Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Giovanni Falzone: Meeting in Paris

Giovanni Falzone: Meeting in Paris

By C. Michael Bailey
May 6, 2007
View read count

An old saw goes that America's greatest gift to the world was jazz. One of the most creative recipients of this gift has been Italy, who has produced artists like Massimo Urbani, Giovanni Tommaso, Enrico Rava, Mario Schiano, Fabio Morgera, and Enrico Pieranunzi. Added to this distinguished list is the young trumpeter, Giovanni Falzone, whose approach and style is as refreshing and intoxicating as sangria.

If music may be considered discourse, then on one end we would have Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz (Atlantic, 1960), which could be considered the musical equivalent of civil unrest. On the other end, we might consider Giovanni Falzone's Meeting in Paris as a full-bodied Italian Wedding, complete with all of the laughter, love, talk, and teasing that accompanies such occasions.

The opening "Rotation sounds like a clever conversation between Falzone's plunger-muted trumpet and Robin Verheyen's saxophone over a four-note bass motif. "Three for One is more of a standard hard bop piece that could have been a Lee Morgan-Wayne Shorter vehicle before it ascends into John Zorn territory.

"Veggente is a throbbing off-time groove that again enables the front instruments to have a compelling conversation that borders on human speech without descending into novelty. Falzone is a fearless improviser and composer, creating harmonies, melodies, and rhythms that expand the perimeter of progressive acoustic jazz. Verheyen plays a mean post-Michael Brecker tenor saxophone (having learned much from that master).

Falzone's rhythm section is crack. Pianist Bruno Angelini, bassist Mauro Gargano, and drummer Luc Isenmann steer a course of disciplined chaos, providing the front instruments the tracks on which to ply their considerable chops. Meeting in Paris is what we listeners would hope 21st Century jazz would sound like.

Track Listing

Rotation; Three For One; Veggente; Miniature 3; Vitte In Piattaforma; Pericoloso Pensare; Black Castle; Machine Man.

Personnel

Giovanni Falzone

trumpet

Giovanni Falzone: trumpet; Robin Verheyen: saxophones; Bruno Angelini: piano; Mauro Gargano: bass; Luc Isenmann: drums.

Album information

Title: Meeting in Paris | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Soul Note

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Quiet Music
< Previous

Metheny-Mehldau: Playing (Mostly) To...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.