Charles Alexader (Jazzwise April 2005)
Playing a nylon-strung acoustic guitar, Giorgio Serci combines the strong, pure sound of a trained classical guitarist with the harmonic and rhythmic instincts of a contemporary jazz musician. Born in Sardinia, but resident in London since 1994, Serci is perhaps best known for his work with guitarist Antonio Forcione for three years. On this CD, his debut as a leader, he also reveals a talent for composition which is illustrated here by the gently atmospheric 'Deja Vu', the flamenco-tinged 'Bembe', the urgency of Béla Sensazione', and the lush, relaxed beauty of the ballad 'Inverno'. As an arranger, his re-write of the French nursery rhyme 'Frére Jacques' neatly transforms it into a medium-tempo hard-swinging piece to which Virginia Mayhew contributes a driving tenor solo. Her soprano saxophone sound is also heard to good effect on 'Déja Vu' and 'Inverno'. Bassist Harvie S (aka Swartz) is a formidable presence throughout the proceedings whether laying down the insistent ostinatos of 'Béla Sensazione' or soloing on Serci's bossa 'Looking Further'. This is not smooth jazz album with tinkling acoustic guitar, but a well crafted work from a fine quartet that repays repeated listening. Serci's own playing is at the fore in this CD, his solo lines always purposeful, his harmonies often effectively dissonant.
Jonny Phillips - Director of Jazz Umbrella and programmer for the Crypt , Camberwell. (London 29th April 2002)
"In my opinion Giorgio Serci is not only the best acoustic guitarist in London right now but also one of the most inventive musicians on the circuit. His compositions have a rare depth and sometimes almost painful beauty. Live he is astounding but it is on record that he truely shines recording in New York with greats like American bass player Harvie Swarts or here with top classical guitarist Simon Davies he is equally at home. He is the musician to watch this year!!!"
Sound and Music
Giorgio Serci è un giovane chitarrista, il cui grande talento
appare evidente nel suo album di esordio pubblicato
dalla Naim. Presentando soprattutto brani di sua
composizione e arrangiamenti di Frère Jacques e di
Moon River realizzati dallo stesso Serci, New York Sessions
è un disco molto gradevole, che offre la possibilità
di ascoltare uno dei quartetti jazz più interessanti
degli ultimi anni. Giorgio Serci si era già messo in evidenza
nel quartetto di Antonio Forcione, dove fungeva
da chitarrista, compositore ed arrangiatore.
Un disco di grande spessore, che merita di essere ascoltato
e che rivela quello che senza dubbio sarà uno dei protagonisti
del panorama jazz dei prossimi anni.
From a review on GPF UK on the concert with Antonio Forcione and Jenny Adejayan at Holywell Music Rooms, Oxford Sept. 8th 2001
Giorgio Serci, for your information, is no mere sidekick. He seems more trained than Antonio,
formally speaking, and he is without doubt a maestro guitarist. This point is illustrated no better than when he and Antonio tackled the great 'Frevro Rasgado' from the McLaughlin/Di Meola/de Lucia masterpiece 'Friday Night in San Francisco'. This was, for me, the highlight of the evening. To see these two tackling such a piece with so great a bravado was brilliant; technically they were spot on, the interchanges between them were seamless, the picking and fingering flawless. I noticed, at the end, in the lengthy ovation they received, that my hands were starting to get sore. "
Classical Guitar: Rheinpfalz-online / 24.03.1999
Locker, rockig, flott - Eduardo Niebla- Giorgio Serci Guitar Duo im Wachenheimer Badehaisel Gitarrenkunst der Sonderklasse wurde am Samstag abend vom Eduardo Niebla-Giorgio Serci Guitar Duo im Badehaisel in Wachenheim dargeboten. Der gebürtige Nordandalusier Eduardo A. Niebla und der aus Sardinien stammende Giorgio Serci präsentierten einen Kunstgenuß vor über 100 Zuschauern im ausverkauften Badehaisel.
Eduardo A. Niebla und Giorgio Serci spielen nun live seit fast zwei Jahren zusammen. Niebla begann als Fünfjähriger mit dem Akkordeon. Mit acht wechselte er zum Gitarrenspiel und hat dieses bis zur Perfektion ausgebaut.
Giorgio Sercis großes Talent blitzte hier auf, als er im Mittelteil ein kurzes Solo spielte. Ansonsten bestach er durch sein äußerst exaktes Rhythmusgefühl und spielte seine Parts mit unzähligen schweren Barregriffen.
Ebenfalls hochkonzentriert, am Anfang etwas angespannt, dann aber fast ebenso emotional bestritt Giorgio Serci seine hervorragende Rhythmusarbeit.
Wer die LP "Friday night in San Francisco" kennt, bei der sich die drei Gitarrengötter Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia und John McLaughlin in den Olymp der Gitarristen spielten, kam beim folgenden Stück voll auf seine Kosten. Niebla und Serci widmeten das folgende Stück einem Freund Nieblas. Ein sehr getragenes, trauriges, sehr einfühlsam in Moll vorgetragenes Stück. Eduardo Niebla ließ es, so hatte es den Anschein, im Mittelteil wahrhaftig regnen und beendete es mit einer sehr leisen, nachdenklich stimmenden Schlußpassage.
"The GSG trio sounds as if there are four player thanks to the ingenuity and catchy stylistic range of their stunning virtuoso Guitarist."
