Nazareno Caputo - Phylum [Aut Records 070]

Coming in via mail from the headquarters of the Italian imprint Aut Records these days is "Phylum", the new, February 22nd, 2k21-released album created by trio-leading Nazareno Caputo alongside fellow musicians Ferdinando Romano and Mattia Galeotti. Taking the albums title from a scientific, particularly zoology- and botany-related taxonomic background the three artists involved cater a menu of nine tracks rolled out over the course of roughly 69 minutes playtime, tackling a playful, curious and oftentimes frolicking variation of Jazz basically built around the vibraphone as a well unusual, ethereal, yet percussive lead instrument accompanied by bass, percussion and drums to create deep, most beautifully floating Future Jazz pieces like the nightly "Adi", the rhythmically complex and polylayered, yet super intimate "Abside" which is our favorite cut on this album for a reasons whereas "Adam R." provides a take on tender, highly recommended late night minimalism in (Future)Jazz and "Phylum II" works its way from relative stripped down beginnings to complex, fast-paced and crystalline heights just to name a few. Defo an album that will surely resonate with an audience way beyond the Jazz scene due to its well comforting, yet well advanced atmosphere. Good stuff.

Tobia Bondesan x Nazareno Caputo - The Hidden Idea [Barly Records]

Incoming via mail all the way from Italy is "The Hidden Idea", the latest full length album collaboration conceived by alto sax player Tobia Bondesan and Florence-based vibraphonist Nazareno Caputo. Released on January 29th, 2k25 via Barly Records the duo embarks on a ten tracks and roughly 46 minutes spanning journey which leads them from a vantage point of deep and beautifully inward-looking ethereal late night Jazz minimalisms to be found in the opening piece that is "Forming" which, at some point, even harks back to glimpses of shimmering retrofuturism whilst to the chiming, playful and highly detailed percussive universe of "Gemini 101" later accompanied by uplifting sax harmonics whereas "Signs Of The Weather" is as tender and romantic as it gets when Jazz is for deeply connected long time lovers, "Sharp Edges" caters a new and hypnotic approach in terms of perfectly balanced attention-grabbing Jazz with explorative sax lines slowly fading out in favor of hypnotic percussion harmonics and "Relief" weighs in a refined dialogue of airy, chiming minimalisms and a saxophone at times operating at the very fringes of the upper tonal spectrum, sometimes even making the most physical aspects of these high frequency excursions audible just to name a few. File under: a cosy and intimate duo Jazz outing for late night listening.

Blaz Svagan - Sound In Time [Aut Records 093]

Coming in as a surprise from the mostly Berlin-based Aut Records camp is "Sound In Time", the seemingly first ever full length album by tenor saxophone player Blaz Svagan who is accompanied by Nazareno Caputo, Miha Koren and Matheus Jardim on this one whilst trumpetist Boris Majcen makes a sole guest appearance on the piece "13th Warrior". Set up as a multi-national ensemble the group presents a total of nine cuts rolled out over 43 minutes on this longplayer which is set for release on April 20th, 2k23 as the first Aut Records vinyl outing in nine (!!!) years, starting from a point of classic, swinging and free floating sax exercises and intricate vibraphone melodies, progressing into ethereal Space Age Ambient interludes, corresponding and interwoven layers of brass interplay with stripped down tunes like "Defiant Steps" providing deep melancholia spread out over subdued late night rhythms whilst presenting a more playful attitude in cuts like "The Interval", indulging in dreamy top-drawer BarJazz oceans with "Esperanza" before rounding things off with the longing, romantic beauty of the ingeniously named closing tune that is "Quantum Insomnia". If deep Jazz is your go to section of your record collection these days make sure this album is finding a home in your crates soon.

NAOM - Radici [Aut Records 105]

Released via Aut Records on February 28th, 2k24 is "Radici", the most recent album outing cooked up and conceived by Nazareno Caputo and Omar Cecchi under their shared musical alias that is NAOM - with the name of the project being comprised of the combined first syllables of their first names. Over the course of seven brand new pieces and a total runtime of roughly 58 minutes the duo explores a sonic realm set up by percussions, various percussive instruments as well as the vocal-percussive technique known as konnakkol, entering a free floating dreamstate with the MetaJazz approach of the opening piece that is "Mishra" which finds is continuation in the stripped down nocturnal Future Jazz of the 15+ minutes spanning "FAB Suite" which evolves into a complex structure of intricate polyrhythmic layers over time. Furthermore "Reminiscenze" caters an eerie innate tension which evokes memories of classic psycho horror flics of the past, "Mutazioni" engages in tender, carefully arranged Jazz minimalism before the relatively short "Grovigli" brings forth a proper late night groove and probably the most traditional approach to using a drum set on this longplayer, "Preghiera" explores playful melodic percussive progressions to an extended degree and the closing cut that is "Trasparenza" finally rounds things off with unsettling atmospheres, spooky, off-kilter sounds and ghastly repetitive rhythms that could eventually be bait laid out by a poltergeist one doesn't wanna encounter for a reason.

Album artwork on Instagram!