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This release champions two relatively unknown Neapolitan composers. Mario Pilati’s style was described by musicologist Gianandrea Gavazzeni as “southern Baroque, full of songlike whims and lively impulses”, and the rhythmically vital and deeply expressive Piano Quintet of 1927–28 is one of his most important early pieces. Pianist Aldo Ciccolini was one of Achille Longo’s favourite pupils as a child, and his close association with the healthily eclectic Quintet brings a special warmth to its rich timbres and joyously refined nuances. The Circolo Artistico Ensemble specialises in the revival of the unpublished work of Italian composers.

Ad Lib (2001). This record will be warmly welcomed by bossa nova fans, being the record that Sergio Mendes always threatened to make, but never quite managed. Imagine an album that manages to sustain the flavor and airs of Mendes' famous "Mais Que Nada" and you're getting the idea. Beyond mere pastiche however, this is dynamic music played by dedicated musicians with real flair. Surprisingly jazzy in parts, this is music that sneaks up on you, gentle but never fey. Fans of light Latin groove shouldn't be without it…

Avishai Cohen - Devotion (1999) {Stretch SCD-9021-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 355 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 145 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 16 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1999 Stretch Records / Concord | SCD-9021-2
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Bass

Bassist Avishai Cohen, best known at this point for his work with Chick Corea, on his own projects mixes together adventurous jazz with influences from world music, original folk melodies, and his own creativity. He composed 12 selections on his second CD, including tributes to Horace Silver and Chick Corea (which do not really sound that close to either of those pianist/composer's styles). The music is consistently unpredictable, with Cohen being joined by pianist Jason Lindner, drummer Jeff Ballard, Jimmy Greene on reeds, trombonist Steve Davis, guitarist Amos Hoffman, a string quartet, and up to five singers (who are mostly used in the background). An intriguing set by an up-and-coming composer who is also a very fluent bassist.

If you like strings, consider Karenautas, a 14-piece outfit featuring five violinists, four cellists, and two double bassists – with a singer, clarinetist, and drummer completing the lineup. And Karenautas are from Argentina, so if you like tango…well, actually, don't expect any Piazzolla on Recreo, Karenautas' 2012 debut album, and clarinetist Martín Rur has suggested in an interview that listeners shouldn't regard the group as devoted primarily to Argentina's musical heritage. Instead, Rur noted the influence of Ravel, Debussy, and Bartók, but there are also non-classical touchstones, and even a big Argentine one: Recreo is dedicated to the late Luis Alberto Spinetta, a giant of Argentine rock who died in February 2012, not long after the album was recorded.