ENRICO RAVA — Live at Birdland Neuburg (review)

ENRICO RAVA — Live at Birdland Neuburg album cover Live album · 2000 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
snobb
Enrico Rava is for sure one of best known Italian jazz artist and the one who opened world jazz scene to his country musicians some decades ago.The problem with his music (at least for me) is after short innovative early period (one time he was even a member of Steve Lacy band) he was contracted by ECM and switched to much more safe chamber jazz.Besides of all series of quality but often openly boring ECM releases during these decades Enrico released lot of albums on Italian labels, the problem with music "for domestic market" is you need to be Italian to love it (well polished melodic,often melancholic and even cheesy songs in big quantities aren't good for health I'm sure,unless you grew up on romantic operas sounding around). But knowing all this I regularly try to listen one or another new (for me) Rava's album - he's a master who still can be unpredictable in moments.

"Live At Birdland" is no way Rava's revolutionary album, but it is the one I listen quite often. The music here is recorded live during Rava's concert in jazz club in Germany, he plays as soloist supported by competent German post-bop quartet (the only artist I'm familiar with from this band is drummer Dejan Terzic).Sound is excellent, all musicians are in great form and this music represents successful for Rava's releases formula - all supporting band perfectly knows their role and they do their best: competent, almost precise "German" sound fits surprisingly well to warm, emotional Rava's soloing without pushing all the music to dangerous "dolce" zone.

Rava plays two his originals and three standards,including "My Funny Valentine", but nothing sounds too predictable or boring. Clever balance between neo-bop,funky rhythms,bossa and even waltz and reggae,all with light Italian romantic flavor shows Rava's in his best.Not the best artist's work for sure, but the one you will listen repeatedly and not without pleasure.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Symphonic Blues No. 6 Third Stream
CORKY SIEGEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recut Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop
SKALPEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Yuval Cohen Quartet : Winter Poems Post-Fusion Contemporary
YUVAL COHEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Just Nu Jazz
JIM HART
Buy this album from MMA partners
Skrifum Post-Fusion Contemporary
JON BALKE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

SOLSTICE album release • Duo Russo - Holst
PAOLO RUSSO
js· 74 minutes ago
Akiko Yano & Hiromi - Kawarushi (Official Audio)
HIROMI
js· 1 day ago
All I Want For Christmas Is You
DAVID HAZELTINE
js· 1 day ago
Chicken
QUATUOR EBÈNE
js· 2 days ago
Det er en egen lomme
THE LEIF
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed