Tommaso-Rava Quartet
La Dolce Vita

When Jazz Meets the World of Soundtracks, whether it's original music written specifically for the film or reinterpretations, it's like walking the paths of a dream, because the nuances and atmospheres, as in a fascinating Felliniesque exercise, evolve into visions in the fantastic abstract world of those who allow themselves to be captivated by their own suggestions, and consequently abandon themselves to them.

This is exactly what happens when listening to "La Dolce Vita" by the Tommaso-Rava Quartet, led by two of the doyens of Italian Jazz, Enrico Rava and Giovanni Tommaso, also featuring Stefano Bollani on piano and Roberto Gatto on drums. Ambitious projects like these are always balanced between an emotional mosaic with perfectly placed tiles, and that sense of incompleteness which, despite various listens and at different times in one's life, always lurks.

As far as I'm concerned, in cases where Enrico Rava is involved, this is doubly true, because the Trieste trumpeter, despite having a long and undisputed career behind him, full of high moments not only in the Italian scene, I've never counted among my favorites; in fact, even with this album, I've had an up-and-down relationship, even though the initial premises hint each time at a bombastic start, because it begins with one of the most beautiful themes of Italian cinema and beyond, namely "Profumo di Donna" written by Maestro Trovajoli.

The reinterpretation of the theme echoes the heart-wrenching melancholy of the original theme: a heart-wrenching melancholy typical of that film season and the notes of its musical protagonists. Melancholy that, after many years, evokes vibrations that transcend time, despite this melancholy not being contextualizable in today's world, and perhaps that's for the best. Rava, with his trumpet, gives a particular intensity to the piece, an intensity typically Baker-like and fitting for Rava himself when it comes to capturing the ghost of the good Chet. The night perfume of Rava's trumpet and the atmospheric backdrop of his companions, especially thanks to the sensitivity and sweetness of Bollani's notes, are definitely worth the price of the album; although, as usual, when it comes to CamJazz productions, a label specialized in this type of project, it's quite high.

The famous Bollani the entertainer and showman gives way to a more intimate Stefano, as in the notes of the theme from "Mondo Cane," for example, a very famous piece composed by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero and nominated for an Oscar in 1963. Even the theme from "Il Postino" by Luis Bacalov, which did actually win the Oscar, is a winning card for the quartet, with a beautiful bass introduction by Tommaso showcasing all his mastery. Rava and Tommaso venture into writing some pieces: the quality of the pieces is very high, as in the case of "Cinema Moderno," a disturbing breath of Hard Bop written by Tommaso, or the unsettled "Ammazzare il Tempo" by Rava, already present in the soundtrack of the homonymous film by Mimmo Rafele in 1979.

Noteworthy is the bold version of the theme from "Cronaca Familiare" by Goffredo Petrassi, where the four almost reach Progressive dynamics, and the normal version of the theme from "La Dolce Vita" by Nino Rota, a well-interpreted piece, but certainly inconsistent in arrangement. In the liner notes, the four let themselves go while speaking of their relationship with cinema and their emotional relationship with film music. In short, a very beautiful album that is enjoyable to listen to from time to time, but definitely not essential.