Roberto Zanetti Trio featuring Pietro Tonolo: Minor Time

Not to be confused with Italian singer and composer Roberto Zanetti, Italian jazz pianist Roberto Zanetti or, as he is sometimes warmly referred to, "Zizzi," leads his Italian piano trio on another recording date with Minor Time, following up the group's critically-acclaimed self-produced debut of 2010, My Monk. The Roberto Zanetti Trio came to be after an auspicious meeting back in 2006 when the pianist met bassist Luca Pisani and drummer Massimo Chiarella, leading to many musical collaborations ever since.

The trio's first album was inspired by the work of Thelonious Monk and other great jazz pianist of the past. On this date, Zanetti offers a repertoire of original music presenting a nine-piece set—all penned in minor keys—of bouncy modern jazz material, continuing an exploration of the music he began performing back in 1991 as a guitarist in a small group. One major change on this album, is the featuring of Italian saxophonist Pietro Tonolo whose addition to the mix, essentially changes the format of the group to one formidable quartet.

The pianist opens up the music on his "Waltz Experience" and follows that with "In the Heaven" where he showcases his more than appreciable chops on the keys. In both of the opening selections, saxophonist Tonolo is featured on the soprano not switching to the tenor until the third track "Gran Torino. The saxophonist and group are simply masterful on the beautiful and majestic "Chiarotta Mood" perhaps the defining tune of the recording. Zanetti's "Stonehenge" delivers some of the best from both the pianist and the sax man on what is arguably the perkiest piece of the set.

The leader brings the session to a close on the swinging "Sitting Bull" and the very intricate "Big Apple" modern jazz take featuring sturdy bass lines from Pisani and nice cymbal accents from Chiarella among the moments marking the piece. Those unfamiliar with the Zanetti sound will find a very inviting and compelling modern jazz sound on Minor Time, the latest from the Roberto Zanetti Trio with the added enhancement of Pietro Tonolo's saxophone voice, making this quite an impressive musical experience.