SALVATORE BONAFEDE
Journey to Donnafugata

CAM Jazz

Italian jazz is clearly alive and well, as several recent CAM Jazz releases have demonstrated admirably. Last year pianist Enrico Pieranunzi released the CDs Fellini Jazz and Doorways, both of which were rare opportunities to hear one of Italy’s most venerated jazz musicians in two very different formats. Salvatore Bonafede, who is familiar to some Americans due to his appearance in Joe Lovano’s Viva Caruso band, continues to honor the music of countryman Nino Rota, who composed music for many Fellini films as well as for Luchino Visconti’s film The Leopard. It is the music and locale of this 1963 film that provides thematic material for Journey to Donnafugata. Working with a band that is primarily American—guitarist John Abercrombie, basist Ben Street, and drummer Clarence Penn—Bonafede and fellow Italian Enrico Rava take on the themes of Rota along with two brief Verdi interludes and some original compositions, and turn it all into gorgeous, lush, vital, and energetic modern jazz. Journey makes clear the pointlessness of arguments over American and European jazz by demonstrating that since both cultures are able to freely exchange ideas they are clearly speaking the same language.

There are musical connections here that bridge any possible remaining cultural gap as well. Abercrombie and Rava are well known to each other, having collaborated on ECM recordings as far back as the 1970s. Ralph Towner, who puts in a much-appreciated appearance on one of Bonafede’s original compositions, “Reputation and Character” has also worked extensively with Abercrombie. Rava has played with the cream of the crop of American avant-garde players, including Don Cherry and Roswell Rudd and recorded the music of American composer/arranger Carla Bley. Rava is a devotee of both Miles Davis and Chet Baker. Nor should one underestimate the relative youngsters, Ben Street and Clarence Penn, whose resumes are highly impressive. Street has worked with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Penn has worked with Betty Carter and Dianne Reeves. In short, this is as impressive an array of jazz musicians as you’re going to hear on one recording today.

And the performances completely live up to expectations. From the opening trumpet calls of “Viaggio A Donnafugata,” which recall Gil Evans era Miles Davis (particularly Sketches of Spain), you sense the infusion of real soul into these performances. That might have been the fact that Bonafede rented a studio right next to the Villa Boscogrande, where parts of The Leopard were shot. It was there that he soaked in the Sicilian atmosphere and conceived these arrangements. Though the actual recording date was in Rome, you still sense the direct Mediterranean influence in both the arrangements and in the performances themselves. Towner’s appearances on “Reputation and Character” and “Taceas, Me Spectes” are stunningly beautiful. “Polka” is only a polka for a half minute or so before sliding into a slinky, sultry blues feel that allows Rava and Abercrombie great leeway that both use to their advantage. Rava becomes more outspoken and sharper than usual while Abercrombie unleashes a formidable, yet tasteful, show of chops. “Quadriglia” is a straight ahead swinging jazz number that one imagines to be some kind of representation of the elegance of the great ball sequence that occupies the film’s final hour. Bonafede’s own “Angelica” is a pretty, lilting 6/8 piece on which Rava and Bonafede play particularly well.

It is difficult to imagine a listener who will not be beguiled by some aspect of this album, be it the sheer beauty of much of the melodic material, the stunning artistry of Bonafede, Rava, Abercrombie, and Towner, or the organic splendor of a well-formed jazz combo playing especially well as a unit. Journey to Donnafugata is amazing jazz on so many levels, it’s clearly going to be among the best of what looks like a very good year.