Stefano D'Anna Quartet - Carousel (1998)

Here is even more music from the Sonny Rollins of Italian jazz. This is perhaps an unfair tag to put on tenor saxophonist Stefano D'Anna. The dub comes not from the fact that D'Anna plays so much like Rollins as much as it is his stature -- the manner in which he carries himself, solos, and leads a band. In this case it is guitarist Fabio Zeppetella, bassist Pietro Ciancaglini, and Roberto Gatto on drums. The band plays a solid program of D'Anna compositions that range from modern spires of post-bop intelligence ("Coolwalk," "Coasting") to romantic balladry that is so sweet only a master could pull it off without sounding maudlin ("La Valse," "Elena"), and D'Anna and his band make these tracks drip with taste, elegance, aplomb, and mid-tempo blues-outs that offer a deeper view into the inner workings of a quartet ("Carousel," "Seven Years," "Have a Nice Day"). Particularly fascinating is the interplay between D'Anna and Zeppetella, who is a very strong and imaginative soloist in his own right. The two rarely square off, but continually mark each other's paces and inspire to new heights the melodic nuances of D'Anna's harmonic construction. The set closes with "Southern Comfort," an eerie ballad of moody reserve and spatial intervals. It's a curious choice to close a recording in that it never really catches fire, but perhaps, sitting on the outer margins of his oeuvre, this is just what it's supposed to do, as guitar and saxophone trade long fours and the rhythm section just shimmies through the ever-changing meters. But it's a beautiful whisper, too -- one that is fragmented and silky at the same time. D'Anna, though fully mature as a saxophonist, is still, like Sonny Rollins, growing into his music and his sound. To be continued. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG. 

Splasc(H) Records, CDH 666.2, 1998
Recorded 16th & 17th February, 1998 at Coltempo Studio, Rome, Italy 

Musicians:
Stefano D'Anna - Tenor Sax
Fabio Zeppetella - Guitar
Pietro Ciancaglini - Bass
Roberto Gatto - Drums

Tracks:
1. Carousel (7:21)
2. Coolwalk (6:07)
3. Elena (8:35)
4. Coasting (7:08)
5. Seven Years (6:51)
6. Have A Nice Day (6:09)
7. La Valse (7:41)
8. Southern Comfort (5:33) 

All compositions by Stefano D'Anna 

Total Time: 55:28 

Credits:
Producer - Associazione "Macchina di Suoni" for Splasc(h) Records
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Simone Ciammarughi
Graphic Design - Luigi Naro
Cover Art - Peppo Spagnoli
Photography - Antonio Siragusa, Mauro D'Agati, Roberto Randazzo
Liner Notes - Davide Ielmini

LINK

Seven Years

Lanfranco Malaguti - Parole, Parole... (1992)

Lanfranco Malaguti was one of the most popular Italian jazz guitarists. Originally from Rome, where he graduated from Sapienza and also grew artistically. He then lived in Fontanelle, in the province of Treviso, from 1978 to 2011, where he joined his activity as a mathematics teacher with that of a jazz musician. He participated in numerous radio and television broadcasts in Italy, composing some television theme songs for RAI. He participated in numerous reviews and jazz festivals and in particular with Enzo Pietropaoli and Fabrizio Sferra, in 1989 (as the only Italian jazz group), he played with this trio at the "XXI International Festival" of La Spezia and again in 1991 at the "International review" at the Orfeo theater in Milan. In 1989, with Enzo Pietropaoli and Fabrizio Sferra, he released Something, his best-known album, containing exclusively Beatles covers. Also, in 1989 he won the “Top Jazz” award for best new talent. For this album he joins forces with the exuberant tenorist Stefano D'Anna, his stalwart bassist Enzo Pietropaoli and powerful drummer Roberto Gatto. The album covers a broad range of contemporary Italian jazz and popular tunes and the quartet is in top form, clearly interpreting their national heritage with great emotion which demands further listening to truly appreciate the coming together of these wonderful musicians, enjoy! 

Splasc(H) Records, CDH 706.2, 2000
Recorded January, 1992 at Farm Studio's, Cessalto, Treviso, Italy 

Musicians:
Lanfranco Malaguti - Guitar
Stefano D'Anna - Tenor Saxophone
Enzo Pietropaoli - Bass
Roberto Gatto - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Parole, Parole... {Giancarlo Del Re, Gianni Ferrio, Leo Chiosso} (4:21)
02. Domenica Bestiale {Fabio Concato} (4:29)
03. Mi Sono Innamorato Di Te {Luigi Tenco} (6:06)
04. Che Cosa C'è {Gino Paoli} (5:26)
05. Amorevole {Pino Massara, Vito Pallavicini} (6:22)
06. Quando, Quando {Tony Renis} (4:24)
07. Estate {Bruno Martino} (4:05)
08. Margherita {Riccardo Cocciante} (7:05)
09. Anna Verrà {Pino Daniele} (4:09)
10. Soli {Bruno Canfora, Castellano & Pipolo} (6:21)
11. Frida {Fred Bongusto} (4:48)
12. Donne {Zucchero Fornaciari} (7:18) 

Total Time: 64:58 

Credits:
Producer - Lanfranco Malaguti
Sound Engineer - Maurizio Soranzo
Graphic Design - Luigi Naro
Photography [Cover] - Peppo Spagnoli
Liner Notes [English Texts] - Pete Kercher
Liner Notes [Italian] - Davide Ielmini 

Parole, Parole...

Enrico Pieranunzi - In That Dawn Of Music (1990-93)

A marvelous compilation of works by Enrico Pieranunzi spanning the years 1990 till 1993. All tracks are taken from live dates spread across venues in Denmark, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. As a result, he is accompanied by unique players from those countries whilst on tour. Many of these groupings have appeared on some of his Soul Note records from this period, but like other ‘giveaways’ by the Musica Jazz magazine these tracks have been compiled from unreleased ‘live’ recordings. So many thanks to that magazine for promoting and perpetuating another fantastic resource for Jazz Lovers throughout the world. 

Musica Jazz/Soul Note, SNMJ 003-2, 1993
13th August, 1990 (#1) Broadcast from Danish Radio, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th March 1993 (#2) at Ivrea Jazz Festival, Turin, Italy
27th August, 1992 (#3) at Roccella Ionica, Calabria, Italy
21st November, 1992 (#4) at "Fabrik", Hamburg, Germany
13th December, 1990 (#5) Broadcast, Radio Suisse Romande, Lausanne, Switzerland
27th August, 1992 (#6) Live at Roccella Ionica, Calabria, Italy
18th April, 1990 (#7) in Rome, Italy
20th November, 1992 (#8) at "Jazzhouse", Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Enrico Pieranunzi - Piano (All Tracks)
Pietro Tonolo - Tenor Saxophone (#4)
Stefano D'Anna - Tenor Saxophone (#7)
Mads Vinding - Bass (#1)
Enzo Pietropaoli - Bass (#4,7,8)
Marc Johnson - Bass (#5)
Alex Riel - Drums (#1)
Paul Motian - Drums (#3,6)
Fabrizio Sferra - Drums (#4,8)
Roberto Gatto - Drums (#7) 

Tracks:
1. Someday My Prince Will Come {Larry Morey, Frank Churchill} (7:57)
2. Impromptu No. 5 {Enrico Pieranunzi} (4:30)
3. Anthropology {Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie} (6:52)
4. What's What {Enrico Pieranunzi} (12:06)
5. Je Ne Sais Quoi {Enrico Pieranunzi} (8:52)
6. Straight No Chaser {Thelonious Monk} (4:48)
7. In That Dawn Of Music {Enrico Pieranunzi} (7:39)
8. Someday My Prince Will Come {Larry Morey, Frank Churchill} (11:22) 

Total Time: 64:06 

Notes:
Given away free with "Musica Jazz" Magazine, n. 10/93

Enrico Pieranunzi Quintet - Don't Forget The Poet (1999)

Heard in solo and trio sessions prior, here's a quintet recording for pianist/composer Pieranunzi that reflects the Euro-landscape ECM sound so familiar to fans of Keith Jarrett, but especially to Kenny Wheeler enthusiasts. Bert Joris on trumpet and flugelhorn is largely responsible for this sound, but saxophonist Stefano d'Anna mixes and matches every brassy move with his own serene musings. Bassist Hein Van de Geyn is more present as the producer of the date than as a bassist, while drummer Hans von Oosterhout rounds out this rather together ensemble. Of these 11 pieces penned by the leader, two are influenced by samba. Wheeler's lyricism with d'Anna's soprano identifies "Persona," and a hotter rhythm sets up a repeated simple-song motif with d'Anna's tenor on "Child of the Real & Ideal." There are several waltzes: the sweet "Coralie" perfectly marries tenor and flugelhorn; "Time's Passage" goes more soulful and slightly contemplative; "A Nameless Gate" is easygoing and most Wheeler-like; and "Hindsight" has "Cry Me a River" underpinnings. The best swinger is the boppish "Newsbreak" with distinct but loose bass inferences. Joris really shines as an individualist on flugelhorn for the ballad "With a Song in My Heart," as well as on trumpet for the two-note accents and slightly overblown solo during "It Speaks for Itself." Most reflective of its name, the true-tone poem title track sports gossamer-thin, fragile thematic segments, mostly in a processional 6/8. The finale "Seaward" is deeper with minimalist piano, impressionistic soaring horns and bass, and the most European/ECM-like stance. This music no doubt emphasizes beauty over swing and tonal lyricism over blues connotations. It compacts improvisation within a natural, wooden framework, and overall, amounts to quite a pleasant effort. ~ by Michael G. Nastos, AMG.

Challenge Records, CHR 70065, 1999
Challenge Records, CHR70065, 2006
Recorded 7^th, 8^th & 9^th March, 1999 At Studio Le Roy, Amsterdam, Netherlands 

Musicians:
Enrico Pieranunzi - Piano
Bert Joris - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Stefano D'Anna - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Hein Van De Geyn - Bass
Hans Van Oosterhout - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Persona (6:07)
02. Don't Forget The Poet (4:57)
03. Child Of The Real And Ideal (5:40)
04. Coralie (5:39)
05. Time's Passage (5:14)
06. Newsbreak (3:02)
07. A Nameless Gate (6:18)
08. With My Heart In A Song (4:38)
09. It Speaks For Itself (6:22)
10. Hindsight (4:28)
11. Seaward (4:32) 

All Compositions by Enrico Pieranunzi 

Total Time: 56:57

Credits:
Producer - Hein Van De Geyn, Anne De Jong
Recording & Mixing - Chris Weeda
Photography, Original Sleeve - Joost Leijen
Sleeve Design - Marcel van den Broek
Liner Notes - Enrico Pieranunzi