Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Luca Dell'Anna: Tactile

Luca Dell'Anna: Tactile

By Neil Duggan
March 24, 2025
View read count

Italian pianist and composer

Luca Dell'Anna

piano
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Luca Dell'Anna draws from a rich tapestry of musical traditions. His earliest influences came from his grandfather, whose accordion playing was rooted in Italian folk music. At home, his father's diverse record collection introduced him to the works of

Nat King Cole

piano and vocals
1919 - 1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Nat King Cole,

Ray Charles

piano and vocals
1930 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Ray Charles and

Johann Sebastian Bach

" data-original-title="" title="">Johann Sebastian Bach. As Dell'Anna developed his own musical identity, he cultivated a deep-seated appreciation for Cuban and African musical traditions and

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

piano
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Gonzalo Rubalcaba in particular.

This cultural mix permeates Dell'Anna's release, Tactile. Unlike his previous album, Human See, Human Do (UR Records, 2018), which featured a quartet, Dell'Anna now performs in a piano trio setting alongside drummer

Luca Colussi

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Luca Colussi and

Alessandro Fedrigo

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Alessandro Fedrigo on fretless bass. The album is produced by Grammy-nominated engineer Stefano Amerio, perhaps best known for his work on ECM recordings. Beyond his leadership role, Dell'Anna has built an impressive career as a sideman, collaborating with diverse artists including trumpeter

Adam Rapa

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam Rapa, flautist

Jorge Pardo

flute

" data-original-title="" title="">Jorge Pardo and avant-garde trumpeter

Steven Bernstein

trumpet
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Steven Bernstein, broadening his musical vocabulary across genres.

Opener "Wormhole" offers an ideal introduction to the trio's distinctive style. From gentle beginnings, Fedrigo and Colussi set up a lively groove with Dell'Anna setting up the melody before moving into an impressive improvisation with rapid, precise single-note runs. The music shifts unpredictably, rarely settling on a single idea, eventually resolving into a propulsive close.

"Is It Morning Yet" highlights Dell'Anna's quick, intricate passagework; he weaves melodic fragments through his improvisation, complemented by a fluid bass solo. The slower tempo of "The Horseman and the Tree" takes a new direction. With bass and drums taking a back seat, Dell'Anna reveals his strong classical influences as he explores the dark melody. That classical touch remains in the strong theme of "System Thaw," but here it is lighter with a delicacy of touch alongside another fine solo from Fedrigo.

The trio give an inventive reading of

Peter Gabriel

vocals
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Gabriel's superb composition "Playing For Time." Its mellow gospel feel allows plenty of space in before increasing in pace. The driving title track opens with chimes before Dell'Anna's flowing improv goes in one direction and then surprises by diverting on another path. Colussi excels at setting up the tight Haitian rhythm on Frantz Casseus' "Merci Bon Dieu;" made famous by

Harry Belafonte

vocals
1927 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Harry Belafonte, the song allows ample opportunity for the pianist to move through his melodic twists and turns.

Dell'Anna has absorbed much from his influences and his global touring; it emerges in a constant and versatile flow of musical ideas. Nothing lasts too long before he is led by the strength of the melody on to the next mix of chords and harmonies. His playing flows powerfully, underpinned by his knowledge of Cuban Rhythms as he blends jazz trio tradition and contemporary expression in a highly entertaining way.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Wormhole; Is it Morning Yet?; The Horseman And The Tree; Now; Eleggu��; Playing for Time; Tactile; System Thaw; Merci Bon Dieu; Peripheral Attention; Rite.

Personnel

Luca Dell'Anna

piano

Alessandro Fedrigo

bass, electric

Luca Colussi

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Alessandro Fedrigo: electric bass (1-10).

Album information

Title: Tactile | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Artesuono

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Muriel Grossman, Yazz Ahmed, Kaisa M...
< Previous

Jim Snidero at the Bop Stop
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.