Nick Mazzarella: Siena Sessions

With a fruitful partnership extending back to 2016, Chicago mainstay Nick Mazzarella has played in a variety of contexts with bassist Silvia Bolognesi and drummer Cristiano Calcagnile, but they chose Italy for their first recorded encounter. Mazzarella's tart alto saxophone seems particularly energized by the change of scenery, and his obvious chemistry with his superb partners is evident from start to finish.

Mazzarella is one of the most versatile musicians on the scene, equally adept at riding a stout groove, delineating a potent melody, or generating powerful free improvisations. On Siena Sessions he gets to use his entire toolkit. And aside from three totally improvised pieces, the other six cuts are all Mazzarella's compositions, so the album also affords us a chance to witness his creativity in that area as well.

Listening to the captivating opener, "Echi Senesi," one is struck by the yearning quality to Mazzarella's playing, as the composition begins with a somewhat mystical theme before giving way to surging free-bop, with Calcagnile and Bolognesi providing plenty of bounce to support Mazzarella's sprightly solo. "Last Light" is a much more oblique offering, with Mazzarella in close communion with Bolognesi, whose own creativity helps the trio explore the piece's expansive contours. It also underscores the lyricism that lies at the heart of Mazzarella's playing; even at his most bracing moments, there is a pathway into an emotional register which makes his music consistently compelling. And sometimes that emotional register is simply pure joy: "Sacred Soil" is a case in point, with a jubilant theme and a buoyant groove that Mazzarella exploits to the fullest.

The trio's three improvised pieces reveal additional facets. "Anima I" and "Anima III" have a dark-edged, ruminative aspect, whereas "Anima II" is much more animated, especially in giving voice to Bolognesi's skillful arco and Calcagnile's rangy work on the kit. The pieces are brief, each at less than four minutes, which give them the feel of interludes, but they are no less valuable for that, and they certainly reveal the special rapport these musicians have with one another.

Guest trumpeter Emanuele Marsico appears on two tracks, and fortunately his presence enhances rather than detracts from the group's distinctive magic. "The Peregrine" is one of Mazzarella's most intriguing compositions, with a slowly-developing theme that takes full advantage of the two-horn palette, while "Nevertheless" is instantly reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's early work with Don Cherry, as Mazzarella and Marsico each get room to stretch out on a vibrant track which closes the album with a flourish. A fitting conclusion to a terrific record.