Franco Ambrosetti Quintet, Long Waves (Unit)
The Swiss trumpeter and flugelhornist assembles a group of contemporaries to play his compositions and a couple of cherished standard songs. Ambrosetti’s fluid improvisations, sometimes with a Miles Davis bent, are consistently impressive. So, too, is the work of the star-filled rhythm section of pianist Uri Caine, guitarist John Scofield, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Among the highlights are Ambrosetti’s “Silli’s Waltz,” named for his wife. Although one may usually think of Scofield as an earthy player, his solo on the piece discloses that he can be downright lilting and lyrical in 3/4 time. Caine gives Willard Robison’s classic “Old Folks” a delicate introduction that inspires Ambrosetti to a solo with touches that may trigger remembrances of Charlie Parker’s unforgettable recording of the piece half a century ago.
Son of the pioneering Swiss saxophonist Flavio Ambrosetti and father of one in a new generation, Gianluca, Franco Ambrosetti continues as one of his country’s finest musicians. In the company of a remarkable rhythm section, he reminds us that at its international best, jazz is the world’s music.