Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Giovanni Guidi: A New Day

Giovanni Guidi: A New Day

By Mark Corroto
September 4, 2024
View read count

There is some positive momentum surrounding Italian pianist

Giovanni Guidi

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Giovanni Guidi, especially with the trio he established with American bassist

Thomas Morgan

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Morgan and Portuguese drummer

Joao Lobo

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Joao Lobo. Guidi's trio produced two excellent releases for ECM, City Of Broken Dreams (2013) and This Is The Day (2015). Their brand of music—let's call it the

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans trio with

Scott LaFaro

bass
1936 - 1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott LaFaro and

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian, reconstructed to fit within Manfred Eicher's vision—prefers a stark sound but with its emotion displayed on their sleeves.

Guidi's trio has expanded in the past to include brass instruments, but the edition here of American tenor saxophonist

James Brandon Lewis

saxophone, tenor
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">James Brandon Lewis finds a near-perfect contrast if, by contrast, we mean congruity. Lewis has surpassed the young lion status to become a force in avant-jazz without assigning him a pigeonhole. He can be heard with his Red Lily Quartet performing a tribute to Gospel singer

Mahalia Jackson

vocals
1911 - 1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Mahalia Jackson, touring with The Messthetics (the remnants of the DC punk band Fugazi), backing the poetry-forward ensemble Heroes Are Gang Leaders, and leading his own quartet, trio, and in duo with drummer

Chad Taylor

drums
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Chad Taylor.

With Guidi and company, Lewis tailors his sound (on the four tracks out of seven total he is heard on) to fit the mostly downtempo approach. The opener, the Catalan folk tune "Cantos Del Oceills" expresses an ineffable muted beauty. "Wonderland" opens with the trio, and Lewis joins in to produce a bright and engagingly hopeful melody. Five of the tracks were composed by Guidi with the improvised "Only Sometimes" achieving a

Charles Lloyd

saxophone
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Lloyd-like sound that is both spiritual and thoroughly earnest.

When Guidi, Morgan, and Lobo are heard sans Lewis we get a perfect triangle of sound. The bowed bass of "To A Young Student" reflects Guidi's chiming piano. "Means For A Rescue" opens with Lobo's minimalist percussion. Time slows even with some energy injected via the piano. The one standard performed by the trio, "My Funny Valentine," is delivered as if it were merely a distant memory. Guidi unveils the melody by unmasking it in bits and pieces.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Cantos Del Ocells; To a Young Student; Means for a Rescue; Only Sometimes; Luigi (The Boy Who Lost His Name); My Funny Valentine; Wonderland.

Personnel

Jo?o Luis Lobo

drums

Album information

Title: Ad Lib | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: -

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Matana Roberts At Black Box
< Previous

Bill Warfield, Elias Haslanger, Paul...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.