Luca Velotti Quartet - Moonray (2015)

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Luca Velotti Quartet - Moonray (2015)

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The talent of clarinet/sax player Luca Velotti has been widely recognized in the last thirty years, both as mainstream jazz virtuoso performing on international stages (side by side with names such as Scot Hamilton, Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern among many others) and stable sideman with Italian songwriter Paolo Conte. Velotti, who felt in love with the tradition of jazz during his teens, has always proposed his personal view of the classic language, carefully avoiding any sterile imitation. On this new record, where he alternates between clarinet, tenor sax and soprano sax, he is relying on the guitar colors of Michele Ariodante (who also sings on three tracks) and the rhythmic foundation of Gerardo Bartoccini on bass and Carlo Battist on drums to support his melodic explorations of eight standards and three originals. Withinthe song list we find a wide variety of influences, from the more traditional repertoire (Jitterbug waltz, I’min the mood for love, Shine) to seldom played standards (Moonray by clarinetist Artie Shaw, I’ll be seeing you) and blues songs (Gee baby ain’t I good to you, Nobody knows you when you’re down and out). Beyond that, Velotti’s love for South American musical genres, such as choro and habanera, is represented by Migalhas de amor, (by Brazilian mandolin player Jacob du Bandolim), Anita and So cool, two of the three Velotti’s originals on the record (the third, Sydney and Louis is a slow swing dedicated to two of his heroes).With this cd, Luca Velotti has succeded in crafting a musical journey where the colors and the flavors of jazz, blues, ballads and South American music, blend in a polychrome and unique result.