On A Boston Night
The Lello Molinari Quintet seems to take its cues from the work of Charles Mingus on On A Boston Night. There is stunning bass clarinet and sax interplay on these tunes along with some deftly executed guitar runs. These are very nice performances, often moody, often melancholy. "Echoes Of Rome" and for that matter, much of this release, may remind listeners of the writings, the voicings used by Mingus in his small group orchestrations. These pieces have the same strident cries and cohesive interplay among the various instruments. Altoist Yates conjures aural images of the fleet playing of Julian Adderley on "The Mingus I Knew" while "There's Snow Place Like Home" is a driving uptempo jam. Garzone seems strongest on the tenor saxophone; his large bright tone is aptly suited for that horn. As with many doublers, Garzone's soprano sax playing on this disk is often shrill and screeching.
This is a smooth set that is often mellow and subdued performed by a cohesive quintet who are quite often a delight to listen to. For a live recording the sonic quality of the disc is fairly good although the applause has a tendency to interrupt the music flow.
- Leonard V. Bukowsky
