Italian reedist
Carlo Actis Dato's quartet on
Blue Cairo follows the same pattern used in its previous two releases: melodic themes based on sundry ethnic musics (here often Balkan derived), jauntily played and serving as bases for improvisation which is largely free jazz oriented. What they do, they do well, arguably with more polish than on the earlier dates, but as on those recordings, one is left with the sense that they could reel off album after album of material like this without breaking a sweat. After the umpteenth precisely played unison horn line, no matter how charming or catchy the ensuing somewhat raucous solo, the listener eventually says, "Fine, we know you can do that; is there anything else?" All four musicians are solid performers, but not only is the work as a whole reasonably similar to music produced over the years by, among others,
Willem Breuker or the reed trio S.O.S., it's also a bit too close for comfort to
Dato's own prior releases. Nonetheless, the curious listener who wants to sample either
Dato or contemporary Italian jazz will find a convenient and accessible entryway here. ~ Brian Olewnick