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Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop: Rev

By Dan McClenaghan
October 17, 2017
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The Toronto-based septet Turboprop serves, in part, as an arrangement-expanding vehicle for ?drummer/leader

Ernesto Cervini

drums
b.1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Ernesto Cervini. With his work in two ongoing, outstanding trio's—MEM3 and Myriad3—Cervini helps shape modernist jazz in the piano trio mode. Turboprop, with its three horn front line—two saxophones and a trombone—gets the chance to stretch his arranging chops, with Rev, the group's sophomore effort.

Cervini is a guy who wears his joy on his sleeve. His approach—with Turboprop especially—is busy, orchestral. It is not understated or subtle, which serves the group well in its creation of high-energy, sometimes playful, sometimes swinging music.

The disc's opener, "Libertine," from the pen of the group's pianist, Adrean Farrugia, is a tumult, full of relentless momentum featuring a measured and pensive piano solo slipped in between some torrid sax turns from

Tara Davidson

saxophone, alto
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Tara Davidson and

Joel Frahm

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Joel Frahm. ?"Granada Bus," a Cervini tune, has a careening down winding narrow streets feeling, as madcap as a hot Klezmer workout.

Turboprop's trombonist,

William Carn

trombone
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">William Carn, contributes "Arc Of Instability," that would have fit in well in a

J.J. Johnson

trombone
1924 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">J.J. Johnson small group outing; and bassist

Dan Loomis

bass
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Loomis offers up his bright sunrise of a tune with "Ranthem," one of the most memorable melodies on the disc, that ?dissolves into free-sounding piano trio interludes.

The great choices on the covers elevates the listen-through experience of Rev. The 1992 pop radio hit, "No Rain," by the group Blind Melon, opens sounding rhumba-ish here, with Davidson's relaxed and lovely soprano sax singing, then melding into a some gorgeous three horn harmony, rolling into solos all around. Radiohead's "The Daily Mail" draws the Turboprop sound inward, opening with a ringing bass solo from Loomis.

Then there's the venerable "Pennies From Heaven," the 1936 Bing Crosby vehicle. Turboprop proves they can swing with the best of them, with some Ellington-ian harmonies, some Count Basie-like piano, ?and inspired horn solos. Nice! ??

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Track Listing

The Libertine; Granda Bus; No Rain; Rev; The Daily Mail; Pennies From Heaven; Ranthem; Arc Of Instability.

Personnel

Ernesto Cervini

drums

Tara Davidson

saxophone, alto

Joel Frahm

saxophone, tenor

William Carn

trombone

Adrean Farrugia

keyboards

Dan Loomis

bass

Album information

Title: Rev | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Anzic Records

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