Executive Overview
Antonio Martino’s A.MA record label has long occupied a vital space in the contemporary European jazz landscape, cultivating a distinct house sound defined by rigorous composition, acoustic warmth, and expansive improvisational breathing room. Over several years, observant critics have noted a subtle yet undeniable elevation in the label’s artistic output—a sharpening of focus that now finds its most compelling expression yet in Awakenings, the landmark leader debut of Sardinian vibraphonist Jordan Corda.
Corda, an acclaimed artist and winner of the Johnny Răducanu Prize in Brăila, Romania, steps into the spotlight with a sweeping statement: a twelve-part, continuous-play concept album for which he has penned every single note. Recorded at La Strada studios in Rome, Awakenings is far more than a collection of post-bop workouts. It is an autobiographical acoustic narrative that charts Corda’s personal and artistic journey from his childhood in Sardinia to the urban sprawl of the Italian mainland, culminating in the collaborative crucible of the recording studio itself.
The album reunites the exact personnel featured on pianist Luca Mannutza’s celebrated 2024 A.MA release, Circles. Yet, this project flips the script: Mannutza steps aside from the compositional helm to join the rhythm section, handing the pen to his fellow Sardinian compatriot. Alongside alto saxophonist Paolo Recchia, double bassist Daniele Sorrentino, and master drummer Sasha Mashin, Corda and his ensemble have crafted an unyielding, seamless suite of modern jazz. Bolstered by pioneering microphonic engineering, a fearless incorporation of UNESCO-recognized traditional Sardinian vocal polyphony, and an uncompromising dedication to acoustic integrity, Awakenings marks a watershed moment for A.MA and a profound coming-of-age for one of Europe’s most distinctive young mallet players.
Detailed Chronology: From Circles to Awakenings
The Genesis of a Collaborative Unit
To fully understand the seamless telepathy that anchors Awakenings, one must examine the institutional and interpersonal history of the quintet. The lineup—Luca Mannutza on piano, Paolo Recchia on alto saxophone, Daniele Sorrentino on double bass, Sasha Mashin on drums, and Jordan Corda on vibraphone—shares a deep-seated musical vocabulary.
The roots of this synergy trace back well before the sessions for Mannutza’s 2021 Wayne Shorter tribute, The Uneven Shorter. When the quintet gathered at La Strada in Rome in March 2024 to cut Circles, Corda was operating as a sideman within Mannutza’s compositional framework. However, the creative friction and mutual respect established during those sessions catalyzed a natural evolution.
When the ensemble reconvened at La Strada on October 7–8, 2025, the hierarchical dynamics had shifted. Corda assumed the mantle of leader and primary composer, while the Cagliari-born Mannutza graciously stepped into the pianist’s chair to service Corda’s ambitious twelve-part conceptual canvas. This rare peer-to-peer egalitarianism within a leader-led debut sets Awakenings apart from standard project-based dates.
The Seamless Suite: An Unbroken Architectural Design
One of the most striking formal characteristics of Awakenings is its architectural continuity. Designed specifically to leverage the uninterrupted playback capabilities of the compact disc medium, the album’s twelve pieces melt inextricably one into the next. There are no silent intervals or dead air between tracks; instead, the record unfolds as a continuous cinematic stream of consciousness.
The journey commences not with a pristine downbeat, but with the environmental ambience of studio chatter and urban club noise—a deliberate sonic signifier of the mainland city juxtaposed against the pastoral isolation of Corda’s island origins. As the background murmur clears, Paolo Recchia’s alto saxophone seizes the melodic reins on "You, Me And The Mirror." Supported by an agile, restrained foundation of piano and bass, the track slowly introduces the warm, bell-like timbre of Corda’s vibraphone, building tension before Mannutza takes an expansive solo past the midway point, ultimately yielding the floor to the leader.
Interlocking Traditions: The Voice of Silanus
The emotional and cultural core of the album arrives early with "It Will Forget Us," a piece capable of stopping the most seasoned listener in their tracks. The composition opens with an astonishing artifact of living anthropology: the introductory strains of the Canto a Tenore Santu Larettu di Silanus, a celebrated vocal ensemble from the Sardinian town of Silanus.
Performing in the ancient four-voice canto a tenore tradition—awarded UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2005—a solo lead vocalist sets a piercing, narrative line, answered instantaneously by a low, guttural, harmonized chord from the remaining three singers. The resulting wall of acoustic sound is haunting, deeply archaic, and profoundly moving. Corda allows these native voices to hang heavy in the acoustic space before gently diffusing the tension with a crystalline, reflective vibraphone solo. It is here, at the crossroads of ancient folk memory and avant-garde modernism, that Corda definitively announces his artistic identity.
As the suite progresses, the narrative tackles the physical and psychological upheaval of migration. "The Continent" captures the urgency of the move to the mainland, driven by Sasha Mashin’s relentless rhythmic propulsion and propelled by Recchia’s soaring alto. Conversely, "Lunar Connections" swings with an effortless, sophisticated propulsion, spotlighting alternating excursions from Mannutza and Recchia.
The Solo Vignettes: A Game-Changer in Leadership
Perhaps the most daring structural choice on Awakenings is Corda’s decision to step back and grant every member of his ensemble an uninterrupted, unaccompanied solo spotlight. For a young artist leading his debut record, such acts of creative generosity signal a maturity rarely witnessed in contemporary jazz.
The sequence begins with "We," which hands the entire sonic stage to Daniele Sorrentino for a spellbinding unaccompanied double bass feature, showcasing his rich, woody tone and harmonic inventiveness. This is followed by "The Old Story," a high-energy workout pairing Mashin’s kaleidoscopic drum kit work with Corda’s lightning-fast mallet precision.
The masterstroke arrives with "Forget," a breathtaking solo piano feature for Luca Mannutza. Navigating the impressionistic changes with exquisite poise and classical grace, Mannutza brings the piece to a delicate close, only for the music to dissolve into actual environmental field recordings of footsteps and distant road noise.
Later in the tracklist, this egalitarian architecture is completed by "Ourselves," an unaccompanied alto saxophone showcase for Recchia that pushes his instrument up into the piercing, clarion heights of the altissimo register. By the time the title track, "Awakenings," closes the sequence with cinematic piano chords, ambient vibraphone shimmer, and the fading sound of footsteps marching back across the Sardinian countryside, every single musician has held the absolute center of gravity.
Supporting Context & Metrics
Acoustic Engineering and Production Architecture
While the compositional and performance values of Awakenings are world-class, the album’s sonic realization is an audiophile triumph, largely driven by the multi-faceted contributions of drummer Sasha Mashin.
Born in St. Petersburg and based in Rome since 2022, Mashin has steadily cultivated a formidable reputation as a bandleader (starting with his 2018 debut Outsidethebox). On Awakenings, however, Mashin’s role expanded exponentially. He functioned as the record’s primary producer, co-engineered the live-to-room sessions at La Strada, and personally handled the final mixing and mastering stages.
Nothing within the sonic architecture of the record was left to chance. To capture the raw, untamed timber of the Sardinian voices featured on "It Will Forget Us," the engineering team deployed specialized, cutting-edge hardware. Notably, the renowned microphone manufacturer Nevaton constructed a bespoke multichannel microphone specifically designed to capture the complex spatial and harmonic distribution of the canto a tenore vocal quartet.
The technical metrics of the recording sessions highlight an unwavering commitment to dynamic range and acoustic transparency:
- Recording Venue: La Strada Studios, Rome, Italy.
- Session Dates: October 7–8, 2025.
- Engineering & Mastering: Sasha Mashin (co-engineered, mixed, mastered).
- Specialized Hardware: Bespoke multichannel Nevaton microphone arrays.
- Format Architecture: Continuous-play acoustic suite optimized for compact disc audio fidelity.
Official Statements and Critical Reception
The critical consensus surrounding Awakenings has been uniformly ecstatic, positioning the album not merely as a strong debut, but as a defining benchmark for modern European acoustic jazz.
Industry observers and early reviewers have emphasized the utter lack of artifice or commercial pandering throughout the recording. In his comprehensive review for UK Vibe, critic Steve Williams noted:
"I have listened over and over to this release and, for the sake of balance, went looking for fault. I could not find any. Awakenings is a statement by a band who know one another well, making music that is first and foremost enjoyable to them and to the listener. There is no showboating. It’s marvellous."
Reflecting on the psychological arc of the project, Jordan Corda has consistently underscored the personal stakes embedded within the twelve-part composition. Speaking informally on the conceptual framework of the album, Corda noted that the music serves as an acoustic diary of geographical and emotional displacement:
"The journey from the isolated traditions of the island to the frantic creative density of Rome is not just a physical displacement; it is a rewiring of how one hears sound. The ancient voices of Sardinia and the urban pulse of the mainland had to find a way to converse within the same harmonic language."
Furthermore, the leadership at A.MA has lauded the project as a textbook example of the label’s overarching mission: fostering long-term collaborative ecosystems where artists are given absolute autonomy to explore multi-disciplinary concepts without corporate interference.
Future Outlook
The release of Awakenings portends a significant shift in the European jazz ecosystem. By successfully bridging the chasm between avant-garde structuralism, intimate chamber jazz, and ancient folk anthropology, Jordan Corda has established himself as a composer and instrumentalist of international consequence.
Tour Projections and Live Adaptations
Translating a continuous, uninterrupted twelve-part studio suite to the live stage presents unique logistical and artistic challenges, yet the Corda-Mannutza quintet is uniquely equipped to meet them. Booking agents across Europe are currently finalizing festival itineraries for the upcoming international tour cycle, which will feature the quintet performing Awakenings in its entirety, interspersed with selected acoustic improvisations.
Plans are also underway to explore site-specific live collaborations in select European cities, wherein regional folk vocal ensembles may be integrated into live performances of "It Will Forget Us," effectively mirroring the anthropological fieldwork captured in the studio.
Label Trajectory and Artist Development
For Antonio Martino’s A.MA imprint, Awakenings validates a patient, artist-first development strategy. By providing a stable institutional home for improvisers like Corda, Mannutza, and Mashin to cross-pollinate projects, the label has cultivated a recognizable, high-watermark aesthetic that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with historical jazz powerhouses.
As Jordan Corda looks toward his next compositional endeavors, the critical acclaim and artistic fearlessness displayed on Awakenings suggest that this Sardinian vibraphonist is only beginning to scratch the surface of his creative potential. The awakening has occurred; the broader jazz world is now listening.
