PAPATAMUS REDUX

ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL  (NO RECORDIN DATE)

I am not certain what pianist Anthony D’Alessandro was searching for on Searchin’.
If he was searching to cement his reputation as a piano player steeped in the hardbop tradition of Horace Silver and the soul jazz of Les McCann, he succeeded. If he was searching to lead a solid rhythm section, he did just that with the support of drummer Ernest Cervini and bassist Neil Swainson. If he was searching for an opportunity to show off the trumpet and crooning skills of trumpeter Benny Benack III, he accomplished that goal. If he was looking to generate hoots and hollers from a live audience, he succeeded as each song has those moments screaming for a “jazzy” reaction. However, if D’Alessandro was searching to make a recording to set himself apart from the glut of new “old-style” releases, he failed. For me, there are very few surprises on this set that includes a calypso, blues, fast-paced swing, jazz waltz and vocals. With the exception of Caity Gyorgy’s Sheila Jordan-inspired chorus on “East of the Sun, everything is just too predictable for my taste. The promotional materials note that D’Alessandro was searching for answers through music, art and life. He may have found that answer with this band and the nine tunes, but it only raised questions for me.

BOTTOM LINE: With a title like Searchin’, I was hoping pianist Anthony D’Alessandro and his band, featuring trumpeter Benny Benack III, would move jazz forward. Sadly, his search ended with a release of tunes that offered little of what Whitney Balliet once described as the essence of jazz — “ the sound of surprise.”