Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Giovanni Tommaso Quintet: To Chet

Giovanni Tommaso Quintet: To Chet

By C. Michael Bailey
February 1, 2000
View read count

Chet, We Hardly Knew Ye. Ubiquitous on RED recordings, bassist Giovanni Tommaso conducts a heart-felt, if not a little weird tribute to jazz casualty, Chet Baker. Tommaso is joined by two trumpeters/flugelhornists Flavio Boltro and Paolo Fresu. They provide an eerie awakening motif on the opening “Piccioni Viaggiatori (To Chet)”. After stretching a few minutes, the song wakes up as a Post Bop romp that continues for the rest of the record. Smooth and jaunty, soft and solid, the music on this disc is picture of mainstream Post Bop in the 1990s. A very clear picture.

Italia. Tommaso populates his band with his fellow countrymen, achieving label owner Sergio Veschi goal of exposing and promoting mainstream jazz from Italy. To Chet is a solid offering from journeymen musicians proving that the States are no longer the sole source of exceptional jazz music. This disc is a little on the rough edge of Post Bop and Avant-gard, but there are still many moments to enjoy.

Track Listing

Piccioni Viaggiatori (To Chet); Novembre; O

Personnel

Giovanni Tommaso Quintet

Flavio Boltro, Paolo Fresu: Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Danilo Rea: Piano; Giovanni Tommaso: Bass; Robert Gatto.

Album information

Title: To Chet | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Red Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Ron Carter: Brazilian Charm
< Previous

Ipsis Quest
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.