Giovanni Nardiello - Perspectives [Aut Records 155]

Released on the Italian Aut Records imprint on June 12th, 2k26 is "Perspectives", the latest full length album conceived by drummer x composer Giovanni Nardello who is joined by Joseph Nowell on piano, Stefano Zambo on double bass as well as Noemi Fiorucci for a set of guest appearances on vocal duty to bring this album to life and Nardiello's musical vision to full fruition. Opening with "Through" as an opening cut for a nine tracks and 51 minutes spanning journey the trio serves a deep, complex, warm and certainly nocturnal take on touching and well captivating Future Jazz with a rather majestic, yet subdued twist followed by the dramatic intro and intertwined uptempo groove arrangements of "Didn't See It Coming" with its haunted piano lines and the beautifully arranged harmonic ebb-and-flow of "Retrospect" which presents a rather calming vibe, evoking memories of unscathed nature and camera movements following the waters of a small river downstream from the source, documenting both rural naturalism and urban landscapes along the way. With "Praise The Sun", the first vocal cut on this album, we're taken into an ever evolving dream world characterized by ethereal non-vocalisms and influences of early Minimal Music - think: Steve Reich - whilst "Haluskein" harks back to dense piano harmonies, elegic strings and Jazz-informed song abstractions followed by a "Deadly Dispute", a display of dense crimescene grooves sprinkled by epic piano breakdowns of an almost Rave / Trance / Detroit-informed nature even though the groups approach doesn't touch on electronic music at any point in this piece, yet it would probably resonate with fans of Carl Craig and the likes of for a reason or two. Landing at the "Shore Of The Unborn" the small ensemble discovers what seems to be the most classic x dreamy x traditional Piano Jazz approach on this album whilst the 11+ minutes spanning extended "A.O.E." follows up on a similarly oriented path whilst putting Nardiello's precise and ever evolving drums and percussions on a primary display before the concluding "Crimson" finds closure in a tender, inward-looking piano excercise and, once again, beautiful vocals laid out by Noemi Fiorucci. Lovely.