Andrea Vicari Band ft. Elvis Stanic - The Mirror (2015)

After the UK-wide success of their JazzExtemporeUK project Andrea Vicari (piano, UK) and Elvis Stanic (guitar, Croatia) have teamed up together again to produce a new album. The ‘Mirror’ is a suite of music initially commissioned from Andrea Vicari by ‘Leasowes festival’ 2007 in Shropshire and now recorded with Mornington Lockett on sax, Dorian Lockett on basses and Nic France on drums. The music is all Andrea Vicari original compositions based on varied styles and grooves from Flamenco to South African rhythms; whilst showcasing the extraordinary improvisational skills of virtuosos Mornington Lockett (sax) and Elvis Stanic (guitar) - as well as her own piano playing described by JazzUK magazine as " a constant delight - intense, probing, and generating a seemingly endless succession of ideas".
"From the appropriately reflective title piece to the energetically eccentric 'Caliban's Dance', Andrea Vicari's album, The Mirror, is full of melodies. They fill every corner of the music, prominent in the solos or half-hidden in the leader-composer's piano accompaniment.
This is a beautifully integrated quintet, with saxophonist Mornington Lockett and guitarist Elvis Staniç outstanding"
Dave Gelly (Jazz critic - The Observer)
All of the music here except track nine was commissioned for the Leasowes Bank Festival in Shropshire i 2007 and funded by Art Council West Midlands.
The opening Prosperity sets the scene for these original snappy compositions by Ms Vicari and has some crackling solos by Andrea and Mornington Lockett on tenor.
New Atlantis is a stately theme in which, again, the leader, Lockett and Stanic shine in solo. Croatian guitarist Stanic and Andrea Vicari had just teamed up for a Jazz Extempore UK project that had been very successful and decided to work together again on this recording.
Each track has something to offer and the music represents something more than just a thin theme to blow on. El Penguin has that strong Flamenco sound mixed into Blues that Miles Davis perfected many years ago with Blues For Pablo and Flamenco Sketches.
Andrea’s best solo is on the final Sixes and Sevens, a neat, flowing track. Mornington digs in on hard-edged tenor and brother Dorian keeps the bass line steady. The Leader’s sturdy lines and light, lyrical touch set the standard on this set and the entire quintet keep up the standard throughout.