Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Brubeck Reloaded (2026) [Hi-Res]

Florentine arranger, composer and conductor Duccio Bertini, who divides his career between Italy and Spain, has recorded Brubeck Reloaded, a suite based on themes by the legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, centered on his composition “Ending”. The album is released by the label Encore Music and will be available online on Friday, October 9. The idea is unusual: Bertini deliberately left out the piano in order to focus on Brubeck as a composer and on his connection with contemporary art music. To do so, he assembled an ensemble whose sound bridges jazz and classical music and gave a personal interpretation of the material. The repertoire includes both famous and lesser-known pieces, and in some cases the arranging became re-composition. The suite closes with an original composition by Bertini himself.

The recording features Pietro Tonolo (tenor and soprano saxophone), Marco Bini (tenor and soprano saxophone), Dario Cecchini (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, alto flute), Mirco Rabitti (trumpet, flugelhorn), Fabio Morgera (trumpet), Mario Bruno (French horn), Roberto Rossi (trombone), Francesco Zampini (guitar), Guido Zorn (double bass) and Alessandro Fabbri (drums). It was recorded at the Sonoria Recording Plant in Prato, mixed by Andrea Benassai, and produced by Bertini and Vittorio Bartoli.

The pianist’s son, Darius Brubeck, called the work more than a simple arrangement: in his words, listening feels like a cinematic journey in which Bertini created expansive spaces and dramatic moments for the soloists, seamlessly integrating improvisation with orchestration. He also noted that Bertini continues the legacy of Dave Brubeck’s collaborations with Leonard Bernstein in the 1950s, and he is sure his father would have been pleased with this modern reinterpretation. Bertini studied jazz composition and arranging with Giancarlo Gazzani, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Bruno Tommaso, Mario Raja, Roberto Spadoni and Klauss Lessmann, orchestral conducting with Fabrizio Dorsi, Carlomoreno Volpini and Alan Freiles Magnatta, and jazz orchestra conducting with Bruno Tommaso.

Tracklist:
1. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Maori Blues
2. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Take Five
3. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Bluette
4. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Lonely Mr. Broadway
5. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Upstage Rumba
6. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Autumn In Washington Square
7. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Blue Rondò À La Turk
8. Duccio Bertini feat. Pietro Tonolo - Ending