“Like the Mediterranean region itself, “Digging the Sand” is an array of ethnic sounds, full of dichotomies; melancholy and intensity, exotic yet grounded in fundamentals of Western and non-Western music. It is immersed in dreams, mystery, and melancholy but with moments of intensity that suggest whirling dervishes.”   Karl Ackerman

AVA Trio’s successful debut release Music from an Imaginary Land in 2017 has placed the band on “Best Debut Album” picks for National Public Radio (NPR), All About Jazz and El Intruso International Jazz Critic Pool. The band has toured extensively across Europe and China, taking part in Doek Festival Amsterdam, ZomerJazzFietsTour, Barletta Jazz Festival, OCT-Loft Shenzhen Jazz Festival, XiHu Blooms Music Festival, Shanghai World Music Festival, to name a few.   With the release of “Digging the Sand”, the group continues to mine the imagination and avoid the cliché-riddled and well-worn paths.

Founded in 2015 in Groningen, the Netherlands, AVA Trio consists of Giuseppe Doronzo from Italy on baritone saxophone, mizmar, hulus, sola; Esat Ekincioglu from Turkey on double bass; and Pino Basile on frame drums and cupaphone. Doronzo, Ekincioglu, and Basile are erudite and virtuosic guides, navigating through these rich and diverse sonic surroundings.  Their destinations need no justification; their music is timeless. It may be early in the year but don’t be surprised to find the incomparable and unique “Digging the Sand” on more year-end lists.

The album was recorded in April 2018 in the award-winning ArteSuono Studios in Udine, Italy by ECM sound engineer Stefano Amerio. Cover photo is taken by Gianfranco Ferraro.