Four new releases of fresh and new sounds from Slam Productions…
Tenor saxist Paul Dunmall teams up with fellow tenorist Howard Cottle and a rhythm team of Olie Brice/b and Tony Bianco/dr for six extroverted originals that give tribute to late period Coltrane, circa Sunship. Both Dunmall and Cottle have full-throated tones, taking turns on the big sounding and aggressive “The Inner Silence Was Too Loud” and frantic title 
track. Bianco stirs things up while the tenors twirl on “Sacred Chant” and stretches out a bit while the tenors go through Wagnerian shouts on “Sun Up.” Brice’s bass creates a mood before the reeds come shrieking in during “Timberwolf,” so everyone has a moment in the Sun, ship that is. A feast for Coltrane fans.
The duo MU consists of Adriano Lanzi on amplified acoustic guitar and “effects” along with Federica Vecchi playing the cello for a collection of free thinking compositions and improvisations. Lanzi does most of the composing, with some bowed stings and guitar picking creating some pastoral moods on ”Cicero Pro Doma Sua” while the strings muse together on “Poliedri.” The four improvisations range from the melancholy “Dobbs” to chiming strings on “The Fall of the House of Usher” while the read of Sun Ra’s “ Love In Outer Space” begs for more from his songbook. Intrepid interplay.
Giovanni Ferri’s alto sax teams up with Mirco Ballabene/b and Mirco Bindelli/dr for a dozen originals. Ferri’s got a real strong and masculine on his alto, almost giving hints of Gato Barbieri on tenor during pieces like the cataclysmic “Luci Rosse” and the tango of sorts called “Amalasunta.” There’s a nice bop line with ride cymbal as Ferri cries out on “El Cicco” and he broods with a bel canto during “L’innominato.” Interplay with drums ranges from the rumbling “Influenza A” to the white knuckler “L’agente Segreto” while the rhythm percolates on ”Todo Modo.” Fervent!
The trio UNSchooLED includes Mark Hanslip on tenor sax, Barry Edwards on guitar and Ed Gauden playing the drums for a VI part free flying album. The “Parts” include guitar ruminations with crying tenors on “I”, sound affects through the mouthpiece with drum concepts on “II”, fuzzy guitar effects and growling on ” V” and a lesson on paradiddles on ”III”. The session comes across like a series of experiments , making the hymns beg for some incense to help add to the mood.
The most melodic of the albums is delivered by alto saxist/vocalist Toni Germani and his team of Giovanni Ceccarelli/p, Mauro Gargano/b ;and Patrick Goraguer/dr. He writes all the material, and it’s all very attractive and accessible. He’s got a sweet and sour Campari of a tone, and uses it well as the rhythm team delivers a sleek “Cercando Parole” and nimbly bopping “Little Big Aunt.” Ceccarelli’s piano is crystalline on the thoughtful “Las Angelas” while Goraguer’s brush’s subtly sashay on the alluring title piece. Germanic can be both passionate and romantic as on the rubato “Anno Che Va, Anno Che Viene,” yet every piece has a luscious groove. Excellent!