Monologues

This album finds the Italian saxophonist Pietro Tonolo blowing a cappella on a set of mostly originals. Tonolo plays tenor and soprano saxophones, as well as sopranino, with a polished, clear tone and a clarion voice. Nonetheless, this CD...only somewhat overcomes the inherent difficulties of a solo performance. The majority of cuts are Tonolo originals, although the three Monk numbers fare the best. In all, there are 21 separate tunes...some simply fail to hold the listener's attention. Others, though, show a distinct talent. Tonolo is at heart a melodicist, and does best when restating a theme. While this is mainly mainstream fare and Tonolo rarely extends the natural sound of his horns, he occasionally enters adventuresome territory. The solo album is a difficult task...