Fabio Giachino At the Edges of the Horizon

Award-winning pianist and leader Fabio Giachino expands his vision in a new CAM JAZZ recording that sees him translate his solo and trio language onto a larger canvas. Half of the tracks on At The Edges Of The Horizon are for an expanded group with horns, and yet the whole disc, trio tracks and septet tracks, has a consistency and clarity of approach that will be familiar to those who've encountered Giachino's music before. The writing is strong and confident, with rhythm an essential component of each composition, not just its vehicle. Playing partners Davide Liberti and Ruben Bellavia don't just undertake bass-and-drums duties, but are integral elements of a collective sound that is quite different (in a sense, more old-fashioned, but for that reason also forward-looking) from the run of impressionistic jazz piano trios that crowd the current market. Best heard as a continuous suite of compositions touching on similar themes and ideas, At The Edges Of The Horizon is one of the stand-out albums of 2019, a record not just to sample momentarily but to absorb over time. Its energy and warmth are immediately obvious; its subtleties emerge over repeat plays. An essential contemporary performance. (Brian Morton)