ENRICO RAVA - Edizione Speciale
ECM 387 1873
Enrico Rava (flugelhorn); Francesco Bearzatti (tenor saxophone); Francesco Diodati (guitar); Giovanni Guidi (piano); Gabriele Evangelista (double bass); Enrico Morello (drums)
Recorded August 18, 2019
Recorded live at the Jazz Middelheim, Antwerp during the summer of 2019, Enrico Rava was celebrating his own eightieth birthday and also ECMs fiftieth anniversary. It is therefore no surprise that Rava was caught in an ebullient mood that has resulted in some delightful, thought provoking and dynamic music.
Assembling a unique cast for the concert, his current quartet was augmented with pianist Giovanni Guidi and saxophonist, Francesco Bearzatti to form a rather special sextet in Edizione Speciale. Familiar with the playing of all the musicians, indeed Rava had been a mentor to most of them, he picked players who he had a deep connection with and who he could " give a lot of freedom". This freedom is felt and heard in the way the music often follows a path that will lead from deeply melodic to the more abstract and back again. This is especially effective in the deployment of guitarist, Francesco Diodati who can move very quickly from a quiet lyricism to more dissonant and frenetic outpouring that can then be reigned back in by the rest of the band. Such a moment is captured to perfection in Rava's composition 'Wild Dance' (from the 2015 album of the same name) with brooding flugelhorn and tenor dialogue pitted against the distorted guitar of Diodati.
The spirited nature of the sextet is also captured on a superb, extensive and detailed reading of Michel Legrand’s 'Once Upon A Summertime' before being led into Enrico's wonderful 'Theme for Jessica Tatum' with all its connotations of film noir. All members get to solo but it is the overall interaction of the group that gives such a completely satisfying coherence to the piece.
The material carefully selected for the concert allows the sextet to fully explore the colour and sonorities at their disposal, and they take full advantage of the opportunity. The opening 'Infant' features, briefly, Rava's lone flugelhorn and some more fireworks from Diodati, while a particular favourite of Rava's, in his duo with pianist Stefano Bollani, 'Le Solite Cose/Diva' is given a fine and delicate outing that helps the performance down to earth a little before the exuberant finale that is the familiar Cuban tune 'Quizás, Quizás, Quizás'.
In conclusion, it must be said that the resulting performance from Enrico Rava and Edizione Speciale was not so much a concert but a party to which the audience, and now ourselves have been invited.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ECM 387 1873
Enrico Rava (flugelhorn); Francesco Bearzatti (tenor saxophone); Francesco Diodati (guitar); Giovanni Guidi (piano); Gabriele Evangelista (double bass); Enrico Morello (drums)
Recorded August 18, 2019
Recorded live at the Jazz Middelheim, Antwerp during the summer of 2019, Enrico Rava was celebrating his own eightieth birthday and also ECMs fiftieth anniversary. It is therefore no surprise that Rava was caught in an ebullient mood that has resulted in some delightful, thought provoking and dynamic music.
Assembling a unique cast for the concert, his current quartet was augmented with pianist Giovanni Guidi and saxophonist, Francesco Bearzatti to form a rather special sextet in Edizione Speciale. Familiar with the playing of all the musicians, indeed Rava had been a mentor to most of them, he picked players who he had a deep connection with and who he could " give a lot of freedom". This freedom is felt and heard in the way the music often follows a path that will lead from deeply melodic to the more abstract and back again. This is especially effective in the deployment of guitarist, Francesco Diodati who can move very quickly from a quiet lyricism to more dissonant and frenetic outpouring that can then be reigned back in by the rest of the band. Such a moment is captured to perfection in Rava's composition 'Wild Dance' (from the 2015 album of the same name) with brooding flugelhorn and tenor dialogue pitted against the distorted guitar of Diodati.
The spirited nature of the sextet is also captured on a superb, extensive and detailed reading of Michel Legrand’s 'Once Upon A Summertime' before being led into Enrico's wonderful 'Theme for Jessica Tatum' with all its connotations of film noir. All members get to solo but it is the overall interaction of the group that gives such a completely satisfying coherence to the piece.
The material carefully selected for the concert allows the sextet to fully explore the colour and sonorities at their disposal, and they take full advantage of the opportunity. The opening 'Infant' features, briefly, Rava's lone flugelhorn and some more fireworks from Diodati, while a particular favourite of Rava's, in his duo with pianist Stefano Bollani, 'Le Solite Cose/Diva' is given a fine and delicate outing that helps the performance down to earth a little before the exuberant finale that is the familiar Cuban tune 'Quizás, Quizás, Quizás'.
In conclusion, it must be said that the resulting performance from Enrico Rava and Edizione Speciale was not so much a concert but a party to which the audience, and now ourselves have been invited.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
