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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – The Sweetest Sound (2004) [Japan 2018]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Multiple Grammy nominee John Di Martino–composer, arranger, pianist–has recorded many albums for Venus Records with his Romantic Jazz Trio. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera and Houston Person.

In his time on the New York scene pianist John di Martino has established a widely respected reputation as an adaptable straight-ahead player, a sensitive and sought-after accompanist of singers, and, having worked in the bands of Ray Barretto and Bobby Sanabria, among others, a brilliant Latin jazz keyboard artist. How wonderful it is that the versatile di Martino, at last, has gotten the chance to highlight his many gifts in a classic trio setting with two exemplary associates. Ugonna Okegwo is one of the most active freelance bassists working today, and with good reason. For over four decades Grady Tate has served as ‘the musician’s drummer,’ having backed an astounding array of instrumental and vocal talent. Di Martino presents Tate with a rhythmic tour de force on the opening track, infusing Ernesto Lecuona’s ‘La Comparsa’ with a New Orleans street beat. Two other Cuban standards, the rumba ‘Drume Negrita’ and the bolero ‘Historia de un Amor,’ receive more traditional treatments, revealing di Martino’s experience in and regard for the genre. Jazz musicians know that ‘My Melancholy Baby’ is one of those tunes—OK, you all may roll your eyes now—but the pianist, supported by Okegwo’s clean two-beat feel and Tate’s clipped, tightly closed hi-hat time, paraphrases the shopworn melody without a hint of irony or condescension. The trio’s handling of ‘And I Love Her,’ leisurely and languid, until suddenly energized in the coda, demonstrates that there still are many riches left to mine in the Beatles’ songbook. Di Martino seems to take inspiration from the title of Luis Bonfa’s bossa nova, ‘The Gentle Rain,’ employing a light touch that makes each notes fall like drops of rain. This lovely track also offers up still more joys of Grady Tate, whose subtle brush work is, at times, more felt than heard. He truly is the ‘anti-Buddy Rich,’ making his presence known, not as an overpowering or dominating force in the ensemble, or even as a soloist (although he is a wonderful one), but by what he can contribute to enhance the collective performance. You may not always notice Grady Tate when he is there, but you miss him when he is not. The same can be said of Ugonna Okegwo, who, on a straight-ahead, unpretentious treatment of Richard Rodgers’ ‘The Sweetest Sound,’ does exactly what a bassist should do in a trio setting, working in close tandem with di Martino, strengthening and supporting the pianist’s elegantly swinging lines. The romanticism of ‘John di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio’ is unbound in ‘The Things I Love,’ based on a theme by the ultimate romantic, Tchaikovsky, but discreet touches of the blues help keep it real. At over nine minutes, the CD’s longest track, ‘You Must Believe in Spring,’ affords di Martino an opportunity for extended, inspired exploration. Especially instructive is his use of block chords, richly voiced, effectively placed, always an enhancement, never a cliché or a crutch. John di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio is, in fact, a recording session-generated group, but after hearing this CD you just may think it was a permanent working unit—and you’ll wish it was.

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – The Michael In Jazz (2013) [Japan 2018]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Philadelphia-native composer, arranger and pianist John di Martino is a versatile musician who is equally comfortable in the straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz and world music scenes. Di Martino has released a lot well-received leader albums for the Japanese Venus Records, with different rhythm sections, under the moniker “Romantic Jazz Trio”. For this tribute to the King of Pop, John and his Romantic Jazz Trio perform some of Michael Jackson’s best-loved songs.

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – The Beatles In Jazz 2 (2012) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Philadelphia-native composer, arranger and pianist John di Martino is a versatile musician who is equally comfortable in the straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz and world music scenes. Di Martino has released more than seven well-received leader albums from the Japanese Venus Records, with different rhythm sections, under the moniker “Romantic Jazz Trio”. This latest release is a second in a series of fascinating projects: The Beatles In Jazz. While many jazz musicians have recorded Lennon/McCartney songs in various styles of jazz, it is still rare to see an entire album of this concept, especially by a piano trio.

Following the success of the first Beatles’ installment, John Di Martino tackled a collectino of lesser-known (relatively speaking) tunes by the Fabulous Four. Di Martino tastefully expands the harmonic structures of these well-known melodies to add depths while respecting the melodic integrity. His choices of tempi and rhythmic treatments are varied and effective. Bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Alvin Atkinson provide sensitive and sensual support. The vivid and powerful sound is also a plus. You’ll be amazed at how these familiar melodies are transformed into intelligent, ellegant and soulful jazz!

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – The Beatles In Jazz (2010) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Multiple Grammy nominee John Di Martino — composer, arranger, pianist — has recorded many albums for Venus Records with his Romantic Jazz Trio. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera and Houston Person. On this album John Di Martino and his Romantic Jazz Trio turns Beatles’ pop songs into jazz tunes. Featured songs include “Penny Lane”, “Yesterday”, “Let It Be” and many more.

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – Music Of The Night (2006) [Japan 2016]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

The Romantic Jazz Trio, consisting of pianist John Di Martino, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Tim Horner, continue the tradition of covering songs from Broadway musicals, though most of their selections for this album come from musicals written during the 1970s and later – including “Chicago”, “Les Miserables”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Cats”, and the modern standard ‘Send in the Clowns’ from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music”.

Of the 70 published Monk compositions, two dozen or so are performed more often than the rest. With that thought in mind, it is more difficult for a pianist to break new ground on a record date, though Di Martino has a few twists in store. Monk’s “Epistrophy” alternates between an intense staccato attack and a straight-ahead bop groove. “‘Round Midnight” is easily Monk’s best-known work; Di Martino doesn’t overly attempt to stretch the boundaries of its theme, but improvises thoughtfully while maintaining the essence of its haunting melody. The fun romp through “Well, You Needn’t” contrasts with the relaxed setting of “Eronel.” Di Martino’s lyrical title track is a tribute to Monk and (presumably) Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, an enjoyable piece that doesn’t attempt to mimic Monk’s writing style.

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – Moliendo Cafe (2009) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

John di Martino is a jazz pianist, arranger and producer, based in New York City. He has been described as a “shape-shifter”, for his creativity across musical genres. For this collection of classic Latin favorites, di Martino and his Romantic Jazz Trio comprised of Hans Glawischnig on bass and Willie Martinez on drums and percussions perform popular Latin compositions by Noro Morales, Andres Eloy Blanco, Joseph Lacalle, Maria Grever, Margarita Lecuona, Ernesto Lecuona and more.

Philadelphia-native composer, arranger and pianist John di Martino is a versatile musician who is equally comfortable in the straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz and world music scenes. In addition to appearing on numerous albums as a sideman, di Martino has released several well-received leader albums from the Japanese Venus Records under the moniker “Romantic Jazz Trio.” Following the 2007 Thelonious Monk songbook Magical Mystery, this latest release is a collection of classic Latin tunes. di Martino shows his deep understanding of Latin jazz – he has played with Victor Venegas, Ray Baretto and Bobby Sanabria to name a few – and is perfectly aided by Hans Glawischnig, the in-demand bassist from Austria who almost specializes in Latin jazz (also a fellow Ray Baretto alumnus) and Willie Martinez who handles drums and percussion. Well-known and beloved Latin melodies, written by composers from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Spain and Venezuela, are presented here with sizzling romanticism and passion. The three master musicians enhance these great materials with their superb jazz chops and inspired solos. Highly recommended for audiophiles and fans of passionate and romantic Latin jazz!

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – Jazz Mozart (2007) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Multiple Grammy nominee John Di Martino–composer, arranger, pianist–has recorded many albums for Venus Records with his Romantic Jazz Trio. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera and Houston Person. John has been described as a “shape-shifter”, for his creativity across musical genres. Here the trio devotes an entire album to jazzing up music by the classical composer W.A. Mozart.

The trio session on Jazz Mozart features pianist John di Martino with double bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Ernesto Simpson in a program of some of Mozart’s more romantic pieces. The waltzes, in particular, carry a rewarding texture that allows for natural jazz interpretation. “The Fire of Passion , for example, from the “Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor , briskly ebbs and flows like the motion of our lungs, as we inhale the music’s secret. “Fantasy in D minor moves with a deliberate air that calls out tension and release in a passionate state. The trio interprets “Lacrymosa (Requiem, K696) in a dark murmur that allows plenty of room for pensive thinking. Tender ballads such as “My Heart Needs to Know and “Arc of Love produce impressive results. diMartino has added one original piece, “Desert Journey , which contains an exotic charm of its own. Mozart created these works of art over 200 years ago and now di Martino redefines them as jazz masterpieces.

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – Chopin Jazz (2010) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Multiple Grammy nominee John Di Martino – composer, arranger, pianist – has recorded many albums for Venus Records with his Romantic Jazz Trio. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera and Houston Person. John has been described as a “shape-shifter”, for his creativity across musical genres. Here the trio devotes an entire album to jazzing up music by the classical composer Frederic Chopin.

Talented as he is as pianist, Di Martino is much more than a performer: He studied music theory and composition with Lennie Tristano and Don Sebesky. His arranging skills are in full display in this album, whose concept could be a tricky proposition for the less talented. Di Martino takes a lot of liberty while respecting the original melodies, and turns them into thrilling, majestic and gorgeous jazz performances. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin’s birth, several jazz musicians have released tribute albums, “jazzifying” Chopin’s beautiful melodies. (See Rossano Sportiello’s Chopin In Jazz, for example.) The present album is an entry by pianist John Di Martino and his Romantic Jazz trio. The participation of super-bassist George Mraz, in addition to the sensitive and lyrical drummer Richard De Rosa, has elevated this album to an even higher plane. Recommended to fans of passionate piano trio music.

hraudio | discogs

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Title: John Di Martino’s Romantic Jazz Trio – Magical Mystery (2008) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

John Di Martino, composer, arranger, pianist, has recorded many CD’s for Venus Records with his “Romantic Jazz Trio”. Noted for his versatility, John has performed and recorded with such notables as Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Joe Lovano, David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera and Houston Person.

Of the 70 published Monk compositions, two dozen or so are performed more often than the rest. With that thought in mind, it is more difficult for a pianist to break new ground on a record date, though Di Martino has a few twists in store. Monk’s “Epistrophy” alternates between an intense staccato attack and a straight-ahead bop groove. “‘Round Midnight” is easily Monk’s best-known work; Di Martino doesn’t overly attempt to stretch the boundaries of its theme, but improvises thoughtfully while maintaining the essence of its haunting melody. The fun romp through “Well, You Needn’t” contrasts with the relaxed setting of “Eronel.” Di Martino’s lyrical title track is a tribute to Monk and (presumably) Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, an enjoyable piece that doesn’t attempt to mimic Monk’s writing style.

hraudio | discogs

(more…)