UPSIDE DOWN
Claudio Scolari | Principal Records (2019)
January 6, 2020 Tom Steven
An extremely atypical quartet composed of Claudio Scolari, Danielle Cavalca, Simone Scolari, and Michele Cavalca, on this 4th album the outfit combine acoustic and electronic sounds in unconventional ways with exciting results.
“Smoke In C Minor” starts the listen with synth noise amid keys and drums in the jazz meets electronica hybrid, and “Underground Soul” follows with even more experimental flourishes of synthetic sounds as elegant piano and shuffling percussion complement the playfulness.
Further along, “Upside Road” relies on strong trumpet from Simone Scolari to guide the avant-garde jazz and funk friendly setting, while “Twister” builds from bare to a busy display of free jazz sensibilities that births endless grooves.
Towards the end, “Wired” offers us 7 minutes of unpredictable ideas where it almost seems as if 3 tunes are being played simultaneously, and “Fast And Last” ends the listen with incredible drumming from both Claudio and Daniele on the brief exit.
Having recently expanded to a trio with the addition of Michele Cavalca on electric bass, while Claudio Scolari Project embrace rhythm, harmony and melody, it’s all executed in experimental and unpredictable ways on this fascinating effort that, amazingly, was recorded live in one shot.