Record Reviews

LORENZO DE FINTI ~ MYSTERIUM LUNAE LOSEN 268 (Barcode: 7090025832680) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the third album on the Norwegian LosenFind albums on this label Records label by Italian pianist / composer Lorenzo De FintiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with trumpeter Alberto MandariniFind albums by this artist, bassist Stefano Dall`OraFind albums by this artist and drummer Marco CastiglioniFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions, all co-composed by De Finti and Dall`Ora, one of which appears here in two versions: studio and live-in-the-studio. The music is highly melodic, with long, suite-like themes slowly developed by the instrumentalists, somewhat similar to the modus operandi of Progressive Rock in the early 1970s, but performed by acoustic instruments and featuring more improvisation. The omnipresent Italian proximity to Classical Music forms and sometimes bombastic expressionism always sounds great to those who love and appreciate that musical idiom, myself included. The music develops slowly and requires patience from the listener, which today is an asset not commonly present, but those who are willing to follow the pace of the music are richly rewarded by melancholic ventures, full of majestic themes, moving cadences and almost Baroque ornamentations. All four members of the quartet are seasoned instrumentalist, able to create the atmospheric vistas this music requires. Personally I especially love the superb bass parts by Dall`Ora, who is the most Jazz spirited player on this album, but as already stated all the performances as truly engaging. Overall, this is a beautiful album, especially for lovers of melodic / lyrical / melancholic Jazz, but also to listeners originating from Prog and Classical Music should be able to find this music fascinating. Definitely well done!

Updated: 18/10/2022Posted: 18/10/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

LORENZO DE FINTI ~ WE LIVE HERE LOSEN 162 (Barcode: 7090025831621) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the fourth album by Swiss / Italian pianist / composer Lorenzo De FintiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with Cuban trumpeter Gendrikson MenaFind albums by this artist (Diaz) and Italian rhythm section: bassist Stefano Dall`OraFind albums by this artist and drummer Marco CastiglioniFind albums by this artist. It presents nine original compositions co-credited to De Finti and Dall`Ora, collectively called "Suite for Jazz Quartet". The music is modern acoustic Jazz, well within the mainstream idiom, based on lucid melodic themes, typical of European Jazz, beautifully performed by the quartet members, who are all highly professional players. The overall atmosphere is very ECMFind albums on this label like and enthusiasts of the Manfred EicherFind albums by this artist sound should have a field day with this album. The sound and recording quality are simply outstanding. Although there is plenty of European melancholy and fragile balance in this music, I personally fail to hear the alluded connection to Classical music; this is purely a Jazz album from start to finish. The instrumental work is consistently excellent, especially the trumpet parts, which display a remarkable clarity and sharpness. The music is dominated by the piano, but comes truly alive when the entire quartet is performing. The rhythm section is also exceptional, with the bass being a full partner in the melodic presentation and playing some breathtaking solo parts and the drums, as delicate and compassionate as they are, are unusually inventive and sophisticated at the same time. Personally the best moments of this album happen when the musicians let go of the composed patterns and improvise spontaneously, albeit briefly, but of course this is a matter of personal preferences. As much as I love the aesthetic beauty of this music, for me it lacks the element of surprise and unexpectedness, which I consider as essential ingredients of the idiom. But to put things in the right perspective, this is definitely a wonderful album for connoisseurs of mainstream melodic modern Jazz and should make most Jazz fans around the globe very happy. For people with high-end Hi-Fi equipment this is sonic heaven on earth!

Updated: 09/08/2016Posted: 09/08/2016

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend