WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

«An altogether different case is that of the amazing and very young (only fifteen) drummer Gianmarco Lanza, who has certainly played his part in the success of the concert. Gianmarco Lanza is definetely to be considered at his age one of the best in Europe» (FULVIO ROCCATANO, in «Ritmo», June 2000, pp. 8-9; review of the concert held on 18th March 2000 at the Ouverture in Rome by the sextet with Franco Piana [trumpet], Dino Piana [trombone], Gianni Basso [tenor sax], Antonello Vannucchi [piano], Dario Rosciglione [double-bass], Gianmarco Lanza [drums]).

Gianmarco Lanza and his trio’s sparkling performance of West Coast Jazz: «Gianmarco Lanza, the youngest revelation of Italian drumming, has proved – for musicality, swing and skill at the drums – that he is in no way inferior to his older masters» («Il Resto del Carlino», 21st March 2002; «La nuova Ferrara», same date).

«Gianmarco Lanza has just turned eighteen and he was still seventeen when he recorded this record with Lanfranco Malaguti and Piero Leveratto, and the fact that one of best Italian guitar players and one of the best double-bass players in Italy has accepted to play under his leadership is per se of significance. In fact the very young Lanza is truly an enfant prodige of the drums, an instrument to which he has been drawn since he was a child and which he has started studying when he was eight with Emiliano Martino, the son of Bruno, the unforgettable singer and pianist who has recently died. He recollects it himself in a very detailed “self-portrait” which, in the explanatory booklet, follows Gian Carlo Roncaglia’s introduction – a guarantee in itself.
However, Gianmarco Lanza has inherited his love for the drums especially from his father Antonio, who is now Professor of Italian at the University “La Sapienza” of Rome, but also jazz critic, collector of records and amateur drummer. This is the background. But the self-portrait, which is extraordinarily explicit and even too sincere, reveals many other things about Gianmarcos’ personality: a profound knowledge of the history of jazz, an accuracy which borders on perfection and a singular anticonformism; hence he sides against young people of his age and their most acclaimed idols (Jarrett, Corea, Metheny, Frisell etc.) and firmly declares his admiration for the great players of the past and, especially, for the representatives of the Californian style, which has been almost forgotten today and which he hopes to “relaunch”. Such a stand – as can be seen – is absolutely unusual for a very young player and it denotes, apart from Gianmarco’s capacity, courage, indipendence and clarity of vision.
And now to the music. One only needs to leaf through the titles of the compositions and of the authors to have confirmation of the programme set out by the self-assured leader (it feels strange to use such a word for a boy who was still under age at the time of the recording …): two pieces by Shorty Rogers, two by Art Pepper, one by Russ Freeman, one by Buddy Collette and then Harry Babasin, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper and Dave Brubeck. Only two the original pieces: one by Malaguti delightfully titled, with a very fortunate paraphrase, There Will Never Be A Metropolitan Oasis and one by Lanza himself, To Shelly, Buddy And Louis, with which the author has intended to pay homage to his preferred drum players: Shelly Manne, Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson. The players and their manifesto of style cannot but recall the trio Shelly Mane-Ray Brown-Barney Kessel, even if Malaguti’s phrasing and sonority are closer to Jim Hall’s. Of course, given the absence of piano and wind instruments, the guitar takes on an added role, also because Lanza, though he does not restrict himself to just accompanying, avoids (and wisely so), to exaggerate and leaves all the necessary space to his more experienced colleagues. Also Leveratto takes advantage of the situation and often departs from his continuous pulsation in order to launch himself into characteristic spurts of notes with the usual, controlled impetus. The drummer-leader, finally, performs very well, showing that he can handle with excellent results not only the brushes, but also the sticks and lets loose in the piece dedicated to the three authors who have inspired him by achieving a long solo in which he seems to leave slightly aside Manne in order to follow the tracks of the other two.
All told […] it is a delight to listen to this album because of the musicians’ quality, the style, the elegance and a substantial dose of relax, an essential component which is often neglected in the swing. The trio performs with great natural flair and with an interplay which I would term “alternate”, that is in couples (guitar-bass, bass-drums, guitar-drums). The themes are all beautiful: in line with my taste, I point out in particular Martians Go Home, a Shorty Rogers composition which has brought to memory a very old and beloved LP put out by Atlantic, Art Pepper’s ballad Patricia, Jimmy Giuffre’s I Hear Red, Bob Cooper’s Punkin’ Head and again Rogers’ Pirouette» (ANTONIO BERINI, in «Ritmo», LIX, May 2002, n. 769, pp. 32-33).

Those drums of Lanza’s, beating out that ole «Californian» sound: «He is not twenty yet, but he has already shown to be the talent of national jazz. […] Rooted in Californian jazz, […] Lanza […] opts for the most classical model offered by refined drummers such as Shelly Manne, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson» («Il Secolo XIX», 30th May 2002).

«The Revival Of West Coast Jazz is his first work. An happy memory, an unlimited love for the airy arrangements, the styles of that educated and swinging Californian jazz, the West Coast jazz. With two experienced players such as the elegant guitarist Lanfranco Malaguti and the pungent double-bass player Piero Leveratto to accompany him in this adventure, Lanza lends his creativity to a collection of themes typical of that fertile jazz era. He shows himself to be a sensitive reader, revealing an interpretative identity of his own, avoiding the risk of falling into easy and complacent repetitions. Along with the sweet recollections one finds the swinging tributes to Shorty Rogers, to Buddy Collette, to Art Pepper … with great wisdom, with suggestive elegance» (FEDERICO SCOPPIO, in «Vinile.com»/recensioni.jhtml?id=64994).

The Revival of West Coast Jazz. Gianmarco Lanza’s jazz debut, a really cool character: «Gianmarco Lanza, who is just sixteen, has debuted in the jazz world with authority, accompanied by two “doyens” well known to us: Lanfranco Malaguti and Piero Leveratto. The drummer delights us with a CD of “pure” jazz, essential and absolutely rigorous, in which he refers back to the glorious Californian period. The Revival of West Coast Jazz signals, right from the opening Martians Go Home by Shorty Rogers, how much can still be derived from the Mainstream, so often snubbed by the critics because of the games of counterpoint and of the various possibilities which are presented by themes which by now belong to the history of the genre.
Gianmarco Lanza, in my personal and humble opinion, has set out on the right foot, showing himself uncompromisingly above any form of contamination, in a full jazz immersion without being conditioned or having to accept any half-way measures. And that is something rather difficult to find in young players appearing on the scene. Lanza, moreover, does not at all appear to be a debutant because of his natural attitude towards Jazz in which he has been dabbling for at least ten years.
Perhaps this “intransigence” of his (which I fully applaud) has delayed the launching on the market of this first record which, through a meticulous selection of pieces, succeeds in moving you and involving you in the execution. For this we have to be grateful to the good Peppo Spagnoli of the “Splasc(h) Records”. When will we ever be able to hear again, in a rather charming revisitation, wonderful themes such as A Nice Day by Buddy Collette, Patricia by Art Pepper (Malaguti is here superlative), Shish Kebab by Dave Brubeck or I Hear Red by Jimmy Giuffre? The record is a continuous dialoguing between the three instruments at play, where Leveratto gives us a masterful display of his touch, while for others it will be a pleasant surprise to rediscover and appreciate Lanfranco Malaguti in a “bauerian” version, with a pleasant and unmistakable phrasing of the scales. Therefore there isn’t only a Malaguti in electronic version or refined explorer of the melodies of Italian songs; now we also get to know his coolster’s soul, but especially his jazz side to its very depth.
Gianmarco Lanza, in order to describe his philosophy, borrows one of Gianni Basso’s famous adages: “Jazz is the music of the three Bs: Bop, Ballads and Blues”. How can we disagree?» (GINO FORTUNATO, «Il Nostro Giornale», 13th July 2002).

«With Leveratto and Malaguti as his “godfathers” the seventeen year old Roman drum player makes his entrance into Italian jazz from the main door. Actually it is a debut only from the recording point of view: Lanza has been playing already for ten years, has collaborated with masters such as Basso, Piana, Cerri, De Filippi, Rosa and plays regularly with the partners of his record. “My favourite drummers are Buddy Rich, Shelly Manne and Louis Bellson” he writes in the introduction where he lists his models: from the traditional jazz to the early hard bop, with a clear preference for the West Coast Jazz.
The title of the work entitles one to expect more recognition for this style and the pieces have been chosen with skill among the classics of those years. It is an admirable position: Lanza looks for the roots, is attracted by the classics of classical and modern jazz (not just among drum players) and a thorough knowledge of the past cannot but benefit him. It is the best attribute in order to go ahead.
In the recording there is an inkling of the famous trio Kessel-Brown-Manne: the Poll Winners, so to speak. The music articulates its expression along precise coordinates, but we are not at all in an atmosphere of revival, if by “revival” we understand a pedantic imitation of a model. We find gusto, agility, a lot of imagination and especially swing: Lanza has swing and technique, and it is a pleasure to listen to the way in which he accompanies (he loves the brushes and the cymbals, just like Manne) with those rhythmical fanciful figures, in quick succession, perfectly in time, without being intrusive» (ANGELO LEONARDI, in «Musica Jazz», LVIII, August-September 2002, p. 72).

«All the musicians [Oliver Barnay (trumpet), Peppino D’Amato (clarinet and tenor sax), Marcello Rosa (trombone), Enrico Ghelardi (baritone sax), Cinzia Gizzi (piano) and Giorgio Rosciglione (double-bass) have been backed by Gianmarco Lanza’s acrobatic swinging technique; he represents not only the future of Italian and European jazz, but he is already a splendid reality» (FULVIO ROCCATANO, in «Tempo Libero», XXIII, July-December 2002, p. 33).

That young man will astonish us: «From the very cover illustration, in which – in coat and tie and very long hairs – he appears concentrated on his instrument, Gianmarco Lanza and his debut album cannot be overlooked. This is because of his very young age (he is eighteen!) and, especially, despite his age, because of his determination and personality in his choices of style. As a committed admirer of Californian jazz of the ’50s – and, for this reason, he is going against today’s trends – he devotes to the cool sonority of that age the entire album, revisiting themes not usually played, though delighful and enthralling as if written today: Martians Go Home by Shorty Rogers, A Nice Day by Buddy Collette and many others. The two mentioned pieces are placed at the end of the CD, in a second version. And not without cause. Because, as the young leader has asked with authority, the jazz of this very pleasant and refreshing album flows with smoothness and with the gusto of the improvisation. In the alternate takes the solos are completely different. In imitating the way in which Shelly Manne used drums and brushes, the Roman drummer has gathered around him a trio, completed by the double-bass player Piero Leveratto – who, incidentally, gives here one of his best performances ever – and by Lanfranco Malaguti at the guitar. Unavailable on the record market for the past five years (his last CD, Aphorisms, is to be listed among the best expressions of jazz in the ’90s, Malaguti here manages to marry linearity and elegance of phrasing with those sudden flashes of unforeseeable harmonies which, in terms of contemporary guitar playing, turn him into an absorbed and evasive poet» (PIETRO MAZZONE, in «Il Giornale della Musica», n. 190, February 2003, p. 28).

The new star of the drums: «The Trio Malaguti-Leveratto-Lanza is already known to the jazzfans thanks to the publication of the CD The Revival of the West Coast, which, besides marking Gianmarco Lanza’s recording debut, has revealed also the musical credo of a musician unknown to most and has gifted us with a drummer of a certain future. It wasn’t however a true debut of this musician who, only a few days earlier, had already recorded live another compact disc, the one I have just listened to and which, for technical reasons, has luckily introduced us to this great promise which “Musica Jazz” has indicated to jazzfans through the Top Ten 2002 with a wonderful placing of the drummer in the category of “new talents”.
It is befitting now to introduce the guitarist because of Malaguti’s importance as a musician and of his role in the trio and then go on to Leveratto whose long-standing jazz activity is well known to all. But the surprising news of the birth of a new star in our midst, in a category which hasn’t given us many outstanding representatives, has forced me to change the usual order of introduction, especially if you consider that our drummer was only sixteen at the time of this performance!
I shall attempt to remain detached as far as I possibly can – even if it is not easy, since I had the chance to follow Gianmarco’s career from the very steps he took and I am enthusiastic of it; and I shall try to evaluate his work for what it is really worth both in the very valid task of accompanying and in that gratifying and spectacular art of his solo playing.
Lanza has stated it in the self-portarit attached to the other CD that he draws inspiration from the drumming of Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson and Shelly Manne, from modern jazz, from bop and hard bop, with a preference for West Coats music. But this is just a confession of a preference (who doesn’t have any?) which, in reality, reveals his love for modern jazz and particularly for sophisticated arrangements.
And now to the record which, unlike the other CD, is entirely dedicated to standards. Right from the start one is caught by Gianmarco’s imagination who exploits in all its variety the drum-set while he accompanies and interacts with the two partners with fantastic confidence and fills the gaps with bursts of solo of great efficacy. It is these very sorties which communicate to the listener the sensation that the drummer is rearing to go, having great difficulty in respecting the bonds placed on him: he would like to upset the equilibrium of the trio, to become the absolute protagonist, to show all his skill. He holds back, respects the rules of the game, but betrays the internal struggle. On the other hand, Lanza’s imagination and extraordinary technique – I’ll Remember April, from this point of view, is marvelous – justify his entreaties, while his very young age makes more comprehensible his desire to show everybody his artistry.
Malaguti – we wish he were professionally more active and less prone to pensive pauses à la Rollins – and Leveratto interpret to perfection the difficult task of playing in a trio by finding a perfect understanding without ever going over each other and supporting each other with admirable skill as they create their little niches for their solos which are very effective and synthetic in the right measure while being at the same time incisive and inspired. An excellent record» (ROBERTO CAPASSO, Cover Notes of the CD Lanza-Malaguti Leveratto Trio Live, in print by Spasc(h)).

Amphitheatre of Poggio alla Croce: the jazz of the Lanza’s band arrives: «With the great drummer Gianmarco Lanza, considered by the jazz critics between the first five new talents in 2002 and the best drummer, will play Stefano Rossi (tenor sax), Enrico Ghelardi (baritone sax), Antonello Vannucchi (piano and arranger), Mauro Battisti (double-bass). The singer is Beverly Lewis, recently moved in Italy and nephew of the lamented saxophonist Joe Henderson. The event is so important that are announced arrivals from all Tuscany, carabinieri and policemen guarantee the order with their presence and a streat will be closed» (PAOLO FABIANI, in «La Nazione», Friday, 25th July 2003, p. XX).

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