Claudio Fasoli "Four" - Avenir (2011)

After three albums in four years at the head of the Emerald Quartet, this new work by Claudio Fasoli seems to completely change the direction of his musical path, without changing the personal and immediately recognizable stylistic code. To do this, he changed all his fellow travelers, replacing the piano with an electric guitar, but also preferring to use electronics extensively. The choice fell on random fellow travelers — he, originally from Venice, somehow returned to his homeland, to neighboring Vicenza - with whom he repeatedly shared his research experience and who, in turn, form a cohesive and independent trio, including Michele Calgaro, guitar, his brother Lorenzo, double bass, Gianni Bertoncini, drums. First of all, it is the guitar that moves the expressive axis of the quartet, with dynamics and colors that are very different from piano, in some cases, perhaps more convincing, in general more diverse. The Quartet's music looks with interest at what is happening in Northern Europe, trying to get rid of the usual "theme–solo–theme" structure in favor of freer use of musical material, while remaining deeply jazz. More intense and convincing Fasoli than ever, both on tenor and soprano, responds to the stimuli of Michele Calgaro's inventive guitar with a sharp and skillful expressive intensity. It is impossible not to mention the invaluable compositional contribution of Lorenzo Calgaro, who wrote compositions (3 and 7) with dynamics and colors very different from piano, in some cases, perhaps more exciting, generally more diverse.