Franco D: Kick Off

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

Recent articles (1,709 total)

Published: March 1, 2000

The Family Way. Long before Joey Defancesco collected fellow Italian-Americans Joe Ascione and Frank Vignola there was Sergio Veschi and his entire stable of the genuine article. Veschi, RED’s founder and president, has made it his mission to document Italian jazz musicians. This has resulted in many fine recordings. Kick Off continues this trend and additionally shows the inexhaustible creative horizon of the piano trio. This trio is made up of RED stalwarts. D’Andrea plays a mean Bebop piano (witness the title piece) supported by Tommaso and Gatto. Tommaso’s bass playing is more focused and swinging as compared to other recordings reviewed by this critic ( Via G.T., RED Records 123196 and To Chet, Red Records 123220). The performance is seamless and swinging, whether upbeat (“Saliscendi”) or ballad (“Autumn in New York”). More than decent trio art.

Track Listing: Kick Off; Autumn in New York; Colline; Old Jazz; Saliscendi. (Total Time: 38:59)

Personnel: Franco D

Record Label: Red Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream