COMPOSERS: Enrico Rava
LABELS: ECM
ALBUM TITLE: Enrico Rava Quartet: Wild Dance
WORKS: Wild Dance
PERFORMER: Enrico Rava (trumpet), Francesco Diodati (guitar), Gabriele Evangelista (double bass), Enrico Morello (drums), plus Gianluca Petrella (trombone)
CATALOGUE NO: ECM 473 2228
Enrico Rava has cut many gorgeous albums. This ranks very highly among them. Bar one collective improvisation, trumpeter Rava composed all the tracks, demonstrating command of a considerable range of moods and forms. The playing is often sensitive and delicate yet emotionally full-bodied, and when the band cuts loose it’s powerfully direct.
Trombonist Gianluca Petrella, the fifth member of the quartet on this occasion, has worked fruitfully with Rava before and he integrates superbly, working in unison with Rava’s trumpet to fine effect. Some of Diodati’s solos take the music into different areas, but without clashing. Again, Rava nails it, explaining that he likes guitarists because they can’t play ten-fingered chords and that Diodati opens up spaces rather than filling them, a lesson many guitarists should learn. Gabriele Evangelista’s strong, supple bass and Morello’s nimble, constructive percussion complete a superb outfit. Barry Witherden