For his latest album Corners, trumpeter Enrico Rava combines two of his recent partnerships: with his ongoing semi-regular collaboration with saxophonist Joe Lovano, and with his latest band Fearless Five. The latter – guitarist Francesco Diodati, bassist Francesco Ponticelli, trombonist Matteo Paggi, and drummer/singer Evita Polidoro – have already proven themselves able to hang with the eclectic Rava no matter what path he chooses to race down, from post bop to chamber jazz to avant improv. So the versatile Lovano fits right in.
Check out the saxist’s composition “Sun Rava,” a long soliloquy in praise of the trumpeter, or his “Tone, Shape and Colours,” both of which wander across those approaches and more. Rava’s “Hitchcock at the Beach” hits the ballad form at which both leaders excel, while his “Bowery Dance” sings the blues like it’s 1960 and his opener “Certi angoli segretti” kicks up some serious improvisational dust. Outside of himself and Lovano, Rava invites everyone to contribute tunes, with each member of the Five proffering up at least one, including Polidoro’s lovely “Le mie gambe,” Diodati’s dreamy “Sin peso,” Ponticelli’s atmospheric “Ça va san dire,” and Paggi’s soulful “Mamma.”
There’s no creative whiplash here – every song sounds like a logical progression from the one before it. These musicians’ chemistry, as directed by Rava, makes Corners a tight, engaging, and stimulating good time.
