Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fabrizio Sotti Trio: Forty

9

Fabrizio Sotti Trio: Forty

By

View read count
Fabrizio Sotti Trio: Forty
As jazz guitar continues to evolve with the introduction of modern influences, some of the more distinguished players are going back to basics. Acknowledged as a remarkable accompanist who can cross genres at will, Fabrizio Sotti has also established himself as genuine guitar stylist. Forty is his fourth release as leader, which represents not only a milestone in his age, but a continuous dedication to refining his craft.

This is a departure from previous recordings on which Sotti covered quite a lot of musical territory. Now claiming his own signature model D'Angelico guitar, and prepared with original compositions, Forty presents an intriguing set of melodic improvisations based around his professional development and personal life. The trio format encompasses bassist Peter Slavov, who hails from Bulgaria, adding a classical European background, and Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela, who brings an innate rhythmic sense of swing.

The minor blues "Redemption," is a slow yet deliberate testament to the instrument which has guided his destiny. His appreciation of the be-bop idiom is evident on "Dangerous Walk," while "Is That What You Think," keeps the momentum going in a straight ahead direction. Both of these demonstrate that Sotti is technically proficient, and can play around the melody at will. "Beginning Now," is a melancholic solo classical guitar interlude, with strong family connections. The only cover is Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive," a sympathetic samba in homage to his grandfather. The Latin pulsation continues with "Thalia," a joyful number dedicated to his daughter, where he admittedly nods to the influential Jim Hall, while adding individual embellishments.

Bassist Peter Slavov accompanies Sotti on the ballad "So Far So Close," performed as a duo. An intricate and expressive venture, Slavov adds the appropriate soloing as an acoustical cushion for the guitar. Though Sotti has been an asserted New Yorker for years now, he is very much an Italian at heart. The romanticism of his heritage evident on "The Bridge," a blues tinged love song composed for his wife, and the Ponte dei Sospire (Bridge of Sighs) in Venice, where they were married.

The title track is an affirmation that though life is thought to begin at forty, one better have something to show by then. The song begins in a staggered manner, easing into a smooth rite of passage, takes some interesting twists and turns, and comes to a firm conclusion. This appears to reflect Fabrizzio Sotti at this juncture, a glimpse of a musician in motion, yet taking his time. Though he has dazzling jazz chops, Sotti chose the sparse road of simplicity to express this music, thus revealing his maturity as a musician, for sometimes less is more.

Track Listing

Redemption; Dangerous walk; Is That What You Think; Beginning Now; How Insensitive; Thalia; So Far So Close; Forty; Intro to The Bridge; The Bridge.

Personnel

Fabrizio Sotti: guitars; Peter Slavov: bass; Francisco Mela: drums.

Album information

Title: Forty | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Incipit Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.