Jazz Articles
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Nugara Trio: The Last Question
by Neil Duggan
The Last Question is the second album from Nugara Trio, an Italian band comprising pianist Francesco Negri, bassist Viden Spassov and drummer Francesco V. Parsi. Conceived as a concept album, the title is drawn from an Isaac Asimov short story exploring the ultimate fate of the universe. This narrative forms the framework uniting the album's nine compositions. While such subject matter might suggest a synthesizer-heavy fusion album brimming with robotic sounds, the reality is far more organic: this is simply ...
Continue ReadingTommaso Iacoviello: Birds
by Neil Duggan
The world around us grows increasingly loud as artificial noise proliferates, drowning out natural sounds. Italian trumpeter Tommaso Iacoviello believes “nature is not only something to look at, but also something to listen to." His debut album, Birds, invites us to “stop for a moment, close our eyes and listen to what surrounds us. Imagine immersing ourselves in an ancient forest, hearing the rustle of leaves in the wind, the melodious song of birds and the slow flow of a ...
Continue ReadingDexter Gordon: More Than You Know (1981)
by Neil Duggan
More Than You Know is a previously unreleased live recording by jazz legend Dexter Gordon. It is the first in the GleAM Records series dedicated to the giants of jazz. The recording features saxophonist Gordon performing with his early 1980s quartet: Kirk Lightsey on piano, David Eubanks on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums. Dating from July 1981, it was recorded at the Villa Imperiale, Genoa, Italy and has the full backing of Gordon's estate. Having played with ...
Continue ReadingStefano Rielli: So Far
by Neil Duggan
The aptly titled album So Far marks the debut of the Italian bassist Stefano Rielli, who leads a quartet inspired by Jimmy Smith's electric organ sound. Beyond his classical foundation, Rielli graduated in jazz double bass from the Parma Conservatory in 2015 before earning a master's degree in electric bass from the Matera Conservatory in 2017. The album features six covers alongside one original composition. Three of the arrangements pay homage to Kurt Elling, another of Rielli's primary ...
Continue ReadingSaihs: Distopìa
by Neil Duggan
Distopia is the debut album from Italian sextet Saihs, formed in Florence, Tuscany, in 2023. Although each track is credited to a single composer, the process of shaping each piece was the result of two years of intensive rehearsal sessions at the Scuola di Musica in Campi Bisenzio, under the guiding hand of director Massimo Barsotti. Under his mentorship, the group defined their nine original compositions, along with a reinterpretation of Bud Powell's “Celia." With their typical sextet ...
Continue ReadingLorenzo Bellini: Source
by Neil Duggan
Source marks the sophomore release from Italian pianist Lorenzo Bellini. After graduating from Boston's Berklee College of Music in 2021 with a performance major, Bellini formed lasting partnerships with his quartet members: guitarist Luca De Toni, bassist Matteo Padoin and drummer Andrea Dionisi, all fellow Berklee alumni who join him on this release. Following his time in the U.S., Bellini then studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His expanding vision led to the formation of a second ...
Continue ReadingFerdinando Romano: The Legends Of Otranto
by Neil Duggan
The Legends of Otranto is a suite in six movements inspired by the stories and legends surrounding Otranto, an ancient city in the Salento area of Italy, which is sometimes referred to as the heel of Italy's boot. All compositions were written and arranged by Florentine bassist Ferdinando Romano. The music is provided by an unusual cross-cultural quartet, bringing together Finnish accordionist Veli Kujala, Estonian pianist Kirke Karja and an Italian rhythm section consisting of Romano on double ...
Continue ReadingRon Magril: Inspired
by Neil Duggan
This is the second album as leader from Israeli guitarist & composer Ron Magril. It follows on from his debut, Until Now (Ubuntu Music, 2022). That album featured a hard-bop quartet. Inspired finds Magril in an organ trio setting, paying tribute to his musical heroes, Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. All eight tracks on the album are Magril originals, showcasing his distinctive voice as both a composer and electric guitarist. The inspiration behind the opener, “Playing for Wes," ...
Continue ReadingAlessandro Di Liberto: Punti Di Vista
by Neil Duggan
The island of Sardinia can be found west of the Italian peninsula. It is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the 20 regions that make up Italy. It has a strong affinity for jazz, with Sardinian native Paolo Fresu founding the annual Time in Jazz festival. It is also home to pianist and composer Alessandro Di Liberto, who channels his love for Sardinia into his album Punti Di Vista (Points of View). He takes ...
Continue ReadingBSDE 4tet: Live at Parma Jazz Frontiere
by Neil Duggan
The 2022 release of Elevating Jazz Music Vol. 1 (GleAM Records) marked the debut of the BSDE 4tet, showcasing compositions from Chicago-born, Bologna-based saxophonist Daniele Nasi. Since this debut, Nasi has established himself as a compelling voice on the European jazz scene, with his artistic evolution culminating in winning the prestigious Premio Internazionale Giorgio Gaslini in 2023, an award recognizing excellence in both performance and composition. Newly invigorated, the band toured Germany, Switzerland and Italy. One performance at ...
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