Gaetano Partipilo - Boom Collective (2019) [Hi-Res]

The result is a group effort of uncontrollable liveliness. A large-scale designed album, with a variety of different languages in a collective journey: literally every track is a new adventure on unexplored territories.
Conceived in 2017, Boom collective’s challenge is to make Partipilo’s rich, shimmering music meet the well-defined language of each collective member. «The idea behind the whole project – Partipilo says – was to have a heterogeneous sound that did not take inspiration from jazz only. I felt the urge to look at Puglia because it has a rich personality. Nevertheless, I wanted to stay true to my ideas, no matter how good or bad. It’s a genuine work that reflects my everyday experiences.»
A leading figure in the Italian jazz scene and longtime member of the Auand Family, Partipilo’s way to set up this project is clear: «Boom Collective was born in Puglia, which is where the majority of the band members come from. It’s a sort of little tribute to my homeland.»
Partipilo’s taste, flair and respect towards young musicians allowed him to put together a large creative team. First, two very different pianists such as dreamlike, sensitive Mirko Signorile and rhythmic, hyper-contemporary Seby Burgio. «Having both of them playing at the same time in most tracks is a very interesting experience». Much of the same happens with the voices of Carolina Bubbico and Angela Esmeralda. Bubbico comes from jazz, blending neo-soul and indie-pop, while Esmeralda has a blues and folk background. Fabrizio Savino is the only guitar player, and this shows his key role in the band, which also hosts a 4-element brass section: «Mike Rubini – Partipilo adds – is arguably one of the most interesting saxophone players around. Andrea Sabatino has already recorded many albums as a leader. Francesco Lomangino is a tenor sax master, and trombonist Vito Scavo is a permanent member or Roy Paci’s band».
Well-known artists such as Giuseppe Bassi (double bass) and Luca Alemanno (electric bass) complete the lineup along with Dario Congedo on drums («I would have never done it without him, he is a true multi-style artist, the real soul of Boom Collective») and some guests: Pasquale Bardaro on vibraphone and Leo Gadaleta, who curated the strings parts.
If jazz can be considered the compass here, the actual path taken by each composition always follows a different route. It’s the case of the mellow and biting mood of “In Tension”, or the vintage and confident approach to “Dark Matters”. The tracklist also includes a vaguely acid rendition of “Naima”, and “Nolan” – a smooth intro followed by an arrangement that rejoices of many music facets – all of which, combined, reveals the strength of both Boom Collective and Partipilo’s compositions.