Classy piano trio recording sees the light of day
Gift of the Gab
To tell you nothing but the truth I look forward to releases issued on the CAM Jazz label from Italy and look at their website regularly to find out what they’re issuing. Enter Claudio Filippini.
There aren’t many CAM Jazz releases.
But it’s not just the scarcity value. It’s the choice of artists and general philosophy which tends to be Euro type chamber jazz. Basically it’s similar to ECM, but a bit more swinging some times and no one is pining for the fjords (or actually living somewhere near one) as much.
Piano jazz on sea
As far as I know even though it says 2004 in the title this live album recorded in a venue in an Adriatic coastal town called Gabicce Mare hasn’t come out before. Twenty years in the can – I wonder why now?
But grazie mille.
The pianist here Filippini hails from Pescara, a bit over 150 miles away from the scene of the show.
He is no stranger to Cam Jazz.
Twenty years ago when this was made he was only in his early twenties. But since then the pianist – whose style is a little like Giovanni Guidi’s in the album’s dreamier, more spiritualized passages – has spread his wings.
Before the Wind compares
But really a closer point of comparison to Live Al Gabez 2004 is the studio album Before the Wind with the same personnel recorded much more recently in 2017.
Claudio Filippini is a CAM Jazz stalwart
Before the Wind is a better album from a couple of points of view:
- the sonics (there it is Stefano Amerio who engineered it – someone who probably has the best ears of any jazz engineer in Europe for this kind of thing)
- the Filippini originals are an engaging fillip.
Al Gabez sound isn’t as tinkling as a tea party
That said however who couldn’t resist the elaborate take on ‘Autumn Leaves’ and the presence à la Jarrett of free improv on a number of tracks.
In Brighton Rock noted lover of Italy the novelist Graham Greene wrote of Pinkie: ”It spoke to him in the music, and when he protested that he for one would never get mixed up, the music had its own retort at hand: ‘You can’t always help it. It sort of comes that way’.”
And that way characterfully here finds the audience reaction sensitively rendered to respect the context.
Grown up playing it doesn’t sound twee or like a vicar’s tea party something that can happen on jazz records recorded live in front of an ”intimate” audience. When that echoey phenomenon occurs it is like the kiss of death. Because as a listener you just think ”not many in” – and what’s the point of the sound of one hand clapping? Might as well just edit the audience out if that is the case.
Consuelo Velázquez classic
We also love anyone playing – within reason but do draw the line at Mantovani’s fairly preposterous Plays Tangos (1953) version – Consuelo Velázquez 1940s smoochy classic ‘Besame Mucho’ which is tucked in at the end.
Filippini has played and recorded with Palle Danielsson the ”Belonging Band” genius who sadly died in May. And Luca Bulgarelli is very much in the Swede’s mould.
Actually come to think of it for another intersection go listen to Gary Peacock with Keith Jarrett and DeJohnette heard in Antibes caught on YouTube playing ‘Autumn Leaves’ and then listen to Bulgarelli a bit.
But the trio version of the tune here isn’t so much an up tempo avalanche. It’s a whole lot darker in mood. And Marcello Di Leonardo on drums sounds amazing on the ‘Suite Drums Intro,’ by the way.
Catch up on a range of recent marlbank reviews
