PIERANUNZI / POLGA / FONNESBAEK / BEGGIO “Perspectives”

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ARTIST

Pieranunzi / Polga / Fonnesbaek / Beggio

ALBUM TITLE

“Perspectives”

LABEL

Red Records

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A group built around perspectives. This quartet speaks through a cohesive collective voice, propelled by a dual creative impulse embodied by two strong yet understated leaders who function as first among equals within the ensemble: Enrico Pieranunzi and Michele Polga.

The seven carefully crafted compositions featured on Perspectives – a title perfectly suited to this new Red Records release (the same label that issued Polga’s excellent solo album Doors just a few months ago) – are evenly divided between the Roman pianist and the saxophonist from Bassano del Grappa. The result is an album largely devoted to ballads, or at least to a distinctly lyrical sensibility.

The opening “Siren’s Lounge” is elegant and nocturnal, a Billevans-style waltz by Pieranunzi whose harmonic framework provides an ideal setting for Polga’s tasteful and assured improvisational voice. The pace briefly quickens with the following track, Polga’s “Back and Forth”, before the quartet returns to twilight moods and relaxed tempos with “Next to You”, another composition by the tenor saxophonist. The piece stands out not only for Pieranunzi’s solo contribution but also for the refined statement by his longtime musical partner, Danish bassist Thomas Fonnesbæk, and for Mauro Beggio’s exquisitely nuanced drumming.

The recording quality deserves special mention. Captured with exceptional clarity and balance, the album will undoubtedly satisfy even the most demanding audiophiles.

The title track, composed by Pieranunzi, appears midway through the programme, after which the pianist raises the emotional stakes with the moving “Molto Ancora”, dedicated to the memory of the late Luca Flores. Here, Pieranunzi displays one of those subtle “directorial touches” that have long distinguished his work, effortlessly creating a dialogue between piano and saxophone that feels both natural and deeply expressive.

The melancholic “Song for an August Evening” provides a fitting conclusion to an album that will particularly resonate with listeners who value the authentic spirit of jazz. Introduced by a textbook piano opening and developed with remarkable finesse, the piece encapsulates the essence of the entire project, with all four musicians engaging in an equal and constantly rewarding conversation.

Ivo Franchi

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