Before you start listening to "Handful of Soul" by Mario Biondi and the High Five Quintet take a moment to relax and pour yourself a martini in whatever flavor you savor. While you're at it, dim the lights a bit. What you're about to hear is the kind of deeply felt, classically reverant jazz that Italy's Schema records provides like no other. If the name Mario Biondi sounds familiar, it could be because he comes from a noted lineage of artists, though it's more likely to be because you've heard the songs "This Is What You Are" or "On A Clear Day" by Was a Bee. Now that you've channeled a little "Rat Pack" cool, it's time to begin.

1. A Child Runs Free
2. No Mercy For Me
3. This Is What You Are
4. Rio de Janeiro Blue
5. Slow Hot Wind
6. A Handful Of Soul
7. Never Die
8. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
9. Gig
10. I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes
11. No Trouble On The Mountain
12. I'm Her Daddy

Handful of Soul doesn't just open with a bit of jumping Blue Note styled jazz, the sound runs strong throughout the entire album. Mario Biondi is the vocalist with a dusky, smooth (and at times gravely) voice that has a classic 50s/60s jazz tone shared by the likes of Mark Murphy, and the High Five Quintet is a band led here by trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso, pianist Luca Mannutza and bassist Pietro Ciancaglini, whose musicians have won numerous awards for their skills.

In the same way that Finland's Five Corners Quintet (named after a five road intersection in Helsinki where many of the cities more vibrant artists also converge) made a name for itself by producing purely reverant 50s styled jazz, Mario Biondi and the High Five Quintet harness a similarly classic style of jazz, applying modern arrangements but using only traditional jazz instruments. There are no synthesizers here, only trumpets, piano, drums, double bass, saxophone and other such instruments with all the necessary accents of Latin rhythms and percussion.

In terms of a classic sounding jazz album Handful of Soul is nothing short of thoroughly enjoyable. It's received a great amount of interest from music lovers and continues to rack up critical praise around the globe. If you're already a fan of Five Corners Quintet, Mark Murphy, or 50s/60s era jazz by any artist, I really can't recommend this album more highly than to say for you, this is essential.

- - -
If you don't have the single from Was A Bee, it's another highly recommended piece. Their laid-back soul foundation in "On a Clear Day" is nothing short of incredible.

Add a Comment