Franco Ambrosetti Quintet: Long Waves

The highly regarded Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti has been playing with jazz stars throughout his professional life. The earliest recording of his that I can find is from a 1963 concert with his father, saxophonist Flavio Ambrosetti, and the stellar rhythm section of Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes. Long Waves, the latest release by the Franco Ambrosetti Quintet, finds the now 78-year old veteran leading another all-star ensemble with guitarist John Scofield, pianist Uri Caine, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. There’s a palpable warmth to this session, a feeling from the very start of Ambrosetti’s original composition Milonga that the listener is being invited to share in the good spirits and congenial atmosphere that the music delivers. Ambrosetti brought three other tunes to the date, the snappy Try Again, and two songs dedicated to his wife, Silli’s Long Wave, a mid-tempo groover with inspired soloing by Scofield and Caine, and the ultra-relaxed Silli’s Waltz. The winning program is rounded out by One For the Kids, a piece by pianist George Gruntz that Ambrosetti recorded previously on his 1997 Enja album Warm Breeze, and a pair of tunes that have long been popular with improvisers, Willard Robison’s 1938 composition Old Folks, played very slowly, and an extended look at Bronislaw Kaper’s On Green Dolphin Street, taken at a cheerful toe-tapping tempo with solos by all hands. As the ever-astute Bob Blumenthal writes in his liner notes, the “sincerity and affection” on display throughout the program made him “feel like part of the family.” He’s right on the mark, and spending the better part of an hour with Long Waves is practically guaranteed to make your day a little brighter. Warmly recommended.
Unit UTR 4907; Franco Ambrosetti (tpt, flgh) John Scofield (g) Uri Caine (p) Scott Colley (b) Jack DeJohnette (d); NYC, January 30-31, 2019; Milonga/ Try Again/ Silli’s Long Wave/ One For the Kids/ Old Folks/ Silli’s Waltz/ On Green Dolphin Street; 53:33. www.unitrecords.com