Rossano Sportiello - Rossano Solo Piano (2007)

Tracklist

01. After You're Gone
02. Don't Blame Me
03. My Blues
04. S' Wonderful
05. In the Dark
06. O Sole Mio
07. For Nennette
08. B Minor Waltz
09. Children's Play Song
10. Marguerite
11. Van Heusen Medley
12. Strike Up the Band
13. How Deep Is the Ocean
14. Nice Work If You Can Get It
15. Pettirosso
16. Two Sleepy People
17. Rosetta
18. Perfume and Rain
19. Sunday
20. A Handful of Stars
21. When You Leave Me Alone To Pine
22. Medley - The Land of the Loon/ E. Lane/ Eastwood Lane
23. Love Letters

One of the top young stride/swing pianists in the world today, Rossano Sportiello is from Italy and in his early thirties as of this writing. During a period when skilled stride pianists are few and far between, Sportiello plays with a relaxed swing, paying respect to the original melodies while also adding something of his own to each performance. He is so highly rated by his fellow musicians (although still relatively unknown to the American jazz public) that trombonist Dan Barrett wrote the liner notes to In the Dark. It is surprising that it took some time for this solo set to be reissued in the U.S. because Sportiello has since recorded for other labels, but In the Dark predates all of his other projects. Sportiello's wide-ranging set including swing standards, Bix Beiderbecke's "In the Dark," "O Sole Mio," a Bill Evans trilogy, his own memorable "Pettrioso," Ellis Larkins' obscure "Perfume and Rain," and a medley of an Eastwood Lane piece and Dan Barrett's "Eastwood Lane."

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]