Frontal by Simone Graziano

A quintet session. led by pianist Graziano, and including David Binney on alto sax, Chris Speed on tenor sax, Gabriele Evangelista on double bass, and Stefano Tamborrino on drums. Modern, in every sense of the word. Never seems to settle on a singular identity, which doesn’t serve it well from a cohesion standpoint, but the strength of the ensemble negates that pitfall, as it allows them plenty latitude to present the compositions in different shapes and forms. Both Binney and Speed are having strong years, both with their own music, but also via appearances on the albums of others… this is yet another opportunity to take advantage of it.
[eMusic, Dave Sumner]