Enrico Rava - Plays Miles Davis

mke · June-18th-2003, 06:06 PM

Label Bleu, 2002

Rava - tp, flh
Paolo Fresu - tp, flh
Stefano Bollani - p
Enzo Pietropaoli - b
Roberto Gatto - d

First impressions:
Pianist Stefano Bollani is the man. Discovered both him and Rava a few weeks ago on TV channel Arte. Since then have listened to a few albums: the wonderful duet with Rava, "Montreal Diary B" and Bollani's own "Les Fleurs Bleues".

On this two-trumpet quintet concert recording, he stands out (to me) as easily the most interesting voice. On the opening "Bye Bye Blackbird", listen to his comping on the out-head: discrete dissonance, yet still in the Red Garland spirit. He doesn't seem to find much space to express his originality on "Blue in Green" (still nice, though), but the Rava-Bollani duet on "There is no you" is fabulous, as is Bollani's solo on the closing "When lights are low": wide stylistic leaps, always with great originality, inventiveness and swing. I love this guy!

The two-trumpet line-up (Rava + Fresu) is a pretty good idea and works best IMO when they don't stick to the source too closely ("Milestones"). Too often, it's "Well, I might as well go listen to Relaxin' or Cookin'..." Nice music, but not exactly something to write home about. That's why Bollani is so outstanding: at times he is very close to the original text, but also adds a lot of his own touch while always staying in the spirit. Drummer Roberto Gatto gets in a nice solo at one point.

So overall, a re-creation (save Bollani) of Miles's first quintet, minus saxophone.

shrugs · June-19th-2003, 04:09 PM

Sounds nice. Fresu and Gatto are both on Guido Manusardi's The Village Fair. An excellent session in the "post-bop" vein on Soul Note.

Pete C · June-20th-2003, 09:01 AM

Bollani is a delight. I've seen him 3 times with Rava, the highlight being a duo concert. I'm looking forward to seeing them again at the North Sea festival.

The Miles and Chet projects are, however, about my least favorite Rava recordings.

If the Miles one was recorded in Montreal, I was at that one.

Steve Reynolds · June-20th-2003, 09:04 AM

The Village Fair is something that brings out the best in Fresu - and Manusardi is alos a very fun pianist to listen to - havn't yet heard Bollani

and Fair also includes contributions from the *great* Gianluigi Trovesi

mke · June-20th-2003, 11:58 AM

The Miles album was recorded live, probably in Montreal, though I'm not sure.

The Bollani/Rava duet album ("Montreal Diary B" on Label Bleu) is my favourite of the one's I've heard. On first listen, I was a tad disappointed with Bollani's "Les fleurs bleues", although there's some nice stuff on it. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention.

Pete,

I have some more AKA Moon recs for you, maybe I'll start a new thread.

mke · June-20th-2003, 06:47 PM

Pete,

What Rava and/or Bollani do you recommend?

Pete C · June-22nd-2003, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mke
Pete,

What Rava and/or Bollani do you recommend?

My favorite Rava albums are "Volver" (ECM), with Dino Saluzzi, and "Rava plays Rava" (Philology), which is a duo with Bollani.

His duo with Ran Blake, "Duo en Noir," is excellent, but only about a half hour.

Though some people like it, I'm not fond of "Nausicaa," his duo with Enrico Pieranunzi, because Pieranunzi puts me to sleep.

"Carmen" is fun, but perhaps too indebted to "Sketches of Spain."

The early quartet albums on ECM, with Abercrombie, Danielsson & Christensen, "The Pilgrim and the Stars" and "The Plot" are both nice albums. Off hand I can't remember the differences.

"Shades of Chet" is, of course, very similar to "Shades of Miles."

I'll try to remember to bring my copy of Bollani's "Il Cielo da Quaggiu" to The Hague for you. I don't listen to it--too cutesy for me (the band is called "El Orchestra del Titanic')--but who knows, you might like it.

shrugs · June-22nd-2003, 09:55 PM

The Pilgrim and The Stars is a bit mellower than The Plot and I seem to remember Abercrombie gets a bit more spotlight on it. Or I could be thinking of Quotation Marks....
the other 70's ECM's are good too. the Rava/Rudd Quartet and Ah!

And while we are at it, pick up Tomasz Stanko's Balladyna. Another ECM classic.

mke · June-23rd-2003, 06:53 AM

Thanks for those recs.

I was wondering why they bothered to put this album out, as I can't imagine why anyone with the original article would return to it regularly, apart maybe for the duo track, but you have "Montreal Diary B" for that. Was it more fun at the concert? You can hear laughter once or twice.

Pete C · June-23rd-2003, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mke
I was wondering why they bothered to put this album out, as I can't imagine why anyone with the original article would return to it regularly, apart maybe for the duo track, but you have "Montreal Diary B" for that. Was it more fun at the concert? You can hear laughter once or twice.

By the "original article" do you mean Miles's recordings? Plenty of tribute albums like this get released, and their merit is something we discuss here a lot. I suspect this kind of thing will appeal to an audience that some of Rava's other recordings don't.

Isn't it always more fun at the concert?

Dennis Gonzalez · June-28th-2003, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mke
Thanks for those recs.

I was wondering why they bothered to put this album out.

It would be difficult for a trumpet player to "compete" with Miles' own versions of his own music. So you know that's not the reason. Probably one of the main reasons is that Rava loves those particular Miles pieces and is paying tribute. He was not, I don't think, trying to "Wow" us. Just paying homage in quite the humble way, without much fanfare or grandstanding...which I'd rather hear than say, a Maynard Ferguson album of Maynard Plays Miles!

The telling thing is that it's sparked your curiosity enough to start a thread about it!

Jiveman · June-29th-2003, 10:20 AM

Anyone want to buy(cheap)/trade my copy of Rava's "Carmen"?Pete digs it!

mke · June-30th-2003, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dennis Gonzalez
It would be difficult for a trumpet player to "compete" with Miles' own versions of his own music. So you know that's not the reason. Probably one of the main reasons is that Rava loves those particular Miles pieces and is paying tribute. He was not, I don't think, trying to "Wow" us. Just paying homage in quite the humble way, without much fanfare or grandstanding...which I'd rather hear than say, a Maynard Ferguson album of Maynard Plays Miles!

The telling thing is that it's sparked your curiosity enough to start a thread about it!

Good points, Dennis. It may also be that Label Bleu is getting a LOT of mileage out of a series of concerts Rava did in Montreal (3 albums at last count). Although I may be wrong, as I don't have location details for "Plays Miles Davis".

As for my curiosity, I should really have started a thread about the Rava/Bollani duet album "Montreal Diary B". I have nothing but good things to say about that one. Re-listened to it a few days ago, it's great!

kdd · June-30th-2003, 03:24 PM

Didn't like this or the Chet Baker one. Never thought much of Fresu but like Rava alot. I have a lot of his early ECMs and think they are great records but this stuff does nothing for me

alankin · July-9th-2003, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mke
It may also be that Label Bleu is getting a LOT of mileage out of a series of concerts Rava did in Montreal (3 albums at last count). Although I may be wrong, as I don't have location details for "Plays Miles Davis".

Yes, "Plays Miles Davis" was recorded at the 2001 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Gordon B · July-12th-2003, 11:40 AM

Jiveman, I was also disappointed in "Carmen." I traded it away a long time ago. Enrico Rava Quartet on ECM with Roswell Rudd, J.F. Jenny-Clark and Aldo Romano is by far my favorite Rava.

Jiveman · July-12th-2003, 12:37 PM

I'm with you fully on both counts Gordon!

Dennis Gonzalez · July-13th-2003, 10:50 AM

Interesting article about Rava: