MICHAEL RAGONESE — Stracci (review)

MICHAEL RAGONESE — Stracci album cover Album · 2023 · Post Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
Whereas Michael Ragonese’s first album focused on horn arrangements, his latest album, “Stracci”, features a stripped down trio that better showcases his formidable skills as a pianist. Joining Michael on this new effort are the very versatile Mark Ferber on drums and Luca Alemanno on bass. Michael sites several contemporary post bop pianists as influences, including Gerald Clayton, Josh Nelson, Vijay Iyer and Brad Mehldau. You can also hear traces of Keith Jarret, Paul Bley and Theolonious Monk in his playing too. Mark is a very free range drummer, often displaying a non-conventional approach to the trap set in a Paul Motion style, while Luca’s bass has the flexibility to tie all of this together. Roughly this album falls into the contemporary post bop genre, but you will also hear influences from romantic classical, art pop, fusion and free jazz as well.

The album opens with a cover of Miles’ “Solar”, which is given a very modern and truncated melody before going into a more standard post bop groove. This is the cut on which Raogonese displays a Paul Bley style relentless and muscular stream of right hand soloing. The next two tracks allow a lot of room for Ferber’s free approach to the drums as the other two act as anchors allowing him to play the drums as an almost lead instrument. On “Tides of Tomorrow Pt.2”, Michael solos over a prog rock style chord progression recalling his favorite contemporary pianist, the aforementioned Mehldau. “I’ll be Seeing You” is the other standard on this album of mostly originals and shows a very ‘Monkian’ approach to soloing with plenty of obtuse and persistent figures built around the whole tone scale. On this track, Luca adds his most swinging solo on the bass.

Without breaking down every single track on the album, rest assured that “Stracci” represents much of what is current in today’s jazz world while also maintaining a personal vision and personal musicality.
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

Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sustain Avant-Garde Jazz
AALY TRIO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sunset Park Post Bop
TOBIAS MEINHART
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day 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