atmosphere, mystery, and intricate storytelling through sound. From its opening bars, the song plunges the listener into a world that feels both cinematic and visceral, with the instrumentation painting vivid images of shadowy alleyways, clandestine meetings, and the tension of an unseen narrative unfolding. The arrangement is carefully structured, weaving delicate melodic fragments with darker, brooding undertones, allowing the music to embody the sense of uncertainty and curiosity that comes with the title itself. Every note feels intentional, as though it were guiding the listener through a hidden path where danger, secrecy, and wonder coexist in equal measure. It is the kind of track that feels less like a simple song and more like an immersive journey, one that takes the listener into a space that is both imaginative and emotionally stirring.
What makes this track stand out is its dynamic interplay of rhythm and texture, which constantly evolves to keep the listener engaged. The percussion is subtly hypnotic, providing a steady but understated backbone that drives the momentum forward without overshadowing the melodies or dominating the atmosphere. Layered over this rhythmic pulse are captivating instrumental lines, sometimes sharp and deliberate, other times fluid and improvisational, that evoke the unpredictability of wandering through such a metaphorical “marketplace.” There’s a sense of dialogue between instruments, as though each is a different voice or perspective contributing to the unfolding story, sometimes overlapping, sometimes pulling away to create dramatic spaces. The improvisational flourishes and unexpected harmonic shifts deepen the mystery, giving the piece an edge that feels raw and unfiltered, while still holding together in a seamless flow that never loses its sense of direction.
As the track develops, it gradually builds an immersive soundscape that balances tension with release in a way that feels organic and intentional. The way motifs reappear and evolve mirrors the feeling of encountering familiar faces or recurring scenes while traversing an unfamiliar environment, adding depth and continuity to the journey. The intensity rises and falls with a deliberate pacing, never rushing but instead allowing the listener to savor each layer of sound, almost as though the track wants its audience to breathe with it. In the end, “Walking Through The Black Market” encapsulates the essence of Threegonos’s artistry: a bold blend of storytelling, atmospheric depth, and musical sophistication that feels timeless in its execution. It’s a track that demands attentive listening, rewarding the audience with new details and textures on every replay, and leaving them with a lingering sense of having journeyed through an otherworldly sonic narrative that stays long after the final note fades.
Questioni di Pensiero is a boundary-defying jazz journey, philosophical, global, and deeply melodic, uniting cultures through timeless improvisational storytelling.
“Questioni di Pensiero” is not merely an album but a profound statement of artistic identity from Threegonos, Modern Jazz Unity, a collective that has spent nearly two decades refining the delicate balance between tradition and innovation. Every track embodies the spirit of exploration, weaving flamenco, tango, candombe, African, and Middle Eastern influences into a seamless dialogue with modern jazz, while never losing sight of melody or emotional resonance. It is an album that rewards both casual listeners seeking beauty and rhythm, and seasoned jazz aficionados who crave improvisational depth and cultural sophistication. For anyone who values music that not only entertains but also challenges and uplifts the mind, “Questioni di Pensiero” is essential listening, a timeless addition to any collection and a compelling invitation to experience jazz as a truly global, ever-evolving conversation.
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