Angelo Mastronardi
Rough Line
GleAM, 2020

Rough Line (Gleam) is Angelo Mastronardi’s third record as leader.

The pianist from Puglia, also founder of the label that released the album, GleAM, is accompanied by Rogers Anning on double bass and Carmelo Miceli on drums. The record features eight tracks: six originals and new versions of the timeless classics “All The Things You Are” and “Oleo”.

The album opens with “All In My Hands”. The rhythm, with a jazz rock flavor, supports the beautiful theme performed by the synth, effective and ingenious. The sounds are beautiful and the track explodes during the virtuoso piano solo. “Follow Me” is characterized by a nice groove and demonstrates the excellent interplay of the three musicians: Mastronardi plays fast and articulate lines, the rhythm supports lightly but flawlessly. Without a doubt it is a song that you will “follow” willingly!

A moderate mood, more inspired by gospel and soul is that of “Everything I Need”, with the bass (the sound is reminiscent of Pastorius) playing the theme. An intriguing version of “All The Things You Are”, revised for keyboard only, follows. It is a song that again refers to the world of 70’s fusion and interpreted with great originality.

Sounds of Nu Soul are those of “Away From The Scene”, which features the drums in the foreground, constantly struggling with rhythmic ambiguities (explicit and not).

“Oleo” is interpreted with the taste of the acrobatic hard-bop of the 50s: particularly successful is the solo by Mastronardi, a true virtuoso of the piano, who amazes with ever new and different idea. The following is “7-Our” is perhaps the most fascinating track of the collection: the keyboard alone explores fascinating and personal worlds.

Rough Line is an eclectic record that showcases the different souls of Mastronardi: swing, jazz rock, love for virtuosity but also at the same time for simplicity, taste for experimentation and originality very well combined with the knowledge of tradition.
(EM)