Tag: Francesco Cafiso New York Quartet

Title: Francesco Cafiso New York Quartet – New York Lullaby (2006) [Japan 2016]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

This 2005 session features the 15-year-old native Sicilian saxophonist making his American recording debut accompanied by a crack New York rhythm section. Although it’s common to hear rueful expressions about what a Charlie Parker or Clifford Brown might have accomplished had they lived longer, a player as precocious as Francesco Cafiso reminds us of the challenges facing an artist who appears to “be there” already yet has a lifetime with practically an obligation to top himself. In June 2007, when he was 17, the gifted altoist made history of sorts when he entered Birdland, the domain named after the music’s most acclaimed improviser, to play the “Bird role” in a re-creation of the predecessor-father figure’s most popular recording, “Charlie Parker with Strings”. From the evidence on “New York Lullaby” the young player is perhaps one of the few musicians up to such a formidable, even unenviable assignment.
The opening track, Shearing’s “Lullaby of Birdland”, introduces the listener to the featured performer’s qualifications. His sound is full and lustrous in all registers, maintained throughout by strong breath support; his articulations are varied, ranging from crisp attacks to expressive legato tonguing; his lines during the pyrotechnical passages are not merely slick but capture the intricacy, complexity and sophistication of Parker’s language. At times the youngster is undeniably overly deliberative, extending his high tones to the point that they begin to wear out their welcome. Moreover, in the upper register his sound has a purity and somewhat rapid vibrato that, while winning the approval of “legit” players, would not earn him points from Birdwatchers. But it’s the ballads that hold the biggest surprises, as the Italian teenager, rather than employ them as virtuoso showcases, exercises the utmost respect for the material itself. Whether he’s been listening to singers like Sinatra or absorbed the message from a player like Dexter Gordon, his phrasing, dynamics, and even articulations (with occasional airy cushions of sound) reveal a mature and sensitive interpreter thoroughly familiar with the lyrics of these standards.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

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