Enrico Rava

New York Days

(ECM)

A true master of space, melody and mood, Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava has been on a roll in recent years, releasing one fascinating album after another. Now comes a quietly dazzling Italo-NYC project on which Rava – who spent a few years in New York in the ’60s – and countryman pianist Stefano Bollani make magic alongside three notably sensitive New York-based players: tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Paul Motian. For a few days in February 2008, the group settled into New York City’s Avatar Studios, kneading Rava’s simple but fetching and open-ended tunes and a couple of roving group improvisations into something special.

Rava enjoys an easy camaraderie with Motian’s free-spirited approach to time and swing. And the trumpeter’s connection with young pianist Bollani runs from a mentor/protégé relationship to one of allies on a culturally molecular level. Grenadier seems to intuitively suit whatever occasion he lands in. Most distinctively on this date, however, Rava and tenor-man Turner establish a potent and supple rapport reminiscent of the Miles Davis/Wayne Shorter dialogues in the classic mid-’60s Miles band.

Rava clearly shows Miles-like traits, particularly in his phrasing and his appreciation of economy. However, he swaps Miles’ voodoo cool for Mediterranean warmth, from the soothing opener “Lulù” to the loose closer “Blancasnow.” A playful Euro-swing rears its head on “Thank You, Come Again,” and a swaggering rumba prevails on “Luna Urbana.” Chalk up another win for Rava – this time with one foot in Italy and one in Gotham. – Josef Woodard