You decide if we should percieve Gianni Cazzola as the youngest and most experienced "modern jazz" drummer in Italy (he was actually among those musicians who promoted jazz in the late 50's) or, anagraphically, as the eldest trooper of that group of young musicians who are giving new and vigorous life to this music. And that is how, at the climax of an intense career that has lasted 35 years, Cazzola with an unchanged direction, is able to propose this new group; and with "Art Song" as his debut the band is named "Nuovo Sestetto Italiano". A name which recalls the historical formation of our jazz. It is important to point out that the music regards not only the past but even more the present, because within the group there are five musicians who are very valid soloist of this new generation, and also all personally involved as composers and arrangers.
This shows the collective quality of the sextet (which is rooted into the post bop/west coast tradition of small combos) as well as the individual talent of each musician, who knows how to push ahead this culture. Apart from the solid, continuous and effective comping of Mr. Cazzola (who does not take any solos, but is practically soloing underneath the band from beginning to end), we can appreciate the exceptional qualities of Gianpaolo Casati, who is also a master of the mute as shown in his delicious ballad "Dear John", of Roberto Rossi, a trombone player with a rich blend of colors and effects; of Piero Odorici, potent tenor sax (also suggestive with the soprano on "Tutankamon Dance" and "Steam"); of Marcello Tonolo, with his generous, well-constructed solos throughout of Piero Leveratto, who always provides a steady rhytmical foundations also during his solos on "Dear John" and "Steam".
The same merit of the individual spots, have the structures of the tunes (for instance, the Mingus-like tempo variations in Gennaro's Bounce) and the intersection of the voices throughout (dig the trumpet-trombone interweaving lines in Cazzola's blues, dedicated to his friend Larry Nocella, great saxophone player who left us and jazz a few years ago).
From the seat of his drum-set he keeps the reins on, loosely enough for the music to be as democratic as possible; a leader rightly proud of his young band.
It is inevitable for the listener to return with the memory to the master who was, in life and music, Art Blakey. It is in fact to Art, hi unforgettable model, that Giovanni Cazzola wanted to dedicate both the last song, which has a vague caraibic flavour, and the whole record itself, which is properly entitled. - Gian Mario Maletto
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