Enrico Pieranunzi Live At The Village Vanguard

CAM JAZZ presents the live recording of a recent concert in New York’s Village Vanguard by one of its major artists, Enrico Pieranunzi. With him on stage in the historic club are two friends from previous adventures: Marc Johnson on bass and the late Paul Motian on drums. Hence the great empathy that is felt immediately among the musicians, an extraordinary understanding that goes far beyond the mere fact of music.

It is no “news” that Pieranunzi plays so beautifully with the class and originality that has made him one of the best pianists around today, at all corners of the world. His style, which at the same time is rigorous and imaginative, is the result of an innate talent but also of many years of intense study. It is one that is instantly recognizable, and his language finds in Johnson and Motian two ideal interlocutors; two artists who not only interact as equals, but enrich the conversation with their extraordinary skill. Listen carefully to the great work that’s being done here and at the same time the underscoring and thrusting put in place by Marc, and the colorful imagination by Motian—now an irreplaceable element in the jazz world.

The repertoire is simply beautiful: four compositions by Pieranunzi (including a sweet "Pensive Fragments") and four standards ("I mean you" by Thelonious Monk, "My Funny Valentine" by Rodgers and Hart, "Subconscious Lee" by Lee Konitz and "La Dolce Vita" by Nino Rota) which complete a puzzle where Pieranunzi’s compositions fit perfectly alongside those of some great jazz masters.

In short, a CD of great depth, which will surely grab your attention from the first to the last note.

ECHO Jazz 2014 - Instrumentalist of the Year Piano/Keyboards for the album LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD

Recorded live on 7, 8 July 2010 at The Village Vanguard, NYC  Recording engineer James Farber

Cover photo by Andrea Boccalini