Green Dolphin Street (Live in Siena)

Little known Italian pianist, Riccardo Zegna, boasts a delightfully unique romantic approach that incorporates a two-handed technique. Here, he reworks standards like Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" and Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning," and makes them his own. The title piece, "Green Dolphin Street," is given two lengthy treatments, showing the seemingly unlimited creativity of the pianist. Recorded live in Siena, Zegna is joined by bassist Furio Di Castri and drummer Luigi Bonafede, both of whom take decidedly secondary, yet tasteful, roles. Zegba reaches back to early bop roots and rarely navigates new ground, but his brilliance lies in his unassuming ability to redefine the tradition. His own compositions, "Tjango" and "Andalusa," display a fine imagination.