Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop: Abundance

Abundance, the latest release by Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop, is a treat from start to finish. Leading from his drumkit, Cervini directs a septet with trombonist William Carn, Tara Davidson on saxes and flute, Joel Frahm on tenor, Adrean Farrugia on piano, and Dan Loomis on bass. Playing together for a number of years, the band brings a well-honed group identity into the studio. Their repertoire includes original compositions by several of the band members, a couple of standards, and a Tadd Dameron tune. Tara Davidson’s spirited The Queen leads things off with a bang. A bright and happy arrangement of Dameron’s Tadd’s Delight follows, with a rollicking solo by Frahm amid the rocking rhythm section. Bassist Loomis and drummer Cervini trade off solos in the second half of the piece in a warm display of mutual respect. The curiously atomized chart of Harold Arlen’s My Shining Hour, concocted by Cervini and Geoff Keezer, offers a new and reharmonized look at a familiar melody. The stuttering rhythms keep the front-line on its toes as the chart covers a lot of territory in just over three minutes. Smile, the Charlie Chaplin chestnut, sympathetically arranged, gives the spotlight to trombonist Carn for a warmly melodic solo, followed by bassist Loomis in a similarly respectful vein. The bassist contributes the jolly-sounding Abundance Overture, a composition that goes through a lot of changes in just under five minutes. Cervini’s accompaniment, which moves from the drum rims to tom-toms and cymbals and back again, is inspired. The horns have a bit of fun with some collective improvising, and pianist Farrugia offers a distilled but potent solo. The pianist’s song on the date is The Ten Thousand Things. Like Smile, this was recorded at an earlier session by the group in 2013. After a slow moving introductory section leads to an unaccompanied piano solo, Farrugia turns up the heat. The septet rises to the challenge with aplomb, with the focus on a fired-up Joel Frahm. Two songs by Cervini end the disc. Gramps has a pretty, drawn-out melody that’s given a sedate treatment. A calm and soothing Davidson on alto is the main voice, cushioned by Carn and Frahm. Prodded by the rhythm section, the piece briefly grows more insistent before dissolving back into silence. A smoothly exploratory Carn and a busy piano solo by Farrugia enliven Song for Cito. There’s  a thriving modern jazz scene in Toronto, and Cervini and friends are right in the thick of it. Abundance is happily recommended.
Anzic ANZ-0063; William Carn (tbn) Tara Davidson (as, ss, fl) Joel Frahm (ts) Adrean Farrugia (p) Dan Loomis (b) Ernesto Cervini (d); Toronto, ON, December 12-13, 2016, exc. *November 5-6, 2013; The Queen/ Tadd’s Delight/ My Shining Hour/ Smile*/ Abundance Overture/ The Ten Thousand Things*/ Gramps/ Song for Cito; 43:14. anzicrecords.com