New York Days (Ocrd)

Enrico Rava | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ecm Records
• ASIN: B001CWOCU4
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,572 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

New York Days features Italy's highly inventive jazz musicians Enrico Rava and protégé Stefano Bollani, together with three leading American jazzmen: master drummer Paul Motian, bassist Larry Grenadier, and, in his ECM debut, saxophonist Mark Turner. A magical European/American collaboration, recorded in the jazz capital of the world.The CD is both a transatlantic project and a kind of `homecoming'. Rava found his musical direction while living in New York in the late 60s/early 70s. Since then an increasingly `Italian' lyricism has also made itself felt in his playing. Rava's soulful trumpet is strongly contrasted with the lean, analytical playing of Mark Turner. Bollani's playful harmonic imagination shapes bridges between them. Larry Grenadier is "present and focused in "every moment" as Rava says, and Paul Motian is as idiosyncratically creative as ever. The Rava/Bollani/Motian trio album of 2004, Tati was a popular and critical success. New York Days, take the combination to the next level

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rava's best in years!, March 29, 2009

By 

lee morgan (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Days (Ocrd) (Audio CD)

I havent seen Rava this engaged in his music since he played with Paolo Fresu in Montreal. Mark Turner is the perfect foil for him and his New York Unit far exceeds the Italian group he has been recording with for some time on ECM. The Birdland engagement was testament to this. Look he's not the Rava of the Pilgrim and the Stars but that was over 30 years ago. His sound is flawless, the ideas are strong. His playing is quite remarkable for his age. A sky full of stars for this date.

I have no idea what the more "negative" reviewers are listening to. Its a great recording.

The Lion of Trieste roars again.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Moody evocation of the essence of New York, March 27, 2009

By 

Mean Streak (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Days (Ocrd) (Audio CD)

This is my first experience with the Italian trumpet player Enrico Rava's work and I am impressed. To me, it captures the essence of an idealized New York urban street - a moment in time, perhaps a better time - certainly one rich in nostalgia, affording quiet contemplation and the conjuring of memories, fond and some not so.

The opening track, Lulù, is perfectly sparse - featuring a delicate interplay between the trumpet and piano, with the musicians enjoying and sharing the spaces within a tune. This sets the tone of the album - exploration, individual themes merging momentarily and then splitting once more. The second track Improvisation I is an unconscious extension of this approach - the musicians simply exploring the space, sensing out the boundaries. In Outsider the boundaries begin to be tested - it begins with an up-tempo bass run, with bursts of trumpet and more predominant brushwork splashes on Brian Blade's part.

There are truly transcendent moments within this album which are worth the price of entry alone - Count Dracula (in addition to featuring a beautiful modal piano intro) conspires to build an incredible soaring theme between the trumpet and saxophone from out of a low-key maelstrom for instance. Lady Orlando and Blancasnow are stand out tracks that capture the mood of the album. In general, he music is complex and spatially very rich mining a down-tempo improvisatory approach which may not appeal to everyone's tastes but there is a depth and passion underpinning the album that will reward deeper reflective listening.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very introspective and mellow, but nice nonetheless, November 28, 2009

By 

G B (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Days (Ocrd) (Audio CD)

Like most ECM studio discs these days, this album sticks mostly to the "slow and introspective" end of the spectrum. This means that you won't get anything hard-swinging.

That said, after multiple spins the strong quality of the music begins to emerge. Given the ensemble and the dark sound, Miles Davis's 2nd Great Quintet is the obvious reference point. If you like the ballads on "Sorcerer" or "Nefertiti", this will be right up your alley. Enrico Rava and Mark Turner develop a strong chemistry; Larry Grenadier and Stefano Bollani are great as well. Really, my only complaint is about Paul Motian, who is incredibly restrained through most of the disc. The guy is a great texturalist, no doubt, but it's a shame we don't get to hear him thrash around that much. The compositions are generally excellent and, once they reveal their secrets, memorable.

Maybe I'll revise my rating for this later to the full 5, but one thing for sure - it doesn't deserve a low or medium rating.