Italy’s Long Song label boasts an internationally robust roster of musicians, several of which appear on these two fine releases. Both discs boast fine improvisation and bring new contexts to the idea of composition. Massaron’s offering (1) is obviously indebted to the New York school of 1960s free Jazz, as the first two tracks demonstrate. Any pulse is almost immediately abandoned in favor of a very convinc- ing homage to Ayler or late Trane, saxophonist Cavallanti sounding particularly fresh and vibrant here. Beyond such allusions, the group handles prescribed forms with grace and finesse, such as the scintillatingly sluggish and bluesy “Louisiana Rain,” which sports Massaron and Sharp’s heated guitar interplay. On the other end of the spectrum is the nostalgic “Ruth’s Tail,” with just Massaron and Cavallanti to carry the tune’s first part along.
Marc Medwin