Italian tenor saxophonist Menzella has dedicated his new quartet CD to a musician he admired, the American saxophonist Bob Berg. The album features eight tracks, all associated with Berg and music that he played or recorded – all except Mr. Berg, which is a tribute to him written by Menzella.
Berg was initially inspired by the late music of John Coltrane, but he became disenchanted with the avant-garde and began playing in more hard-bop style, joining the bands of Horace Silver, Cedar Walton and later, after time spent in Europe, that of Miles Davis. Berg died tragically in December 2002 when his car was hit by a skidding cement truck during a snowstorm.
Menzella’s music here is certainly close to the later Berg style and he has a warm, clear tenor sound in the bop mainstream manner. Angles kicks off in uptempo hard-bop mode, Menzella’s tenor line clean and smooth, followed by a charging piano solo from Macchia. Promise is a ballad by Chick Corea that Menzella plays with warmth and lyrical styling. His rhythm section, here and on the entire programme, shadow him faithfully with Macchia on piano functioning as a second main soloist.
Summer Nights is given a fast and furious uptempo reading. The Secret Life Of Plants provides a departure from the rest of the tracks. This Stevie Wonder composition is given a laidback, medium tempo swing-through by the quartet. Like the rest of the music on offer it brings relaxed blowing from the leader with steady backing from the rhythm section. There’s nothing innovative or exceptional here, just very good, solid hard-bop with touches of blues and ballads – much the way Berg played at the height of his career.
Discography
Angles; Promise; Second Sight; The Search; Mr. Berg; Summer Night; The Secret Life Of Plants; Sometime Ago (50.32)
Menzella (ts); Eugenio Macchia (p); Carlo Baretta (b); Pasquale Fiore (d). Italy, no dates listed.
Gleam Records AM7029
