Record Reviews

PEO ALFONSI ~ ITACA EGEA 153 (Barcode: 8015948001530) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This is an album by Italian Jazz guitarist / composer Peo AlfonsiFind albums by this artist, recorded with clarinetists Gabriele MirabassiFind albums by this artist, American trumpeter Kyle GregoryFind albums by this artist, bassist Salvatore MaioreFind albums by this artist and percussionist Antonio MambelliFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, all of which are original compositions by Alfonsi. The music is exquisitely melodic, full of typical Italian lyricism and melodious passion, beautifully performed by all the participants, who play in various settings between duet and quintet. The music is entirely acoustic and the crystal clear sound quality lets the listener to hear every little nuance captured during the recording. This album is a perfect example of the Mediterranean Jazz, which is full of diverse folkloristic influences, with everything between Medieval Music, Romanticism and delicate Middle Eastern aromas. All the musicians are Masters of their instruments, with Mirabassi being probably the most renowned one, but they all play magnificently. Gregory is a great surprise, as his playing is totally free of the American Jazz mannerisms, and completely compatible with the European Jazz aesthetics, which prevail here. His sound fondly resembles that of the great Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist. Overall, this is a touching and wonderfully performed piece of music, which should satisfy even the most demanding music connoisseurs. I stumbled on this album by accident, but the revelation was absolutely overwhelming. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 04/03/2024Posted: 04/03/2024

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RICARDO FASSI TANKIO BAND ~ PLAYS ZAPPA: THE RETURN OF THE FAT CHICKEN ALFA MUSIC 200 (Barcode: 8032050017112) ~ ITALY ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by a Big Band led by Italian pianist / composer / arranger / bandleader Ricardo FassiFind albums by this artist, which, as the title suggests, is dedicated to the music of Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist. The Big Band includes many top Italian Jazz instrumentalists and an impressive list of guests, including vocalist / saxophonist Napoleon Murphy BrockFind albums by this artist, who took park is many recordings with Zappa’s bands. Also present are: Russian trumpeter Alex SipiaginFind albums by this artist, Italian clarinetist Gabriele MirabassiFind albums by this artist, Cuban (resident in Italy) violinist Ruben ChavianoFind albums by this artist, trombonist Mario CorviniFind albums by this artist and accordionist Antonello SalisFind albums by this artist. The album presents seventeen tracks, ten of which are Zappa’s compositions, one is by George DukeFind albums by this artist, and the remaining six, which are sort of short interludes between the Zappa related material, are composed by Fassi, Salis or co-composed by them both. The music is absolutely gorgeous, all brilliantly arranged and spotlessly executed by the Big Band. It is, however, quite different from the original material, as performed by Zappa with his various groups, and as such might come as a surprise to many of his fans, who might accidentally stumble upon this album. The arrangements herein offer a classic European Jazz Big Band approach which is fundamentally different from the usual Zappaesque Fusion approach, which always includes Rock elements, which are absent here, and of course there is (almost) no guitar presence. However, having said all this, the music remains magnificent as ever, emphasizing Zappa’s enormous talent as a composer, which is fully exposed herein. The presence of Brock’s vocals offers a familiar bridge between the Zappa universe and this interpretation of his work. The Big Band / Orchestral works by Zappa are of course one of his many pinnacles as an Artists, but his ensembles were usually never full sized Jazz Big Bands per se and his approach to arrangements and band dynamics were diametrically different from the classic Jazz Big Band environment. As a result, this recording shows how Zappa’s music could have sounded, if his destiny would have led him to evolve in a Jazz rather that Rock environment, which of course is very educational in addition to being superbly entertaining. Fassi and his colleagues are to be congratulated for pulling the “mission impossible” task without a hitch. It takes a lot of courage and professionalism to undertake a project of this scale, and when everything works as well as it does here, hats off are in order. Overall, this is brilliant cross-genre transition of the divine artistry, composed by the most original talent in American 20th Century music, which was done not only professionally, skillfully and with a lot of originality, but also with enormous dose of love and dedication. Such projects are, sadly, quite rare, which is a great pity, but the European atmosphere of aesthetics and appreciation of Art proves once again to be a winning environment.

Updated: 11/08/2023Posted: 11/08/2023

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TAYLOR / SWALLOW / MIRABASSI ~ NEW OLD AGE EGEA 104 (Barcode: 8015948001042) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2005 This is a wonderful album by the international Jazz trio comprising of British pianist / composer John TaylorFind albums by this artist, American bass guitarist / composer Steve SwallowFind albums by this artist and Italian clarinetist / composer Gabriele MirabassiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, composed (three each) by the trio members. The music is a delightful collection of sublime melodies, beautifully performed in a relaxed and intimate setting by Master musicians. Despite the presence of the electric bass, the aural atmosphere is completely acoustic and the superb recording allows hearing every little nuance and every note played. There are many musical influences, which produce the final result achieved here, like Classical Chamber Music and Folkloristic melody lines, all intertwined and correlated by these gifted musicians, who obviously enjoy immensely the mutual exchanges and playful attitude. There is a clear focus on the trialogue cooperation, rather than on individual soloing, but of course the album offers plenty of sublime and heartwarming performances, as expected from these Masters. The album was released on the Italian EGEAFind albums on this label label, which is one of several excellent Italian labels, which offer numerous British and British-Italian Jazz recordings, like CAM JazzFind albums on this label and several smaller ones, all of which are worth following for listeners interested in first class European Jazz recordings. Overall, this is a beautiful album, which offers profound musical energies full of typical European Jazz aesthetics and masterful playing by highly talented musicians. Perhaps a tad demanding for the average Jazz listener, but this is obviously a highly rewarding musical experience, which of course is wholeheartedly recommended.

Updated: 31/01/2023Posted: 31/01/2023

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