Michele Francesconi, Giulio Corini, Luca Colussi - Seasons (Three Suites for Piano Trio) (2025)

Michele Francesconi — pianist, composer and esteemed educator, born in 1975 — presents a truly singular project, conceived with remarkable vision and crafted with patient, meticulous dedication. Known for his understated presence and little involvement in major festivals, he steps forward with an idea that confidently challenges the conventions of today’s jazz scene, often centred on the performer–leader–composer. For this album, Francesconi commissioned three pianists he deeply admires — colleagues and long–time friends — to compose original music inspired by the seasons and their cyclical rhythm. He then interpreted these works with an outstanding trio featuring Giulio Corini on double bass and Luca Colussi on drums, two musicians widely recognized for their artistic sensitivity and chops. This bold and unconventional approach, influenced by classical music aesthetics, stands apart in the current jazz landscape. Recorded three years ago, «Seasons» is the fruit of a long period of reflection and artistic maturity before its release. In the liner notes, Francesconi writes: “A few years ago, I asked three pianist-composers whom I greatly respect to set the seasons to music. After several attempts at arranging and the addition of improvised sections, the result is what you hear on this album. The suite felt like the most natural musical form to evoke this theme — a structure that, unlike a simple sequence of separate pieces, demands extended focus and better conveys the notion of a cycle.” In Marco Ponchiroli’s poetic interpretation, the seasons become five; the suite moves with refined elegance from Vivaldi–inspired tones to the rhythmic vitality of Brazilian chorinho. As in the classical tradition, the Venetian pianist forgoes descriptive titles in favour of tempo and character indications. The four compositions by Stefano Travaglini explore darker tonal colours and a sophisticated harmonic language, revealing an emotional depth that resonates with Nordic jazz. The third suite, by Luca Dell’Anna, unfolds across distinct styles that eventually converge around the four primordial elements — fire, air, water and earth — enriched by strikingly evocative rhythmic and melodic ideas. Supported by the solid, expressive interplay of Corini and Colussi, Francesconi faces and overcomes the challenge at the heart of this ambitious project. The result is an album of rare conceptual coherence and artistic bravery, offering a compelling new contribution to contemporary Italian jazz.