Francesco Maccianti Septet - Mosaico (2000)

Pianist Francesco Maccianti leads a fine septet through a post-bop session of original material mostly composed by the leader. Although he is a very competent pianist, he seems to revel in providing backgrounds for his soloists as much as taking the spotlight for himself. "Metafora" proves to be an invigorating opener, with strong solos by trombonist Roberto Rossi and tenor saxophonist Pietro Tonolo. "Batiscopa," written by Tonolo, is a richly textured ballad, while the catchy vamp of "Cubic Dance" leads into a superbly crafted soprano sax duet with the pianist, though it isn't clear whether Diego Carraresi (who arranged five of the tracks) or Tonolo is the reed player, since they are both listed as playing "saxes." "Tanganika" is compared to works of McCoy Tyner by liner note writer Giuseppe Vigna, but that is true only in a superficial way, as Maccianti is inspired by American jazz greats though he clearly has his own style. Likewise, "Ming's Age" suggests Mingus to Vigna, probably due to the stop-and-go cadence of this compelling piece. This rewarding session on Philology is not the type of release to catch the typical jazz shopper's eye, but it is worth taking a chance on without necessarily hearing it first. Recommended. © Ken Dryden