Mondo Jazz

PIERANUNZI RECENSITO SU DOWN BEAT DI MAGGIO

Enrico Pieranunzi, Live At The Village Vanguard (Cam Jazz) by Aaron Cohen
Pianist Enrico Pieranunzi created a formidable challenge for himself when he recorded these sets at New York’s Village Vanguard over two nights in July 2010. He enlisted bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paul Motian, both veterans of Bill Evans’ trios (the venue itself was the home of the piano legend’s heralded live albums). But Pieranunzi sidesteps any easy comparisons to Evans and carves out his own musical identity throughout the disc.

 Out of the eight tracks, half are his own compositions and they’re all compelling. His “Fellini’s Waltz” is a lyrical ode to the filmmaker—it’s filled with the sort of surprising twists that the Italian director would have applauded. Pieranunzi’s “Pensive Fragments” offsets his deep melodic investigations with Motian’s fleet brush swipes. The pianist sounds bright and assertive on a rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “I Mean You.” Recorded about a year-and-a-half before Motian’s passing, this disc is another reminder of the drummer’s inimitable approach—like in his controlled fury on the trio’s version of Lee Konitz’s “Subconscious Lee.”