Ostinato

This early date by the now celebrated Paolo Fresu Quintet from 1985 is revelatory in terms of how the band developed its lyrical interplay and tightly woven arrangements. Featuring saxophonist Tino Tracana, pianist Roberto Cipelli, bassist Attilio Zanchi, and drummer/composer Ettore Fioravanti, with Fresu on trumpet and cornet, the group developed out of a sense of Miles Davis' approach to modality. Using the title track as a manner of demonstrating its definition, "Ostinato" is constructed over a series of ever-evolving themes that repeat in their entirety every eight or 12 bars. Solos take place between the repetitions, and even these repeat and rephrase one another in quotes. Evolving the "ostinato" into a new mode, ever so gradually, the tune becomes "Round About Midnight" before the listener can even take it in — the shift is so subtle. With gorgeous voicings from Cipelli, Fresu, and Tracana joining in the theme, Fresu gently takes off on a lovely muted minor solo that is underscored by Tracana at the metric accents. The tune eventually evolves back into the title theme and abstracts itself into a new series of repetitious thematics with stunning lyrical interplay by the rhythm section this time, before fading into the ether. On the other suite on the album, a triple threat of Fresu compositions, his sense of rhythmic, staccato construction is everywhere present. From "Paraponzi" to "Venti Freddi" and back to "Paraponzi," Fresu leads the charge on a sprightly metered ascent into harmonic high ground. There are gorgeous solos here by Cipelli, Fioravanti, and Tracana; all of them blues it up and play through a series of hard bop changes that mutate into near folk songs. This was, and remains, an excellent debut.