Marco Rottoli: New Year's Eve

Nothing earth shattering, surely, but a very fine listen nonetheless. New Year's Eve, young Italian bassist and composer Marco Rottoli's debut, serves two truly noteworthy goals: First, as a promising warmup to more adventurous things from the trio itself in the future and, secondly, as a good opening ensemble readying you for the evening's anticipated headliner.

New Year's Eve is a cool trio outing in the best sense of the time honored concept. It rolls, pops, flairs, vibes, contra-punches, and snaps back energy and mood like a far more seasoned outfit. It calms the nerves of our better halves, life partners, and house guests who know your love of jazz but quietly dread what Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, McCoy Tyner or Marilyn Crispell you might choose to accompany dinner.

A studied writer and arranger who has worked in various configurations from sideman to trio to septet, Rottoli's lucid orchestrations give plenty of sway to drummer Pasquale Fiore and pianist Simone Daclon, whose up front, fully inspired playing throughout, (notably Rottol's "New Year's Eve," his crisp bop-comping on the standard "So Beats My Heart for You," and flighty solos throughout Al Jolson's jumpy "Chloe") could very well lend his name to the group's appellation.

Rottoli's own compositions—take as examples the opening "Acacia," the aforementioned "New Years Eve," and the closing "Illusions"—brightly illuminate a growing sense of spacious blues harmonics, giving room for bandmates (be they two, four, five or more) ample space to ruminate instinctually within their own lexicon to serve the song, and the tradition, well. A sweet listen indeed.

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