By James Hale | Published January 2026
In the years I worked DownBeat’s “Jazz On Campus” beat it wasn’t uncommon to hear about the kind of master/student synergy that’s on display throughout drummer Juan Chiavassa’s debut recording. Veteran saxophonist George Garzone sparkles when soloing with his protégé and the “faculty” is deep, with Leo Genovese on keys and John Pattitucci on bass. A “visiting prof” — guitarist Mike Stern — plugs in to contribute, too.
Chiavassa, a 34-year-old Argentinian native who anchored Stern’s band for several years, chips in only one composition — the bonus jam focused on Stern — but from the boppish “The Other Mingus” to the free-time “To Michael Brecker” he displays exceptional scope as an accompanist. He’s all over his kit on a run-through of Joe Henderson’s “Caribbean Fire Dance,” provides expressive support on a bass-focused version of Wayne Shorter’s “Penelope” and shifts gears nimbly to bolster Garzone’s deep dig on Shorter’s lesser-known “The Big Push.”
At 75, Garzone sounds energized throughout, nowhere more so than on his tribute to Brecker, a dark-hued, modal piece that features tremendously emotional playing from all before a hymn-like resolve that illuminates the lineage between Garzone, Brecker and John Coltrane.
Best of all, perhaps, is the quartet’s interpretation of another Henderson gem, “Tetragon,” showcasing the tight communication between Chiavassa and Pattitucci, and a powerful take on Garzone’s “Tutti Italiani” that highlights the composer’s soaring tenor and the leader’s well-tuned drums.
It’s a bold, unusual move for a nascent bandleader to eschew originals; in this case, it was a winning call.
