For his second album as a leader, drummer
Ernesto Cervini has written music steeped by the N.Y.C. neo-bop scene, dedicated to relations with family and friends, and inspired by the music of
Radiohead. The contemporary mainstream jazz
Cervini has conjured up swings along nicely, whether in 4/4 or other meters, driven by the skilled tenor saxophonist
Joel Frahm, the very talented up-and-coming pianist
Adrean Farrugia, and bassist
Jon Maharaj. While sharply contrasting ballads and blues are also included,
Cervini's melodic lines shared between everybody make this music truly leap from the speakers. The drumming of
Cervini is on point, and powers up tracks such as the chatty, bluesy neo-bop title track, while the road song bopper "Jimmy Rey" is definitive with two-chord piano and a
Michael Brecker visage from
Frahm. In a circular ten-beat motion, "Mia Figlia" stands out among the other selections, but the
Radiohead-inspired or written tracks "Seven Claps" and "2 + 2 = 5" show an exploratory nature, digging deep into a frail melody or using a loose ostinato groove, both featuring
Frahm's soprano sax. Crossing bridges of generations and appealing to many,
Ernesto Cervini has formulated a signature sound that should become more developed if given the time with this excellent non-traditional jazz and contemporary pop-based modern quartet.