Enrico Rava - Flashback

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 157,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:15)  1. Misterioso
( 8:35)  2. The Way You Look Tonight
( 8:53)  3. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
( 9:47)  4. Line for Lyons
( 3:07)  5. Nature Boy
(10:28)  6. Old Devil Moon
( 7:01)  7. I'll Close My Eyes
( 5:25)  8. There's No You
( 7:57)  9. Misterioso - 2nd emotion

This hugely popular trumpet player (born in Trieste, Italy in 1939) almost single-handedly brought Italian jazz to international attention. He began playing Dixieland trombone in Turin, but after hearing Miles Davis, switched instruments and embraced the modern style. Other key meetings were with Gato Barbieri, with whom he recorded movie soundtracks in 1962, and Chet Baker. He began to play with Steve Lacy; he also teamed up with South African expatriates Louis Moholo and John Dyani and recorded The Forest and the Zoo (ESP) live in Argentina. In 1967, he moved to New York, playing with Roswell Rudd, Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Haden. In a brief return to Europe, Rava recorded with Lee Konitz (Stereokonitz, RCA) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, FMP). From 1969 to 1976, he was back in New York, recording Escalator Over the Hill with Carla Bley's Jazz Composers' Orchestra. After his first album as a leader, Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint), he began to lead his own pianoless quartets and quintets. His recorded output numbers 100 records, 30 as a leader. ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while Soul Note and Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. 

With keyboard master Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to Bix Beiderbecke and Armstrong, and to Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents Gianluca Petrella, Stefano Bollani, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on ECM. Three years later, after Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on ECM. Rava followed the released in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included Bollani, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by ECM in the fall of 2011. 

Its members included trombonist Gianluca Petrella, pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. 

The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of Jackson's material.~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-rava-mn0000182392/biography

Personnel:  Enrico Rava (tp, flgh), Gianni Basso (tenor sax), Stefano Bollani (p), Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Massimo Manzi (drums)

Flashback

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Gianni Basso & Guido Manusardi Trio - Live At Down Town

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:32
Size: 162,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:49)  1. Bye Bye Blackbird
( 8:20)  2. There's No Greater Love
(10:03)  3. I Close My Eyes
( 9:16)  4. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(10:03)  5. Old Folks
(11:19)  6. Man I Love
(10:42)  7. I Love You

This set of standards by Italian tenor boss Gianni Basso with Guido Manusardi's piano trio is notable only for two things: the poor sound the stereo needs to be turned nearly all the way up for the listener to be able to engage the entire band and for the extremely snoozy choice of material. Coming from the Johnny Griffin school of tenor players, Basso has a warm, slightly raw tone that encourages the more R&B side of the jazz canon for its fullest expression. Basso plays Coltrane on "Bye Bye Blackbird," a tune he can pull off melodically, but improvisationally he relates with clichés that dip back into the blues book on the changes. He doesn't extend them or invert them, he merely blows over them and loudly so the rest of the band is buried in the mix. As for other standards like "Old Folks," "There Is No Greater Love," "The Man I Love," and "I Close My Eyes," the performances are adequate but never heat up past lukewarm. Manusardi is a fine accompanist, but hardly a refined soloist; his own breaks are filled with chordal reworking of the tune's harmony for exactly the same number of choruses (four) before turning it over to Basso, who slips through the motions of playing half the melody and harmonically extrapolating tune after tune. Yes, this is jazz but, for all its lyricism and good intentions, it's mediocre.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-down-town-mw0000722636      

Personnel: Gianni Basso - ts;  Guido Manusardi - p;  Stefano Travaglini - b; Massimo Manzi - d

Live At Down Town

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Gianni Basso & Renato Sellani - Isn't It Romantic?

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:20
Size: 166,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Nancy with the Laughing Face
(5:20)  2. Embraceable You
(5:51)  3. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
(5:30)  4. Deep Purple
(4:11)  5. Everything I Have Is Yours
(3:49)  6. Isn't It Romantic?
(8:02)  7. Body and Soul
(4:29)  8. I Should Care
(7:46)  9. I'll Remember April
(5:23) 10. Over the Rainbow
(8:48) 11. It Might as Well Be Spring
(7:21) 12. I Remember Clifford

A fantastic update of an older tenor and piano mode served up here by the great Gianni Basso and Renato Sellani! Both players are stalwarts of the Italian scene, and both often never fully got their due on this side of the Atlantic and together, they craft a wonderful set of moody, late nite ballads that could just as easily have been cut by Ben Webster and Oscar Peterson although maybe with some darker, more modern currents on Sellani's piano than Oscar and some classic, but individual phrasing by Basso! 

The tunes are all standards, but opened up in that very personal way that the best soloists can acquire and titles include "Nancy", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "Deep Purple", "I Remember Clifford", "I Should Care", "Body & Soul", and "I'll Remember April".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/857709/Gianni-Basso-Renato-Sellani:Isn%27t-It-Romantic

Personnel: Gianni Basso (tenor saxophone); Renato Sellani (piano).

Isn't It Romantic?

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Gianni Basso - Gianni Basso and His Sax & Rhythm Sextet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:27
Size: 118,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:44)  1. Chet's Chum
(7:21)  2. Crazy Rhythm
(5:10)  3. Warm Melody
(6:08)  4. Holiday in Davos
(5:55)  5. The Next Day
(5:16)  6. Winnie's Component
(8:46)  7. Bells Blues
(5:03)  8. Bob's Buddy

Gianni Basso was one of the lights who began shining on the European jazz scene following the end of World War II. He began as a clarinetist and first played professionally in Germany and Belgium in the late '40s with the Raoul Falsan Big Band. By the beginning of the next decade, he was established as a commercial "GB" or "general business" player in Milan, but one with a steady presence at jazz events, including some of the early Italian attempts at post-fascist festivals. From about 1954, a collaboration with trumpeter and composer Oscar Valdambrini began that resembled the relationship between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, minus the former man's household-name status. Basso studied music in the busy northern city of Turin, where Valdambrini was a homeboy. It was more than just two Italian lads growing up with a fascination for American jazz this was a case of a tenor saxophone and trumpet finding each other. This led to all manner of musical possibilities, most notably the easy-to-maneuver-and-feed small combo (not that feeding anyone in Italy is a problem, ever).The partners' group was without a doubt the most popular jazz band in Italy in the '50s, accompanying many touring stars such as Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Slide Hampton, and Chet Baker. The engaging style of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was the primary goal Basso set for himself in terms of having a main man on the saxophone. His many subsequent recordings provide documentation of how he discovered Sonny Rollins and developed his own style from these sources to the point where the Verve label signed him and a top-notch singer such as Sarah Vaughan wanted a Basso baste as sauce on her 1984 serving entitled Mystery of Man. In the late '70s he founded the band Saxes Machine and subsequently fronted the Gianni Basso Big Band. In his senior years he settled into the comfort of the Rome studio scene, still playing in clubs and enjoying his growing historical stature on the European jazz scene. Even free jazz fans like him now. ~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gianni-basso-mn0000948077  

Gianni Basso and His Sax & Rhythm Sextet

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Cojazz - All Those Melodies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:56
Size: 141.8 MB
Styles: Traditional, Dixieland
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[8:32] 1. That's All
[8:53] 2. What A Difference A Day Made
[7:44] 3. Don't You Know I Care
[6:48] 4. Serenata
[8:24] 5. I'll Walk Alone
[6:36] 6. This Is Always
[7:49] 7. That Old Feeling
[7:06] 8. Again

The European jazz trio Cojazz is joined by guest tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso for this live engagement at Chorus Jazz Club in Lausanne, Switzerland. Pianist Andy Scherrer knew what he was getting from his Italian addition for this set, a seasoned veteran who not only has played with Maynard Ferguson, the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, Thad Jones and many more, but also has led his own groups. Basso's style is sprinkled with the influence of numerous earlier greats on his instrument, though his big tone also incorporates a sly humor as he intermingles imaginative quotes into his improvisations. A robust soloist in up-tempo settings, Basso's lyricism in his interpretation of Duke Ellington's lush, unjustly overlooked ballad "Don't You Know I Care" is simply magical. While Scherrer's playing, along with that of bassist Isla Eckinger and drummer Peter Schmidlin, merits strong praise, they allow their guest the lion's share of the spotlight, rewarding the audience with an evening of memorable interpretations of standards and forgotten chestnuts. ~Ken Dryden

All Those Melodies

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Jenny Evans, Dusko Goykovich - Shiny Stockings

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. Shiny Stockings
(3:22)  2. Good Old Days
(4:30)  3. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(3:53)  4. That's What Zoot Said
(5:21)  5. You Go To My Head
(4:43)  6. In A Mellow Tone
(5:07)  7. Caravan
(4:15)  8. Willow Weep For Me
(5:14)  9. Alright, OK, You Win
(4:38) 10. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:15) 11. The Song Of Autumn
(4:18) 12. April In Paris
(3:37) 13. All Of Me

Jazz vocalist Jenny Evans, born and raised in Britain, has been a resident of Munich for many years. Sometimes when she scats, one can almost detect a hint of a German accent. But although her career has been based wholly in Europe, Evans’s passion is the Great American Songbook. Delving into material such as "Willow Weep for Me," "In a Mellow Tone," and "Honeysuckle Rose," she displays a voice that is deep and golden-toned. Her intonation is perfect maybe even too perfect. A little more rough-edged spontaneity might have made the session less ordinary, especially on such often-played standards as "Caravan" and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise." "April In Paris" is lackluster, not to mention a tad too fast the beautiful bridge rushes right by.

That said, Evans really knows how to get around these songs, and so does her band. Trumpeter Dusko Goykovich and tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso often team up to play inspired shout choruses; when Evans joins them as a third "horn," it sounds like a mini big band. Basso’s solo style is delightfully old-school. All three collaborated on the lively "That’s What Zoot Said," dedicated to the late Zoot Sims; Goykovich and Evans co-wrote the other two originals of the session, "Good Old Days" and "The Song of Autumn," both minor-key ballads. Solid playing is also the norn for pianist David Gazarov, bassist Branko Pejakovic, and drummer/producer Rudi Martini. ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/shiny-stockings-jenny-evans-enja-records-review-by-david-adler.php

Personnel: Jenny Evans (vocals); Gianni Basso (soprano & tenor saxophone); Dusko Goykovich (trumpet, flugelhorn); David Gazarov (piano); Branko Pejakovic (bass); Rudi Martini (drums).

Shiny Stockings

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Gianni Basso - Stardust

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 96:46
Size: 221.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. Old Folks
[3:43] 2. Like Someone In Love
[4:51] 3. Lil' baby
[4:09] 4. Don't Blame Me
[3:05] 5. Stardust
[3:58] 6. My Sister
[5:40] 7. My Foolish Heart
[2:35] 8. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[4:34] 9. Framing Charlie
[3:59] 10. There's No You
[3:59] 11. Nature Boy
[5:14] 12. Sweet And Slowly
[4:22] 13. Groovin High
[6:09] 14. Miss Bo
[4:19] 15. Ricorda Me
[5:00] 16. Solitude
[3:06] 17. Is That You
[5:59] 18. Blues Band
[6:42] 19. Nella
[5:10] 20. All The Things You Are
[2:28] 21. Reason
[3:52] 22. Summertime

Gianni Basso was one of the lights who began shining on the European jazz scene following the end of World War II. He began as a clarinetist and first played professionally in Germany and Belgium in the late '40s with the Raoul Falsan Big Band. By the beginning of the next decade, he was established as a commercial "GB" or "general business" player in Milan, but one with a steady presence at jazz events, including some of the early Italian attempts at post-fascist festivals. From about 1954, a collaboration with trumpeter and composer Oscar Valdambrini began that resembled the relationship between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, minus the former man's household-name status. Basso studied music in the busy northern city of Turin, where Valdambrini was a homeboy. It was more than just two Italian lads growing up with a fascination for American jazz -- this was a case of a tenor saxophone and trumpet finding each other. This led to all manner of musical possibilities, most notably the easy-to-maneuver-and-feed small combo (not that feeding anyone in Italy is a problem, ever).

The partners' group was without a doubt the most popular jazz band in Italy in the '50s, accompanying many touring stars such as Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Slide Hampton, and Chet Baker. The engaging style of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was the primary goal Basso set for himself in terms of having a main man on the saxophone. His many subsequent recordings provide documentation of how he discovered Sonny Rollins and developed his own style from these sources to the point where the Verve label signed him and a top-notch singer such as Sarah Vaughan wanted a Basso baste as sauce on her 1984 serving entitled Mystery of Man.

In the late '70s he founded the band Saxes Machine and subsequently fronted the Gianni Basso Big Band. In his senior years he settled into the comfort of the Rome studio scene, still playing in clubs and enjoying his growing historical stature on the European jazz scene. Even free jazz fans like him now. ~bio by Eugene Chadbourne

Stardust

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Gianni Basso & Renato Sellani - Body & Soul

Styles: Saxphone And Piano Jazz

Year: 2008

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 57:20

Size: 132,5 MB

Art: Front

(6:13)  1. Body And Soul

(3:50)  2. La Mer

(4:08)  3. Star Dust

(5:42)  4. Ma L'Amore No

(5:18)  5. Deep Purple

(5:20)  6. Pennies From Heaven

(4:50)  7. My Foolish Heart

(4:40)  8. I Should Care

(4:13)  9. Watch What Happens

(4:28) 10. Miss Bo

(4:50) 11. Solamente Una Vez

(3:43) 12. I Love you

Saxophonist Gianni Basso and pianist Renato Sellani, Piemontese octogenarians, pay retrospective homage on Body and Soul, caressing Swing Era favorites with devotion and delight, grace and poetry. Basso models his brimming, avuncular style on Coleman Hawkins, complete with gruff, burly tone, nowhere more in evidence than on the pace-setting title track. Sellani approaches Teddy Wilson with a conservatory touch, discreetly tasteful and tidy, bubbling over but occasionally, as on "Watch What Happens". This Legrand tune, along with "Beyond The Sea" and Latin classics, give away their European bent. ~ Fred Bouchard  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/globe-unity-italy-gianni-basso-renato-sellani-norberto-tamburrino-and-giorgio-gaslini-by-fred-bouchard.php#.U2gHbiiS-PM

Body & Soul

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