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Gianluca Petrella: Indigo4
by Elliott Simon
Indigo4 is one enjoyable morsel drawn from what has become a very broad Italian jazz landscape. Trombonist Gianluca Petrella, who routinely plays with trumpeter Enrico Rava's internationally known band, has assembled a quartet that includes bassist Paolino Dalla Porta, the young and sizzling drummer Fabio Accardi, reedman Francesco Bearzatti, and the judicious use of what amounts to a fifth member: live electronics and samples. The result is a creative excursion through Monk, Ellington and original pieces. Whatever ...
Continue ReadingGianluca Petrella: Indigo4
by Chris M. Slawecki
This early favorite among contenders for best debut of 2006 comes from a young Italian composer and trombone player who says, “I always appreciated the vanguards in our musical world, especially the American one at the end of the '60s and for a lot of the '70s. Important influences include Ornette Coleman, the Sun Ra visionary world, the trombone played in an unconventional way like with Roswell Rudd, the improvised European music, and the more radical and catchy electronics that ...
Continue ReadingGianluca Petrella: Indigo4
by Paul Olson
Trombonist Gianluca Petrella's got impeccable credentials, having played with heavyweights like Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Greg Osby, Flavio Boltro and Enrico Rava. His often electronically enhanced trombone sound is unique to the point of making him immediately recognizable. To his credit, he's interested in moving jazz forward by incorporating modern elements into a European jazz context with an emphasis on melodic, emotionally physical communication.Indigo4 is a quartet set featuring Petrella, tenor man/clarinetist Francesco Bearzatti, drummer Fabio Accardi and ...
Continue ReadingGianluca Petrella: Indigo4
by Jim Santella
Trombonist Gianluca Petrella leads an ambitious quartet that recalls the fun Lester Bowie gave us through his Brass Fantasy. While the artist's progressive approach aligns itself with the avant-garde, he remains firmly embedded in the tradition of a full century of jazz. Along with lyrical echoes of Juan Tizol and Vic Dickenson, we get the hip antics of Eddie Harris, the funk mastery of Fred Wesley, the swinging bebop strength of Frank Rosolino, and the emerging technology of electronics. Well, ...
Continue ReadingGianluca Petrella: X-Ray
by Glenn Astarita
Twenty-six year old Italian trombonist Gianluca Petrella is not just the proverbial new kid on the block. Lately the artist has been touring with his estimable countryman, trumpeter Enrico Rava, yet here he leads his quartet through a series of upbeat and at times in-your-face modern jazz pieces. Along with support from the excellent British bassist Paul Rogers, and drummer Francesco Sotgiu, Petrella enjoys a fruitful musical relationship with his lead soloing counterpart, baritone saxophonist Javier Girotto. Simply put, X-Ray ...
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