I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.

Dolmen Orchestra Conducted by Nicola Pisani "Sequenze Armonche" (Some Gregorian Reflections) (Leo Records, 2000)
review by Micah Holmquist
September 15, 2000

Pino Melfi (trumpet, voice),
Marco Sannini (trumpet, percussion, voice),
Alfredo Sette (trumpet, voice),
Franco Angiulo (trombone, voice),
Michele Marrano (french horn, voice),
Nino Bisceglie (tuba, voice),
Paola Cicolella (flute, voice),
Nicola Puntillo (clarinet, bass clarinet, voice),
Vittorio Gallo (saxophone, percussion, voice),
Felice Mezzina (saxophone, voice),
Gaetano Partipilo (saxophone, voice),
Pasquale Gadaleta (double bass, voice),
Antonio Dambrosio (drums, percussion, voice),
Aldo Bagnoni (percussion, voice),
Armanda Desiderj (percussion, voice),
Linda Bsiri (voice, sea trumpet),
Michel Godard (tuba, serpent, voice),
John Surman (baritone and soprano saxophones, voice),
Nicola Pisani (conductor),
Vito Mitoli (trumpet),
Enrico Del Gaudio (percussion)

I read the liner notes to "Sequenze Armonche" (Some Gregorian Reflections right after I began listening to the disc and immediately became quite excited. Francesco Martinelli explained in the notes that a few years ago some of the finest improvisers in Italy formed the Musicisti Italiani Associati which serves as a musicians' cooperative –booking concerts, organizing workshops, etc. The Dolmen Orchestra came out of this project and the recording in question represented an attempt by those involved to meld European classical influences with the jazz sound. The fact that the recording was appearing the British Leo Label –known for recording some of the very best avant garde musicians both in Europe and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the world- made the disc look even more promising.

Unfortunately the recording failed to meet my loft expectations. I had a hard time getting into "Sequenze Armonche" and once I did it was all together clear that it had been worth the effort. The playing is good but little of it seems inspired or particularly noteworthy. Martinelli argues that the musicians walk the tight rope between improvisation and composition but, if anything, they fall on the side of composition. Listeners might hear bits and pieces of the orchestras of Duke Ellington and Miles Davis and Gil Evans as this group does posses the ability to express a wide variety of moods and emotions in both subdued and up front fashions. Still they seem to always be lacking passion and the music works on nothing but a cerebral level.

If you enjoy listening to jazz orchestras or classical influences in jazz then "Sequenze Armonche" might be a good choice but the more casual fan will probably want to steer clear.

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