Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fabrizio Sferra Quartet: Untitled #28

6

Fabrizio Sferra Quartet: Untitled #28

By

Sign in to view read count
Fabrizio Sferra Quartet: Untitled #28
It sounds great. It really does. It happens every time a record flows in such a way that it's possible to actually enjoy its variations, contrasts and colors. Yes, colors; Untitled #28 is full of them.

Musically, for instance; the sound shaped by drummer Fabrizio Sferra's quartet is one which toys with perceptions of intensity and timbres in a way that appears to be utterly spontaneous, rather than planned. Sferra is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in Italian jazz at the moment. His collaboration with trumpeter Enrico Rava on 2003's aptly titled Full Of Life contributed to placing Sferra's name on many a radar, but it is fair to say that his work with pianist Danilo Rea and bassist Enzo Pietropaoli in Doctor 3 was already worth more than a mention a lustrum earlier.

If the motive behind Doctor 3 was an elegantly ironic approach to mainstream music (be it pop, folk or jazz) with its rendition of classics such as Sting's "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and Neil Young's "Harvest," the key to understanding Untitled #28 is simplicity. The multi-textural dynamics maneuvered by the excellent pianist Giovanni Guidi and Sferra's polyrhythmic drumming perfectly match bassist Joe Rehmer and tenor saxophonist Dan Kinzelman's fine work. The final result is effective, graceful and refined, yet simple in its beauty.

Mentioning the word "color" at the beginning of this review was an almost necessary and unavoidable act , as the record betrays the leader's Mediterranean approach to tonality by adding a certain warmth to the already rich mixture of dilated and convulse tempos. And the extemporized improvisation on tracks like "The Snow Child" and "The Accomplices" is somehow rich in this chromatic value of which Sferra appears to be responsible. His drumming is, at times, almost detached from its mere rhythmic tasks while adding some percussive motifs to the vaporous textures laid down by the brilliant intercourse taking place between the saxophone and bass.

That no instrument seems to lead this extremely fluid discourse is a testament to the record's real added value: the meticulous teamwork, even in a series of ever-changing (and challenging) patterns that make Untitled #28 such a fine album. Composition is king here; the final result, if void of the self-indulgent intricacy (too) many quartets seem to aspire to, makes Untitled #28 an exhilarating and fascinating listen, the kind that might be expected from a superb set of musicians balancing themselves between pianist Keith Jarrett's chimerical standards and a pop-minded, latent aesthetic. The language spoken is essential and simple, but the argument is rich, complex, demanding and utterly colorful.

Track Listing

Skaal; IX Elegia; The Accomplices; Simply Back; Quai des Orfevres; The Snow Child; Scout, Jem and Boo; Sunbathing In Central Park; Yesterday's Sun; The arrangement; Untitled #28; Eye of the Needle; Keep on Walking; All of Us; Goodbye Mr. M. ("All of us" reprise).

Personnel

Fabrizio Sferra: drums; Dan Kinzelman: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Giovanni Guidi: piano; Joe Rehmer; double bass.

Album information

Title: Untitled #28 | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Via Veneto Jazz

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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