Description:
Already recognized as a rising star in Europe for his handful of recordings and associations with the likes of Enrico Rava and Lester Bowie, Italian trombonist Gianluca Petrella is poised to make a memorable splash in America with this thoroughly winning Blue Note debut. Plenty of young artists, armed with newfangled technology and/or pop sensibilities, have aimed at broadening jazz's appeal. Leading a pianoless all-Italian quartet steeped in free jazz, the 30-year-old Petrella achieves that not by pandering to young listeners with tricked-up rock covers, but by entering into a revelatory dialog with jazz tradition through the
Already recognized as a rising star in Europe for his handful of recordings and associations with the likes of Enrico Rava and Lester Bowie, Italian trombonist Gianluca Petrella is poised to make a memorable splash in America with this thoroughly winning Blue Note debut. Plenty of young artists, armed with newfangled technology and/or pop sensibilities, have aimed at broadening jazz's appeal. Leading a pianoless all-Italian quartet steeped in free jazz, the 30-year-old Petrella achieves that not by pandering to young listeners with tricked-up rock covers, but by entering into a revelatory dialog with jazz tradition through the measured application of electronics and samples and other cleverly conceived modern touches. The most striking track is the delightful opening rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle, Tinkle," which boasts computer-generated snatches of the master. But with its crisp bass 'n' drum passages, geometric melodies and atmospheric effects, the album sustains its lively creative edge. Petrella is a flexible, distinctive soloist, as is tenor saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti. Though tributes to Monk, Ellington and Sun Ra stand out--as does a dark, skipping take on an escavated Tony Williams Lifetime tune, "There Comes a Time"--Petrella's originals make their mark as well. --Lloyd Sachs
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Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
Release date: 21 February 2006
EAN: 0094634766524 UPC: 094634766524
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