Rosario Giuliani Quartet - Luggage (2001)

Italian alto saxophonist Rosario Giuliani blows up a storm during this studio session recorded in the fall of 2000, following his earlier success in his native land. His furious opener, "Luggage," owes a large debt to John Coltrane as he takes flight with a flurry of notes. Wayne Shorter's "Oriental Folk Song," which has been covered very rarely by other saxophonists, is equally majestic in Giuliani's hands. His lyrical side comes across in the once popular standard "Portrait of Jennie," packing an emotional punch. Pianist Pietro Lussu contributed "The Awakening of the Creature," which is hardly a work that is as ominous as its title suggests, but it is full of twist and turns. Bassist Pietro Ciancaglini wrote "I Hope You Care," which isn't a ballad but instead a cooker. All throughout the date, drummer Lorenzo Tucci provides terrific support. If there's any shortcoming, it is the rather brief total time (under 50 minutes), which is disappointing for any jazz recording made at the dawn of the 21st century. © Ken Dryden