“Origin (Live)” is a 24-minute solo piano single by Mario Mattia that was improvised from start to finish. Quoting the artist: “‘Origin’ marks the beginning of my improvisational journey - and the moment I committed fully to solo piano improvisation as my voice.” A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Mattia’s work is rooted in spontaneity, deep listening and emotional presence with influences as diverse as JS Bach, Keith Jarrett and Brian Eno. Not surprisingly, Mattia’s music doesn’t fit neatly into any specific genre (something I always appreciate!), bridging classical, jazz, progressive and ambient traditions. Early in his career, Mattia founded and directed the progressive rock ensemble Möbius, scored documentary films for public broadcasting, and worked extensively as a piano and music theory teacher, adding even more diversity to his approach to his original musical creations.

Mattia describes “Origin”: “Spanning over twenty-four minutes, it unfolds as a continuous exploration of tonal and non-tonal landscapes, gradually resolving into a tonal center. I consider it freeform: one of three improvisational approaches I work within, alongside meditative and abstract.”

“Origin (Live)” begins rather quietly and thoughtfully, letting musical thoughts flow freely and go where they may. Beautifully expressive, the piece becomes more intense a few minutes in, calms, and then starts to gradually rebuild the momentum while becoming darker and more mysterious. Around the nine-minute mark, the piece becomes very still for a short time, and then starts to intensify, building to an almost frenetic pace and then quieting to a more gentle mood and meditative tempo. A little past the half-way point, the music returns to the more chaotic intensity from a few minutes earlier. With discordance and intensity, the next few minutes will keep you from falling asleep! Just before the 18-minute mark, the music starts to calm again, becoming very soulful and introspective to the end.

“Origin (Live)” is a fascinating musical journey and Mario Mattia is a fascinating artist to explore. The single can be downloaded and streamed on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes and is also available on many streaming services including Spotify and Pandora. Check it out!