The Claudio Scolari Project train keeps rolling. Intermission is their seventh long-player but also their fourth in as many years. It continues to be a familial group with titular head Claudio Scolari (drums) joined by his son Simone Scolari on trumpet and keyboardist/drummer Daniele Cavalca playing alongside his electric bassist brother Michele Scolari.
Intermission does what every other Claudio Scolari Project record does: songs pop up seemingly out of nowhere that are melodic, rhythmically exciting and loose. Even more so than the prior projects, Intermission is the sound of guys having fun. Claudio and Daniele come up with the ideas and the larger group hash them out into full performances in the studio; we get to hear the transformation happen in real time because capturing the spirit of improvisation unfiltered is how this group makes records.
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“Cannoli On Board” begins as a free ‘n’ easy engagement between Claudio and Daniele (on piano), with Simone and Michele easing their way into the song and quickly finding their spots to add meaningfully to the groove. Everyone is allowed to follow their muse freely, adding to the intrepid spirit and unpredictability.
“Croque Monsieur” is spunky and so explosive that it’s continuously on the verge of going off the rails as everyone plays with uncontrolled joy. Daniele is again on piano, which points up to another tweak to their unique formula: the synthesizers are there as always but mostly take a back seat. A more organic sound results, putting the band closer to its straight jazz roots.
That piano is also at the center of “Ice Glitter” but otherwise the song goes in the opposite direction, a slow-moving diffused number with everyone moving deliberately and leveraging space.
“Don’t Look Back” rumbles at a mid-tempo rock groove, with Michele in Miles Davis ‘Jack Johnson’ mode; also notable is his interaction with Daniele on Fender Rhodes. Daniele’s simple piano riff that makes up “What How” enables everyone else to go off in different directions, but even that riff begins to mutate, moving the controlled chaos into a different phase. As advertised, “Seven Four” uses a 7/4 measure as a starting point, but as the Cavalcas are holding that down on keyboard and bass, the dual drumming forces can go off.
“Damn Funk” is also aptly titled, a deep pocket being mined for all it’s worth. They keep it together for most of the performance, then loosen it up and get explosive. “Rainbow Mirror” is a showcase for Michele (strictly in a lead bass role) and his elastic, expressive style fits fine within the group aesthetic.
The jamming takes a break for the gorgeously celestial, “Come With Me,” which actually features no drums but highlights Simone’s lonely trumpet tone. The second part of this song – in its own track – recasts itself in a more acoustic setting thanks to a pivot from synth to piano and Claudio enters the scene to put a funky rhythm underneath as the rest of the band gradually gets increasingly louder and insistent, completely changing the complexion of the song.
Like every other Claudio Scolari Project album, Intermission is a collective leap of faith. However, instead of feeling the pressure, these guys positively thrive in it. Intermission is out now and can be acquired via Bandcamp.
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