Alberto Pinton: Good Idea

Solo instrument recordings were at one time a rare occurrence, but with advancements in recording technology, the barriers to recording have been lowered. They are no longer the anomaly they once were. This solo baritone saxophone performance by Alberto Pinton, though, was paved years ago by the likes of Roscoe Mitchell, Peter Brötzmann, and Anthony Braxton. Pinton, who is regularly heard in trio, quartet, quintet, sextet and large ensemble settings make his first solo recording.

Pinton, a master of a full range of saxophones, clarinets and flutes, limited his expression here to just one instrument, his trusty baritone saxophone. He delivers 13 tracks, more like 13 brief vignettes of sound. Think of this recording like a painter's palette. Pinton paints with the different colors he has arranged for these exercises. "The Call" opens with overblown notes that surf the metallic edge of his upper register before a bit of circular breathing ends the track. The tracks are more like sketches than song forms. With "Dance" he emphasizes the mechanical aspects of his instrument, works the perimeters of sound from top to bottom on "Grattacieli," and creates a kind of perpetual motion machine on "Push #1" with circular breathing. The music can ooze with a delightful beauty, as on "Il Sentiero," or disguise his baritone, as on "Good Idea," making it sound more like a soprano saxophone. Pinton returns to that palette of sounds on "Sterno" mixing a variety of colors in this bluesy exploration. The album ends with "L'Inizio" and the fully sensuous baritone sounds.