Anthony D’Alessandro: City Lights

SELF RELEASED (RELEASED OCTOBER 24, 2025)

Canadian pianist Anthony D’Alessandro’s new release is a mixed bag. City Lights features everything from tunes reminiscent of the hard bop era to a Mingus-style gospel tune to a ballad (featuring vocalist Jennaire) to two piano solos. Except for the piano pieces, which were composed by James P. Johnson, the remainder of the selections are all Alessandro originals. The tunes as well as the arrangements are ideally suited for a group featuring young musicians such as trumpeter Summer Camargo and saxophonist Jacob Chung as well as long-time collaborators bassist Jonathan Chapman and drummer Ernesto Cervini. The quintet captures the soulfulness of classic hard bop sounds on tunes such as “Four Minute Mile,” with its catchy tempo changes; the upbeat Latin feel of “City Lights;” “The Line Up,” with Camargo and Chung playing the intricate lead in unison; and the bouncy Cervini driven “Green Sauce, with Camargo demonstrating her versatile use of the mute. The mood changes for “Sacred Ground,” with its gospel-inspired Charles Mingus feel and an evocative solo from Chung. The 12-bar blues “Staying the Course” gets a funky second line treatment with crafty solos from all. Jennaire’s wispy voice is punctuated by Chung and Camargo on the original ballad “Oversight.” Although they seem out of place on this session, D’Alessandro’s versions of James P. Johnson’s “Charleston” and “Harlem Strut” demonstrate the young pianist’s appreciation for stride piano as he churns out chorus-after-chorus on these time-worn classics. The diversity of the program combined with the youthful enthusiasm of D’Alessandro, Camargo and Chung reminds me of a quote from Roman philosopher Seneca — “Hang on to your youthful enthusiasms— you’ll be able to use them better when you’re older.”

BOTTOM LINE: City Lights has a little bit of everything going for it — stride piano, second-line rhythms, upbeat burners, a ballad and blues-infused swingers. That variety overshadows Anthony D’Alessandro’s compositions and the performances from this quintet of young musicians and seasoned veterans of the Canadian scene.