Sextant

After a first appearance on Ambiances Magnétiques' catalog in a duo free improv session with bassist Joëlle Léandre (Sur une balançoire), Italian keyboardist Gianni Lenoci follows up with a more personal project. Sextant is basically a six-piece jazz affair, but there is also more to it. Lenoci is at the acoustic and electric pianos, synthesizer and electronics. He is accompanied by guitarist Adolfo La Volpe, a capable noisician, saxmen Fabrizio Scarafile and Francesco Massaro, bassist Francesco Angiuli, and drummer Marcello Magliocchi. About half of the nine tracks are performed by the whole group, and these tend to be of the avant-garde jazz variety, with a strong touch of Steve Lacy added to the expected Italian avant-jazz sound, and a more overtly experimental approach. Dissonances and noise are more deeply woven into the fabric of the compositions than what can be found in the clashing juxtapositions of Pino Minafra, Carlo Actis Dato and the likes. In that vein, the driving "Realtà" and the slow-churning "Cerchio" provide highlights. Other tracks feature smaller lineups: "Punto" is for the most part a trio between Lenoci (playing both acoustic and electric piano), La Volpe and Angiuli, while "Intersezione" showcases Lenoci's electronics. "Intermission VI" is a nice but unremarkable reading of Morton Feldman's piece. The group tracks are definitely better and one finds the album lacking in that regard. Just listen to the whimsical cover of Eric Dolphy's "Miss Ann" and you will want to hear more than what Sextant delivers. Undiluted by the two or three questionable inclusions discussed above, this album would have made a strong sextet proposition. ~ François Couture, Rovi