13.8.08

Italian Jazz

Over the past year, I've read several articles on Italian jazz, with reviews raving about the quality of musicianship and music. Pianists, reed players, trumpeters, any instrument used in jazz, there are Italians wailing away with great music.
So I thought I'd take a chance on this CD I ran across on CDBaby, and what a great piece of music! Sax, bass, and drums, recorded (deliciously!) live, the music is innovative, refreshing, exciting, and exceptionally well played. No mainstream meanderings, free jazz futzing, or smooth jazz lobotomization, just real jazz, with strong hints of Ornette and Sonny.
Now I know why people are writing about the Italian jazz scene, maybe the most vibrant in the world right now.

2 comments:

Utah Savage said...

I liked everything you had to say about this music. I am a jazz fan and I lived in Italy in the mid sixties. My friends and I used to go to a small club in Milan with a great jazz trio upstairs. So, could you give me a little more info on the CD. I'll check it out on Itunes. But I would have to pick my Imac up and turn it sideways to see the album cover.

Rev. Willis said...

Just click on the CD cover pic and it will link you to CDBaby with more info on this group. The Italians seem to be really hot in the jazz world these days, as well as some east Europeans. Jazz in this country is leaning more towards fusion, with some good reasons, and I like the music, but I still prefer innovative and risk taking jazz without trappings of other genres.