Enzo Rocco - Bad News From Tuba Trio (1999)

It takes guts to record a CD with tuba (or trombone), guitar, and drums, but this group pulls it off due in part to the varied song selection, excellent solos, and the addition of virtuoso saxophonist Eugenio Colombo (who doubles on soprano and alto saxes, and flute) on four tracks. Surprisingly accessible, the music covers the spectrum, with snippets of free improvisation, Eastern European melodies, hard core jazz, and even funk. Rocco has his own sound, which relies on a jazz aesthetic without grandstanding. Seminal Italian jazzer Giancarlo Schiaffini's forays are worth the price of admission, as he reaffirms his place as one of the world's leading jazz tuba/trombone players. Drummer Ettore Fioravanti holds down the fort with sparkling rhythm, but it is the combination of Schiaffini and Colombo that steals the show. © Steve Loewy