Unleashed Leo Genovese, Takashi Sugawa, Alfred Vogel

• 1 A Hill Without A Name 05:44
• 2 Dream Goes Wandering 08:51
• 3 The Cask Will Leak 05:44
• 4 To See Lightning 03:09
• 5 Still Not A Butterfly 01:46
• 6 A World Of One Colour 13:06
• 7 The Hear Of A Child 01:29
• Total Runtime 39:49

Info for Unleashed

From Buenos Aires to New York. From Tokyo and Bezau to Berlin. Distances that could hardly be greater – and yet they vanish in the moment of playing together. When three people meet, listen, and play, everything becomes an opening: a letting go, a releasing. UNLEASHED.

After a concert with The Mars Volta at Madison Square Garden, Leo Genovese has ninety minutes before the tour bus moves on. In a small restaurant he meets Takashi Sugawa and Alfred Vogel. Takashi – from Japan. Alfred – from Austria. The two don’t know each other. Yet within moments a lightness emerges, a sense of closeness, a shared pulse. By the end of the evening, an unspoken promise remains: One day, we have to play together. A few weeks later, this promise becomes reality.

Takashi is touring Europe, Leo is playing in Berlin with Esperanza Spalding. Alfred sets out on his way. A studio is quickly found – and the invitation is as simple as it is open: spontaneous, without a plan.

They record at Bonello Studio in Berlin – until the early hours of the morning. Martin Ruch captures everything: every movement, every breath, every unexpected turn. A sonic space emerges that holds nothing back – music allowed to break its boundaries. This is how UNLEASHED comes into being.

When Takashi later listens to the recordings, he writes: “Something in this music has been set free. A spirit that wanders, that lives across times and places.” Leo replies: “That’s it: a primal impulse, a force we share – each in our own way.” The music moves between continents, between gesture and silence, between listening and breaking loose. A conversation of sound and space, of restraint and release.

UNLEASHED – a nocturnal encounter transformed into sound. A crossing of paths, stories, and spirits – and the moment when everything opens.

Leo Genovese, piano
Takashi Sugawa, double bass
Alfred Vogel, drums, percussion

Leonardo Genovese
was born in Venado Tuerto, Argentina in 1979. After some years of studying classical piano at the National University of Rosario as well as private lessons in contemporary music, he moved to Boston in 2001. He started his career at Berklee College of Music where he studied with Danilo Perez, Joanne Brackeen and Frank Carlberg, among others. Leo graduated as a Professional Music Major in 2003 and has been constantly performing and recording with talented musicians such us Hal Crook, Darren Barrett, George Garzone, Francisco Mela, Joe Lovano, Bob Gulloti, Phil Grenadier, Dave Santoro, Chris Cheek, Michael Janisch and Ben Monder. In 2004, he released his first solo album entitled Haikus II signed by Spanish label Fresh Sound Records. He also performs regularly with the Esperanza Spalding Group, the Mike Tucker Quartet, Planet Safety (w/Bob Gullotti and Dave Zinno), Wayne Shorter Group and Jack Dejohnette.

When he’s not touring with Spalding, Genovese – who is currently based in New York – also plays with a loosely assembled group called the Chromatic Gauchos, whose core membership includes Bob Gulloti, Dan Blake and John Lockwood. This threesome, along with Spalding and percussionist Sergio Miranda, appears prominently on Seeds. While Genovese is still early on his career arc, he hopes that his music could eventually be more than just a source of entertainment, but also a force for change in a world that is troubled by economic, social and political challenges. “I would like it to go somewhere positive, somewhere helpful,” he says. “I would like for people to really gain something worthwhile from it. There are so many people around the word in need. Most of us never realize it, because most of us have the basic necessities and much more. But some people – many people – have very little.”

He adds: “I want to make people more aware of the many different circumstances – and sometimes difficult circumstances – that other people face every day. A lot of it has to do with having the right intention. Music is a lot like people in that way. If it comes from a good place, it’s more likely to bear good fruit.”​

Takashi Sugawa
Based in Tokyo, Takashi Sugawa is a versatile jazz bassist and cellist known for his deep commitment to improvisation across a wide range of musical formats. Originally from Gunma-prefecture, Japan, he began his musical journey on the cello at age 11 before taking up the double bass at 18. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he moved to New York City, where he met pianist Masabumi “Poo” Kikuchi and was deeply influenced by his musical philosophy. Upon returning to Japan, he joined the bands of Terumasa Hino and Sadao Watanabe.

Currently, Sugawa leads his own group, Banksia Trio (featuring Masaki Hayashi and Shun Ishiwaka), and is a key member of the Takeo Moriyama Quartet and the Michiyo Yagi Trio. He has performed at numerous festivals, including Tokyo JAZZ, Montreux, London, Detroit, Melbourne and Moers. His work extends to theater and art, providing solo music for The Tale of the Heike and composed music for photography exhibitions, contemporary dance, and public art installations.

He released his debut album Outgrowing (featuring Leo Genovese and Tom Rainey) in 2018. With Banksia Trio, he has released four albums, most recently LIVE in 2025. He serves as an Educational Ambassador for his hometown of Isesaki City, where he conducts annual workshops and performances for elementary and middle school students.

Alfred Vogel
One of the most productive forces on the Austrian jazz scene, drummer Alfred Vogel brings his multi-dimensional project Vogelperspektive (a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the state of improvisation) to the US with two very different trios: Intensivstation and Hang ‘em High. Using elements of jazz, blues, rock, noise, and even country music, these trios, composed of some of the most dynamic improvisers in Europe, explore and explode our notions of improvisation in the 21st century.

This album contains no booklet.