Common Sense Tone Sequences For Contemporary Jazz Improvisation

Aldo Romano has long proven himself an innovative leader and the 2007 sessions that make up Just Jazz are no exception. Romano is not one to take a lot of solos himself, preferring to showcase his bandmates while adding color behind them. His pianoless quartet consists of clarinetist Mauro Negri, who played on Romano's earlier Dreyfus CD État de Fait, old friend Henri Texier on bass, and the much younger Géraldine Laurent, a gifted French saxophonist whose star is rising. Most of the release focuses on Romano's captivating originals, highlighted by the emotional "Cité-Soleil" (French for "Sun City"), named for the wretched shanty town in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. "Township" is an infectious African-flavored chant, with Laurent's vocal-like alto recalling Eric Dolphy, and Negri's electronically altered clarinet adding seasoning. "Chick Webb," named for the famous swing drummer, has a fun twist in that the bassist is the featured soloist.

Multiple Grammy nominee John Di Martino–composer, arranger, pianist–has recorded many albums for Venus Records with his Romantic Jazz Trio. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David "Fat Head" Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D'Rivera and Houston Person. John has been described as a "shape-shifter", for his creativity across musical genres.
Here the trio devotes an entire album to jazzing up music by the classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.