Claudio Scolari Project - 2025 - Bloom

(51:33; Principal Records)

Track list:
1. New Ground 8:19
2. Velvet Currents 7:24
3. Unfolded Silence 5:55
4. Bloom 5:12
5. Broken Thumb 6:03
6. Floating in the Dark 5:38
7. Twilight Serenade 3:37
8. Acid Roots 2:10
9. Whispers of Life 7:15

Line-up:
Claudio Scolari - drums, programming
Daniele Cavalca - drums, rhodes, piano
Simone Scolari - trumpet
Ilaria Cavalca - piano, voice
Michele Cavalca - bass 


Italian composer and musician Claudio Scolari has released albums as a standalone artist, in collaborations as well as albums under the name Claudio Solari Project for the last thirty years or so, at least from what I can find on the artists Bandcamp page. This summer the most recent entry to Solari's discography appeared in the shape of the album "Bloom", which was released on the label Principal Records. A label I suspect may be Scolari's own label, without that possible fact being all that important.

It is a contemporary and expressive variety of jazz we get in this case, explored and delivered by a band that appear to be rather fond of being given rather free reins at times. The compositions do tend to ebb and flow between a small handful of expressions throughout, with playful elements and details of a purebred whimsical nature having important roles to play. With more careful, longing and harmonic textures providing a bit of a contrast, while regular excursions into more of a free form inspired landscape is a contrast to all of the previously described modes of expression.

A specialty of the band is to explore arrangements with more of a sparse and open nature and feel to them, allowing some dominant instruments to have leading roles while the others stay beneath the surface for a more subtle type of presence and a more delicate manner in which to supply their part of the total experience. Whatever one may feel about the music itself details such as these do, in my subjective point of view, show a high degree of skill as well as musical understanding.

This kind of music is one that tends to impress me to a greater degree than intrigue me. While I have a taste in music that stretch from classical and ancient music all the way over to extreme metal, there are certain types of music where my taste buds are a bit more particular than elsewhere. With this type of more expressive jazz being one that just is a bit more difficult for me to really like on a personal, subjective level. As always there will be creations that are exceptions, and for my specific taste in music the more low key, drone like and somewhat ominous sounding 'Floating in the Dark' is probably the one song that comes closest to my personal taste in music on this production.

That being said, those who tend to enjoy a more striking, expressive and playful variety of contemporary jazz of the kind that have a liberal influx of electronic sounds and a generally expressive attitude at the forefront on their mainly instrumental displays, this is an album that should find plenty of admirers. The level of skill involved in compositions as well as performance is of a notable quality, and while the music itself leaves me a little bit cold I'm suitably impressed by the musicianship I hear. An album that merits a check by those who enjoy modern day, electronica flavored jazz of the more expressive variety.

Olav M. Björnsen, August 2025

Links:
https://www.claudioscolari.com/