Zu

by Steve Leggett
An avant-garde jazz and rock trio out of Rome, Italy, Zu feature a punk-informed free jazz style that defies easy categorization. Formed in the late '90s, the trio consists of Luca T. Mai on alto and baritone sax, Massimo Pupillo on bass, and Jacopo Battaglia on drums. Ever touring and prolific, Zu have a lengthy album discography that includes Bromio (1999), The Zu Side of Eugene Chadbourne (2000) and Motorhellington (2001), both with Eugene Chadbourne, Igneo (vinyl LP in 2002 and CD in 2005), Radiale (2004), The Way of the Animal Powers (2005), How to Raise an Ox (2005), and Identification with the Enemy: A Key to the Underworld (2007), a collaboration with Japanese electronics wiz and DJ Nobukazu Takemura.