This appears to be an Italian group, recorded in Switzerland with a Cuban trumpet player by a Scandinavian record company. Having got that out of the way the music is fairly high intensity hard bop with contemporary overtones. Pianist/leader DeFinti drives hard on the opening track but plays with great delicacy and lyricism on the three ballads on offer. His chime-like introduction on “The Day I Will See You Again” is reminiscent of the best of Bill Evans in style. The rhythm players are all highly skilled and inventive and Mela has a wide range on trumpet and flugel to offer. The programme consists of originals and is interesting although the tracks are not exactly memorable as compositions.
De Finti (p); Stefano Dall’Ora (b); Marco Castiglioni (d); Gendrickson Mela (t, flh) 24, 25 February & 13 May 2018.
Losen 208
