LABORATORIO DELLA QUERCIA

Imagine the audience. They’ve gathered on a hot July night in Rome and sit facing a 20-piece orchestra of such formidable firepower — American jazz masters such as Lacy, Potts, Rudd, and Aebi, European improv titans including Wheeler, Parker, Honsinger, and Rava, plus composer Frederic Rzewski (of the great Coming Together) thrown in for good measure — it’s hard to properly absorb the enormity of the moment. Sorry, did we say orchestra? This configuration calls themselves a laboratory — and though none of them are wearing lab coats a la Lester Bowie, they’ve gathered on this night for some serious experiments with sound. They’ve chosen to use the largest possible canvas for their explorations, breaking out eleven horns for its impressive frontline. But despite its sprawling membership, this laboratory proves expert at using space. Sorry, did we say sound experiments? That sounds so dry and daunting — and these tunes are nothing read more...