Like many fellow trumpet players, Miles Davis was a decisive influence on the Italian Enrico Rava (1939). His playing made Rava switch from trombone to trumpet and his lyricism has been heard in Rava's music ever since. The flamboyant Italian was a figurehead of Italian free jazz in the 1970s and a welcome guest at communist festivals. Later he developed his own style, consisting of a mix of the
… 1960s sound of Miles Davis with avant-garde elements and Mediterranean immersion. For his latest album he traveled to New York with his regular pianist Stefano Bollani. Supplemented with bassist Larry Grenadier, the cool playing saxophonist Mark Turner and the always pleasantly unpredictable drum veteran Paul Motian, they recorded nine of their own compositions and two spontaneous improvisations. These can be found on New York Days, a beautiful album with modern jazz. (HB)more