By J.D. Considine | Published May 2021
A fixture on the Swiss jazz scene since the 1960s, trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti spent three decades with Enja before signing with Unit and making a splash with Long Waves in 2018, thanks in part to sidemen such as pianist Uri Caine, the late guitarist John Abercrombie, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Lost Within You mostly reunites the Long Waves band—Caine plays on just three tracks, with Renee Rosnes on piano for most of the rest—but only features the whole ensemble twice. Instead, it emphasizes a lean, languid approach, its pulse often carried by Colley alone.
It’s not clear, though, that the music benefits from an uncrowded bandstand. Given the charm of his drumming, from the playfully busy samba behind “Silli In The Sky” to his conversational take on “Body And Soul,” the album could use more DeJohnette. Likewise, John Scofield’s solos are invariably insightful and expressive—so why are there only three of them? Rosnes is a real plus, thanks to the rhythmic jolt her solos provide. But despite the luscious warmth of his flugelhorn, what Ambrosetti delivers is mostly vapor, lines that curl through the changes without leaving anything of weight or substance.
Lost Within You: Lost Within You: Peace; I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Outta My Life; Silli In The Sky; Love Like Ours; Dreams Of A Butterfly; Body And Soul; People Time; Flamenco Sketches; You Taught My Heart To Sing. (1:12:48)
Personnel: Personnel: Franco Ambrosetti, trumpet, flugelhorn; John Scofield, guitar (1, 3, 9); Renee Rosnes (2–6), Uri Caine (7–9), piano; Scott Colley, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums (3, 5, 6, 8, 9), piano (1).
Ordering Info: Ordering info: unitrecords.com
