Doctor 3
Winter Tales

LA RECENSIONE

"Jazz is my mistress" (Duke Ellington)

The acronym Doctor 3 hides one of the most important Italian trios, consisting of Danilo Rea (piano), Fabrizio Sferra (drums), and Enzo Pietropaoli (double bass), all leading figures in the Italian jazz scene. The formation was born in 1997 on the occasion of their first recording project, "The Tales of Doctor 3" (best Italian album of the year for Musica Jazz). In the following years, the trio progressively consolidated the artistic and human synergy of its members, constantly performing live and producing albums characterized by their ability to make musical journeys to the edges of jazz.

The musical project of Doctor 3, in fact, consists of reinterpreting in a jazz key melodies seemingly foreign to it, demonstrating that it is possible to vastly expand musical materials that can be reinterpreted and transfigured in this way. Going beyond the standards and creating new ones could be their motto. Want proof? The double CD "Winter Tales" (Via Veneto Jazz- 2003 - 19 €), a testimony of the live performance by the trio at Umbria Jazz in December 2002, provides plenty of it.

Piero Mascagni’s music ("Intermezzo Cavalleria Rusticana") opens the album, but it's just the beginning. The trio indeed tackles pieces written by Sting ("Wrapped around your finger", "Shape of my heart", "Ghost Story"), Tom Waits ("Barcarolle"), Carole King ("You've got a friend"), Beatles ("Come Together", "Honey Pie"), and even Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Porcelain"). Alongside rock, we also find historical pieces of Italian songs, like "Piove" by Domenico Modugno, and some timeless classics such as "Summertime" by George Gershwin and "Caravan" by Duke Ellington.

Pleasant, distant melodies that manage to find their common denominator in the performances of Doctor 3. The themes of the proposed pieces initially maintain their identity, only to gradually and naturally lose themselves in dynamic improvisations. A non-negligible factor, finally, is that the recording retains all the characteristic warmth of a live performance. Ultimately, the raw material for fun is there, as well as the brilliant class of these three musicians who manage to be sometimes pyrotechnic, sometimes captivating, tuning a fluid, highly enjoyable, and creative music. A good work, which in my opinion can be appreciated even by those who are totally alien to jazz. In truth, it could represent a great opportunity to get closer to this music and maybe make it gradually become one of your mistresses.