Saihs: Distopia (GleAM Records AM7039)
Saihs is a sextet formed in Florence two years ago who, in 2025, won the Conad Jazz Contest, where they were amongst 10 bands competing against each other at Umbria Jazz. Consisting of a front line of tenor saxophone, trumpet and trombone plus a piano-led rhythm section, they perform very much in a modern vein. As with almost all present-day jazz musicians, all six have been well schooled and are technically gifted; the only thing lacking is a degree of individuality – the goal of so many.
They perform their own material with precision, when such is needed, offset by the passages of improvisation also negotiated with alacrity. The individuals, such as tenor saxophonist Matteo Zecchi and trumpeter Giulio Maro, are confident practitioners, fully cognisant of the demands on the contemporary player. Whatever the demands made upon them in the terms of mood, tempo or compatibility they rise to deliver a successful album. The original themes are never going to be classified as earworms but the overall impact of the 10-tune Distopia (which also includes Bud Powell’s Celia) is impressive.
Steve Rosenbloom Big Band: San Francisco 1948 (Glory)
Since the early 1980s, Canadian Steve Rosenbloom has been wearing two hats in terms of a career. He’s a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University as well as working as a jazz musician and composer – an interest he pursued after initially studying classical saxophone. Five of the pieces on this CD have previously been performed by McGill University’s respected jazz band but never previously found their way onto disc.
This 17-piece ensemble, with the leader on alto sax, certainly packs a powerful punch, the arrangements coming from band members trombonist Chris Smith and reedman Michael Johancsik. They use devices reminiscent of the Basie band alongside a more contemporary approach when addressing the interplay between sections.
All the soloists acquit themselves admirably, Johancsik in good blowing form on the bouncy opening track Samba For Esther, the alto of Allison Burik taking centre stage on Fiesta For Paquito (presumably Paquito D’Rivera) and Andy King’s trumpet adorning the ballad that is San Francisco 1948.
Whatever the mood of the respective tunes, it is the band that comes out the eventual winner, sporting a fulsome sound both collectively and section-wise, constantly eliciting a sound which will probably find favour amongst most of those with a passion for the larger aggregation.
Emilia Vancini/Guillermo Martin-Viana: Pigri (Espira 53025)
This is a duo release from Italian vocalist Emilia Vancini and Spanish drummer Guillermo Martin-Viana, who both reside in The Hague. It’s a relatively unusual combination that presents an off-the-cuff meeting, eschewing arrangements and electing for a “warts and all” stance across the 12-tune programme.
The songs include Alfie, Stars Fell On Alabama, But Beautiful and Sting’s Bring On The Night, with a couple of Martin-Viana originals thrown in for good measure, These are generally nicely presented by the twosome, Vancini singing with an accent that never is never overbearing, supported by her flexible partner, who occasionally unveils a swinging persona balanced out against the free hand he has been given.
Vancini doesn’t seem fazed by the standard material, giving each selection a personal reading; for instance, she takes an uptempo approach to the normally more sedate My Ship. When the odd foray into the world of scat emerges, she sounds less assured but this is a minimal incursion into the overall effectiveness of this bold recording, which only occasionally calls out for a chord-based instrument.
