Andrea Rinciari - Soho Sessions [VINYL]

<p>Italian jazz guitarist Andrea Rinciari's 'Soho Sessions', presents eight carefully curated jazz standards and hidden gems with a stellar quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Alex Garnett, bassist Lorenzo Morabito and drummer Mark Taylor. "The album represents a great period of my life where I was playing in Soho every week with this band and we were able to create a vast repertoire of tunes by various different composers, from American songbook composers to the most obscure bebop artists," explains Rinciari. "So, the tracks of this album are a good representation of those tunes."</p><p>'Soho Sessions' features a mix of classic and lesser-known compositions, including a Barry Harris arrangement of 'Bean And The Boys', a rare John Collins piece ('John's Delight'), and a reharmonised 'I Can't Get Started' inspired by Teddy Wilson. Other highlights include a fresh take on 'Tea For Two', Bud Powell's groove-driven 'John's Abbey', and deep cuts by Freddie Redd and Elmo Hope/Sonny Rollins, 'Time to Smile' and 'Carvin' the Rock' respectively. The album closes with Rinciari's signature contrapuntal solo interpretation of 'Polka Dots And Moonbeams'.</p><p>Rinciari's dynamic quartet breathes new life into the music while exploring fresh harmonic and melodic ideas. "This album is a reflection of the magic that happens when musicians play together regularly. The tracks capture the spirit of our weekly Soho sessions - improvised, refined, and always evolving," concludes Rinciari. "It's a tribute to the jazz greats who have inspired me and the amazing musicians I'm lucky to play with."</p>