There are albums you get for review where you just don't know what to expect. That's how I felt when I took Aldo Romano's album Origine (Dreyfus Jazz 46050 369472) out of its mailer. OK of course Aldo Romano has been a hugely important drummer on the European scene for a very long time. But what has he been up to? Well, Origine gives you an encouraging answer. The CD is a grouping of thirteen Romano compositions arranged for the thirteen piece ensemble Hymne au Soleil (which at least for this date includes Romano on drums, guitar, and one vocal).
This is intrinsically beautiful music. The arrangements of Stephane Belmondo make it that much more so. The voicings are quite nice; the soloists are thoroughly into the harmonically-based bag and play with elan. I didn't know what to expect, but even then it was not what I expected. It's just ravishingly constructed and executed new mainstream jazz. I think Gil Evans would have liked hearing it. I think you will also.
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