The creativity of brilliant composer and trumpeter Lina Allemano appears to be primarily defined by the ability to convert relatively intricate designs into understandable forms, and vice versa. The equally skilled musicians who complete the Four quartet (saxophonist Brodie West, bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Nick Fraser) indulge the ideas and insights of the nominal leader in a clever and somewhat unpredictable way. As a result, we find ourselves listening to an attractive subgenre of modern jazz, grounded on no-nonsense statements whose character spans contrapuntal crunch, modulated turmoil, and the structured framework of tunes shaped around chamber-like sonorities. The beauty of the individual timbres automatically moves to the forefront in the latter scenario, creating opportunity for each player to shine. In spite of the “lockdown soul” informing the bulk of the material, the album is quite energizing to listen to. At the end, one’s willing to learn more about what little has vanished from short-term memory, and to go back along the routes that, already on first hearing, had left a positive impression.
Massimo Ricci. Beyond The Dust. 