Nico Menci, Filippo Cassanelli, Enrico Smiderle - I Never Knew (2024)

Tracklist

01. I Never Knew
02. Noa Noa
03. Soundcheck
04. Tin Tin Deo
05. Four
06. Soundcheck Continues
07. Rough Ridin'
08. For JJJ
09. Lujon

The sound of Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal and João Donato’s piano trio is the main inspiration for this album. This is the fruit of a personal and musical friendship that formed while playing concerts, especially the weekly gigs the trio has been regularly playing for a couple of years at one of the most famous Italian jazz clubs, the historic Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna. This is a really equal ensemble, even if it is led by a jazz veteran like Nico Menci, from Bologna, excellently supported by two young promises like Filippo Cassanelli and Enrico Smiderle. «I Never Knew» embodies the passion and love for Latin American music and jazz standards. The melodies of such great musical traditions are reinterpreted in an original way fostered by the camaraderie created throughout the years. The artistic freedom typical of jazz is never abandoned and allows the musicians to improvise on original rhythmic and melodic patterns, even for brief moments. That’s how everyone came up with unexpected answers on the spur of the moment. The trio decided to record “live” in the studio, without resorting to overdubbing, and tried to recreate the actual sound and the intimate atmosphere of the concerts as it often happens in jazz clubs.

Nico Menci (piano)
Filippo Cassanelli (double bass)
Enrico Smiderle (drums)

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