Renato d’Aiello Quartet feat. Hiroshi Murayama plus Kamilla Atku
(Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s. 24th March 2014. Review by Brian Blain)

Saxophonist Renato D’Aiello’s great little scene in the Upstairs Room at Ronnie Scott’s has been going for over three years now. Just like the Spice of  Life, just around the corner, in Cambridge Circus, this is a promotional achievement that deserves more credit than it gets.

Amazingly full for a Monday night last week, it was a shame that Nina Ferro was called away on backing singer duty, but, as ever with Renato there is always something good to listen to in addition to his exquisite saxophone sound.

Young Japanese pianist Hiroshi Murayama, based in Paris was absolutely mesmeric, while Emiliano Caroselli,the group’s latest Italian drummer, all fluid polyrhythms but with a pulse that anyone could pick up on, was the best I have heard in one of D’Aiello’s bands since the early days of the great Shaney Forbes.

Tender ballads, blistering post ‘Tranery, including Cedar Walton’s Bolivia, right in the middle of ‘contemporary’- it was all there.

As a bonus, in keeping with the eclectic policy of introducing music outside of jazz,that Renato favours, he introduced a young New York classical pianist Kamilla Arku, who played two short modern pieces  which reduced the buzzy vibe to total silence.

If there’s a better seven quid’s worth anywhere else in town I would like to know where it is.