Music for Five (feat. Tinotracanna)

There is a strange sense of déjà vu when you hear this recording for the first time. It fits like an old shoe — very comfortably — and it does so right away, as though it belongs to an earlier era, perhaps the late '50s, but in a way that, curiously, makes it highly adventurous, almost like a timeless arrangement by George Russell. Giovanni Falzone is a mature composer and trumpeter. He toys with timbre, tempos, even the quality of sound. While he tends to harmonize the horns tightly, his own solos are expansive and even wondrous. His slide trumpet on "By-Way" might be used mostly for effect, but he leaves the impression of someone searching and pursuing. His choice of the versatile Tino Tracanna works particularly well, as the underrated saxophonist enjoys the quirky melodies, from which he springboards to his own world. The disk is marked by considerable diversity — an advantage and disadvantage, too. While it highlights Falzone's considerable talent, it also detracts from the focus — though, to be fair, it stays within a defined parameter, never straying toward anything too commercial. The compositions range from the pensive "The Mask" to the percussive "Swipe" and the melodically intriguing "Baffle." While some tracks work better than others, it is the sense of risk and challenge that makes the album so attractive. Falzone writes that he "prefers the occasional mistake" to any lack of spontaneity. That spirit is well-evidenced here.