MARCO GAMBA “I Have a Dream”

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ARTIST

Marco Gamba

ALBUM TITLE

“I Have a Dream”

LABEL

Abeat

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Perhaps it is no coincidence that, in the liner notes, Gamba expresses the hope that listeners will take their time with his latest album. I Have a Dream is a multifaceted musical self-portrait, rich in detail, in which different inspirations, compositional philosophies and approaches intertwine. It is a mosaic that deserves close attention, one piece at a time.

More than fifteen years after his first release under his own name, Gamba reaffirms his preference for larger, well-balanced ensembles, such as this sextet featuring a three-piece horn section and a measured use of electronic textures, ranging from atmospheric effects to the more familiar sound of the Rhodes piano.

The Bergamo-born jazz musician seeks to pay tribute to dreams: the grand ambitions of those who still believe a different world is possible, as well as the more prosaic dreams woven into the fabric of everyday life. Alongside this idealistic impulse, Gamba offers his own interpretation of contemporary jazz, positioning himself convincingly at the intersection of tradition and modernity, composition and improvisation.

Melodic and harmonic structures are almost always clearly present, with influences ranging from hard bop and post-bop to fusion. Yet the development of the pieces frequently makes room for freer passages, interludes and patches of sound. This approach is also reflected in the balance between the prominent role of written material, particularly evident in the elaborate construction of the themes, and the contributions of the soloists, who are encouraged to take risks and venture into uncertain waters, following the inspiration of the moment.

The interplay between clearly defined structures and the pleasure of digression, which the six musicians navigate with remarkable spontaneity and ease, is the album’s greatest strength.

“Urban Reunion” and “Stop the Traffic”, the latter built around a funk rhythm and fusion atmospheres, immediately establish their musical identity and are readily recognisable within their respective stylistic traditions. “The Usual Cheating” and “Alter Ego”, meanwhile, stand out for their intricate thematic construction. In the former, a short, strongly rhythmic piano figure is repeated, punctuated by interventions from each of the three horns, before eventually giving way to a collective passage. In the latter, the horn section effectively alternates between repeated, emphatic phrases and more sinuous lines.

On “I Have a Dream”, an almost orchestral arrangement provides a richly textured counterpoint to excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech, delivered on 28 August 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Gamba’s convincing compositional work is complemented by the more freely improvised contributions of the sextet, which unfold primarily through musical dialogue. Perhaps the finest examples are the repeated interventions of the three horns, breaking free from the constraints of the written material and embarking on spontaneous, exploratory excursions. We hear them individually, but also in varied combinations of two or three instruments, weaving their lines together in constantly shifting configurations.

It is this alternation between predictability and unpredictability that gives the album its remarkable elegance and contemporary relevance. A release not to be missed.

Pietro Cozzi

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