Ernesto Cervini - Quartet: Water Pistols at Dawn (2026) [Hi-Res]

Canadian drummer, composer and bandleader Ernesto Cervini, who led his own quartet for more than twenty years, has assembled a new group of younger musicians from the Toronto scene: trumpeter Kae Murphy, guitarist Andrew Marzotto and bassist Mark Godfrey. The group’s debut album, Water Pistols at Dawn, is released on October 30, 2026 on TPR Records.

Cervini says he wanted to find out what the younger generation of local jazz players were up to, and considers this lineup a stroke of luck: the musicians challenged him and lifted his compositions beyond what he had imagined. The quartet’s music draws on Radiohead, The Smile, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, guitarist Nir Felder, The Bad Plus and Pat Metheny, combining lyrical melodies, intricate rhythmic textures, improvisation and raw energy.

The album has six tracks. Three are Cervini originals: Waiting for a Win, Water Pistols at Dawn and A Resonant Space. The other three are new arrangements: Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade, Thelonious Monk’s Evidence and The Smile’s Free in the Knowledge.

Cervini wrote the title piece specifically for the new quartet, and it unexpectedly took on a “cowboy feel”. Its working title became “Pistols at Dawn”, but the composer dislikes guns and changed it to something more playful: Water Pistols at Dawn, a nod to long summer days and water-gun battles at his parents’ cottage. The name reflects the spirit of the album: sophisticated yet lighthearted, adventurous and melodic, built on the chemistry of four musicians discovering what they can create together.



Tracklist:
01-01 Ernesto Cervini - Waiting for a Win [7:19]
01-02 Ernesto Cervini - Water Pistols at Dawn [5:00]
01-03 Ernesto Cervini - Moonlight Serenade [8:07]
01-04 Ernesto Cervini - A Resonant Space [5:33]
01-05 Ernesto Cervini - Evidence [4:27]
01-06 Ernesto Cervini - Free in the Knowledge [6:50]