Ernesto Cervini Tetrahedron

Ernesto Cervini
Tetrahedron
Anzic Records

Toronto-based Ernesto Cervini has established himself as a drummer-composer- bandleader, of considerable merit. His Quartet, his sextet Turboprop, and various trios have shown him to be a fresh, imaginative voice. Besides Cervini, the members of his quartet are electric bassist (Rich Brown), an electric guitarist (Nir Felder), and the Cuban-born, Toronto-based alto saxophonist Luis Deniz. The quartet initially started as a chordless trio with Brown and Deniz, to which Felder was later added. "Because we're so used to playing this music as a trio without any comping," Cervini notes, "we were able to incorporate Nir without having to worry about our traditional 'jobs' in the band."

The origin of the band as a chordless trio provides an understanding of the imaginative approach Cervini brings, beginning with an ingenious rendition of "Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise." It starts off with a lengthy unaccompanied bass solo, with the band playing off the underlying bass pattern until playing the melody late in this enthralling performance. Bassist Brown contributed "Forward Motion," with stunning guitar and sax before Cervini takes a drum solo. Listening to this performance I had a sense of "this reminds me of something else." After the drum solo, "Harlem Nocturne" was evoked. This superlative performance is I believe a contrafact to "Harlem Nocturne," although played at quite a quicker tempo than the strip club tempo of that tune.

Felder provides a stunning introduction to a lovely interpretation of Vince Mendoza's "Angelicus," as Deniz's alto sax gently develops the theme. Cervini adds to the atmosphere with his adept use of brushes. "Stro" is Cervini's funky minor-blues nod to Toronto Blue Jays (and New York Mets) pitcher Marcus Stroman. It has a descending electric bass loop that anchors the interchanges within the band, particularly Felder's percolating guitar and Deniz's bluesy alto sax. Deniz further impresses on the Bunky Green bebop waltz "Summit Song" with Felder adding his scintillating guitar. Deniz and Felder's opening to Cervini's "Wandering" provide a chamber jazz quality with the tension the dynamism of their solos against a rubato rhythmic feel.

Ernesto Cervini again leads a sterling band and brought together stimulating originals and imaginative arrangements of covers for some absorbing music. "Tetrahedron" is another first-rate recording from him.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here this band performs "Stro."