Word And The Days

Enrico Rava's soundscapes are some of the most evocative and sensuous in contemporary jazz. As the slowly shifting harmonies of Secrets illustrate, this is music that you actually want to wallow in, such is its impressionistic luxuriance. Even when the quintet switches to a slightly more abstract mode of expression, the clarity of line and pristine lyricism sweeps you along.

Echoes Of Duke, one of eight Rava tunes in the 12-track collection, exemplifies small group music-making at its empathetic, swinging best, with new recruit Andrea Pozza slotting effortlessly into the piano chair. Rava also revisits Dr. Ra and Mr. Va, first recorded for ECM over 30 years ago on The Plot, simultaneously showcasing the free jazz iconoclast and the consummate melodist.

A warm-hearted cover of Art Deco by Don Cherry – an artist with whom Rava has had a long-standing fascination – is another highlight in an album chock full of them.