BRUNO D’AMBRA TRIO - Vesuviana
Self produced
Available from Bandcamp
Bruno D’Ambra (p); Jason Reues (b); Emiliano Caroselli (d)
Recorded Welwyn Garden City, 1st & 2nd March 2020.
The D’Ambra trio start with the title track, the only composition on this recital not penned by the pianist. Al Maranca adds percussion effects and sings in a chant like manner at the beginning. He also wrote the lyrics of this selection. He only appears on this first piece. The trio is a tightly knit unit with piano, bass and drums well integrated throughout. Vesuviana bounces along merrily at a medium tempo with the pianist quite percussive and tight accompaniment from bass and drums. Mandorla Kiss starts out as a slow ballad with the leader more rhapsodic. A bass solo follows and then they all up the tempo. Towards the end it slows down to ballad tempo once more. The different moods and tempo changes here and on all these selections keeps the music varied and interesting. Top Geezer is an up-tempo romp dedicated to the pianist’s Italian grandfather.
All of these tracks represent the leader’s journey through London, New York and Italy, where he was born. He located to London UK, where he now lives and works. This is a good, solid jazz piano trio recital, taking in many aspects of the jazz spectrum. Bruno describes them as his musical diary, each one inspired by a person, a place or a situation. Thee For Trane is taken at a very brisk tempo with some well made improvisations at the piano. Blue Pictures Of You is a very slow, delicate ballad where the pianist’s tone is softer and more gentle. The support from bassist and drummer here is all important as they adapt to supporting the piano lines and enhancing them. Short bass and drum solos are included. The icing on the cake here is that it is a very clear, bright sound recording, pointing up every note played.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
Self produced
Available from Bandcamp
Bruno D’Ambra (p); Jason Reues (b); Emiliano Caroselli (d)
Recorded Welwyn Garden City, 1st & 2nd March 2020.
The D’Ambra trio start with the title track, the only composition on this recital not penned by the pianist. Al Maranca adds percussion effects and sings in a chant like manner at the beginning. He also wrote the lyrics of this selection. He only appears on this first piece. The trio is a tightly knit unit with piano, bass and drums well integrated throughout. Vesuviana bounces along merrily at a medium tempo with the pianist quite percussive and tight accompaniment from bass and drums. Mandorla Kiss starts out as a slow ballad with the leader more rhapsodic. A bass solo follows and then they all up the tempo. Towards the end it slows down to ballad tempo once more. The different moods and tempo changes here and on all these selections keeps the music varied and interesting. Top Geezer is an up-tempo romp dedicated to the pianist’s Italian grandfather.
All of these tracks represent the leader’s journey through London, New York and Italy, where he was born. He located to London UK, where he now lives and works. This is a good, solid jazz piano trio recital, taking in many aspects of the jazz spectrum. Bruno describes them as his musical diary, each one inspired by a person, a place or a situation. Thee For Trane is taken at a very brisk tempo with some well made improvisations at the piano. Blue Pictures Of You is a very slow, delicate ballad where the pianist’s tone is softer and more gentle. The support from bassist and drummer here is all important as they adapt to supporting the piano lines and enhancing them. Short bass and drum solos are included. The icing on the cake here is that it is a very clear, bright sound recording, pointing up every note played.
Reviewed by Derek Ansell
