Pronto! in Bloomington, MN

At first blush, a combination of only sampler, saxophone, and trombone may appear limiting, and if not in the right hands it might be.
Xavier Garcia
,
Gianni Gebbia
, and
Nils Wogram
, though, combine to make something special, and incredibly, there is not a stale moment among these 13 pieces, which range in length from just over a minute to more than 11 minutes. The sampler is a subtle presence, felt implicitly, while the horns take the leadership roles. Recorded in
Gebbia
's native Sicily, the saxophonist is the dominant voice, and his elastic lines combined with some incredible trombonisms to deliver the goods with an uncompromising approach that is as thrilling as it is innovative. It is difficult to believe that there are only two horns present, as the range of timbre and color cover the waterfront.
defies conventional technique, as is customary for him, as he rolls, spurts, and sputters, while
Wogram
continues to expand his palette while remaining true to his highly developed technique.
Garcia
's use of samplers is surprisingly tame except on a couple of pieces in which he incorporates vocals. When this was released,
and
were two of the most underrated horn players around, perhaps due to their immersion in so-called
avant garde
styles. The range of musicality, though unquestionably immersed in the genre of
free improvisation
, is astonishingly diverse, and should at the least raise a few eyebrows. ~ Steven Loewy