Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Matt Renzi: The Cave

121

Matt Renzi: The Cave

By

View read count
Matt Renzi: The Cave
Matt Renzi's warm tenor saxophone voice gives his newest album a smoky texture that allows one to settle back and dream of distant lands and faraway places. His inspiration came from living in Japan, Italy, India, and New York over a four-year span. They're visions that last a lifetime, and Renzi has figured out how to share them with his audience through means other than the usual photograph album or slide show. His compositions capture the essence vividly and translate each landscape through music.

"The Rice Shed" opens with somber thoughts that appear majestic in their purpose. Centuries of ancient civilization that have left strong cultural ties give his exposition a serious thread that permeates gradually. Bass (David Ambrosio) and drums (Russell Meissner) surround his tenor with serene conversation that remains both humble and diminished. "To the Cave" features Renzi's clarinet in a spiritual adventure that treads slowly and deliberately with visions of our ancestors in focus. Nothing stands in his way as he and his musical partners parade over ancient pathways in search of life's next adventure.

"In Circles" mesmerizes like the exotic call of Indian harmony. A primitive drum and string accompaniment provides the piece with mystery and sensual overtones. "Stand Clear (of the Closing Doors)" sounds like a typical New York catchphrase, doesn't it? Renzi gives this one a thrilling undercurrent that is driven by all three artists with a casual attitude. Like New York, the piece is busy and filled with a never-ending flurry of saxophone notes.

Renzi's impressions provide a warm homecoming for his audience. Each setting comes paved with mellow ovations that allow us to become immersed in its culture. His trio takes us for a relaxed vacation that simmers gently for the soul.

Track Listing

Poison Ivy; The Rice Shed; Stand Clear (of the closing doors); Stones for Sand; In Circles; Faces and Places; To the Cave; Three Stories.

Personnel

Matt Renzi
woodwinds

Matt Renzi: tenor saxophone, clarinet; David Ambrosio: bass; Russell Meissner: drums, percussion.

Album information

Title: The Cave | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Fresh Sound New Talent

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.