Hal

I have the same awkwardness when it comes to making a ranking; there are some albums I've just picked up and am currently listening to, they could be in the top ten, but I don't know yet. The review... well, you know. Bye :)

Lazarus, but what about that trombone I was asking you about?

How is the DVD by Jarrett Kz? I was thinking of getting it for Christmas. As for the album Copernico, I believe that contextualizing it within the solo piano production gives it significant value. For me, it is very meaningful in the context of his works because it shows a constant "looking forward." It's not easy to explain; it's a shame that there has been so little interest in such an important album from 2005.

Collections can be useful for those who are not familiar with an artist, perhaps just nurturing the desire to begin forming an idea. However, this is not the first collection concerning De André. I am not particularly interested because, more or less, I know everything it contains well, and I am not very convinced by the "sound cleansing" operations that have been mentioned. The emphasis should be on the songs, that is what truly matters.

Dearest Gasshopper, what a wealth of insights in this review... from the journey in Italy that reminded me of a young Mozart and a quartet written precisely in Italy, to the classicism/romanticism question when you position (to quote) Mendelssohn as a connecting link. I recently read about "romantic" Mozart, especially the piano concertos. Germs of romanticism that predate its so-called birth were present in Vienna, mixing with classicism. What happened? The transition was not traumatic but constant, and the dividing lines between periods are merely convenient conventions. Thus, Mendelssohn found himself in the midst of this transition, and perhaps that's why he is referred to as a connecting link. However, I must confess, dear friend, that I have never been particularly fond of him. An exceptional architect of music, it is undeniable, but emotionally he doesn’t engage or fascinate me. Yet, I should say this while speaking of the past, as I am naturally referring to experiences like memories, and therefore always subject to revision in light of subsequent experiences. Perhaps your review is the best opportunity to revisit this discussion, maybe starting this morning. I began writing these words while listening to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the background. Bye :)

A few days ago, the latest album by the quintet was released for the label ... Blue Note, after all ... right now there’s actually a fair amount of attention on this band. The album is another chapter in a beautiful story, which in this case was narrated by the French BMG, if I’m not mistaken, but then again it’s not the first time our cousins have been attentive to the local jazz scene. I’ll be seeing Fresu in concert in a few days :) bye.

I included some samples for those curious, hi.

I find myself struggling with your description of an album that, for me, is one of the most beautiful and significant of this year. Right from the beginning, when you say that the album doesn’t lend itself to emotional considerations, I understand the difficulty with the rhythmically dissonant sections that are less melodic. However, in those, I saw a beautiful contrast to the melody that gradually emerges, almost painstakingly illuminating the album. I experienced it as a journey—sometimes challenging, other times swift, and at times exhilarating. During this journey, Jarrett creates moments of suspension and anticipation, and then it inevitably arrives, but never quite as expected. It is towards the end of the journey that I experienced the most intense moments. Section 13, in fact, is something indescribable in its beauty. It’s true that there are no lengthy suites, but on the other hand, the listening experience possesses its own continuity, section by section (5 out of 17 are not even that short, often exceeding 10 minutes). One last note on the division on the back cover, which I believe pertains to the times and places of the performance: indeed, parts 1-13 were recorded in Osaka, while parts 14-17 were recorded in Tokyo. This division does not match that of the two CDs, as parts 1-9 are contained in the first, with the remaining parts in the second. Cheers!

It seems like an interesting report; I'll listen to the samples from Mauri later. Thx

I didn't mind it back then, but it's been a while since I last listened to it. I also got the tribute to Luca Flores ("So Long Flores") always by Tiziana Ghiglioni (who, if I recall correctly, Kz - using a euphemism - appreciated very little). Anyway, back to Tenco, I've always thought that many of his songs lend themselves easily to jazz interpretations; it's a genre worth exploring. I also think about how Danilo Rea reinterpreted him at the piano, or the recent take by Ada Montellanico with Enrico Pieranunzi. Great review anyway, even though I have some doubts about whether Fresu, beyond the flugelhorn, played the trombone. Bye!