Lennert Baerts

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Gabriele Di Franco: The Value Of Choices

by Ieva Pakalniškytė
August 14, 2026

Large-ensemble jazz is often called cinematic simply because it has plenty of colour and volume. On The Value Of Choices (Challenge Records, 2026), the word fits for a better reason. Here, the music keeps changing depending on where the listener stands. Across eight compositions, Italian-born, Brussels-based composer, guitarist and conductor Gabriele di Franco keeps every section in play for long. Brass and reeds may fill the foreground. In the next phrase, the ear settles on a voice, a piano figure ...