Phillip Greenlief: Citta Di Vitti

An exponent of the Bay Area music community, saxophonist Philip Greenlief has few equals in terms of his prolific output and diverse list of collaborative projects since the late 1970s. His Citta di Vitti is a tribute to the films of Michelangelo Antonioni and the director's main actor and muse, Monica Vitti. Taken as a whole, the album showcases a facile and dialed trio with fellow Bay Area stalwarts, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and drummer Jason Levis , who display a perfect balance of timbral personalities. They are also a prime example of an artistic and personalized holistic approach to art-making as well as a showcase of his boundless vocabulary as a performer.

Greenlief sketched dozens of motifs and themes inspired by the films L'avventura and "L'ecclise, some of which were developed into the music for this album and potential future releases. The composer carefully curated his choices for inclusion—note the shuffled numbers of the sketches. The opening medley of #1 and #30 -"La Notte Theme" and "On the Train," respectively begins with tiny, spare sounds from Greenlief's horn before morphing patiently into a pacing ostinato from Mezzacappa, almost like a stranger arriving in a new town for the first time. In this and later pieces, such as the gently swinging "#33 Parque," there is a narrative quality that invites listeners to step in and fully inhabit each scene. Ambiance is one of the trio's strongest traits. One can almost taste the air of these cities and times while listening.

Vitti's performances have long been lauded for their accuracy in portraying nuanced and complex female protagonists in moments of existential crisis amidst the bustle of '60s Italy. Greenlief and company, in turn, have fashioned a collection of vignettes that evoke similarly nuanced moments translated to music. One can easily imagine this trio slipping fluidly into those settings on pieces like the busy "#2 Piazza Siciliana" or "#5 Monica A Go-Go," which also features a beautiful, pensive solo interlude from Levis.

The album's most tender moment arrives toward the end with the candid, almost cloying "#5 Dove Anna?" where Mezzacappa delivers a poignant solo that may have felt reassuring to one of Vitti's ruminating protagonists. Greenlief's own soloing—especially on "#11 Stock Market Express"—is consistently focused, aware and inspired, playing off multiple traits from all the tracks simultaneously. It is a testament to his ability to shift between global and local aspects of his music, marking him as a singular artist operating as an individual creator in the deepest sense. Closing the set with the circusy "#36 Cane," the trio finally gets the chance to stretch out together like a pack of hungry monsters, bookended by matched iterations of the mischievous head.

"Citta di Vitti" offers a warm glimpse into a wistful time and place expressed in Antonioni's and Vitti's bygone world. There is an undeniable nostalgia at work, but in interpreting the older world with the language and consideration of modern times, Greenlief captures and displays a playful spirit in this music that translates and transcends in a way people from then and now can easily relate to.