Antonio Farao: Kind of …

NOTES AROUND (RELEASED SEPTEMBER 19, 2025)

After nearly a quarter century of working with various trios and quartets in the studio, Italian pianist Antonio Farao makes his recording debut as a solo pianist. Kind of … showcases Farao’s masterful blend of intoxicating rhythms, thoughtful melodies and intriguing harmonies on a varied set of originals and standards. There are Evanesque moments on ballads such as Farao’s “Kind of …” and “Ballad for Four” (both deserving of their place in the canon of jazz ballads). There’s a nod to Keith Jarrett’s folklike melodies on the knotty “Gospello.” Farao gives “My Blues” a workout, keeping the bass line moving in the left hand while churning out chorus-after-chorus of cascading riffs in the right. Many of his other originals such as “Pina,” “MT” and Sulle Nuvole” as well as “O che Sera” (written by Chico Buarque) are played in a more impressionist style allowing Farao to caress the melodies with his European musical sensibilities. “Around,” on the other hand, is more abstract with its angular lines intensely attacked by Farao. The two standards on Kind of … are approached in distinct ways. Farao focuses on exploring the harmonic structure of Harry Warren’s “There Will Never Be Another You” before concluding the tune with its familiar melody. He takes a more melodic approach on Richard Rodger’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.” The piece de resistance on Kind of … is Farao’s intricate and lovingly performance on Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.” With Kind of …, Farao joins the ranks of other Italian pianists (e.g., Enrico Pieranunzi, Renato Sellani, Stefano Bollani and Franco D’Andrea) who have combined their sense of Italian romanticism with the rhythms of jazz to add to the evolving catalogue of solo piano recitals. Welcome to the club, Antonio!

BOTTOM LINE: Kind of … shows how one man, ten fingers and 88 keys can deliver a session of beauty, energy and passion. The one man is Italian pianist Antonio Farao and Kind of … is his solo piano debut featuring originals, standards and a classic version of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.”