"The Right Spirit" harkens back to the fifties, when jazz tunes were based on chords and you could count the beats per bar. On this CD, the sax and trumpet play the melody in unison, take solos, and come together again at the end. And, of course, there is no electric bass. It is the type of jazz before smooth and fusion pushed everything else aside.

1. Steppin' To Bop
2. Legend Generation
3. Blues Inflected
4. Updated Sound
5. Soft Blowing
6. Over Power
7. Flowing Lines
8. Idols
9. Invitation
10. From Time to Time
11. The Right Spirit

The lineup has the Lo Greco brothers in the rhythm section (Gianni on drums and Enzo on bass), Simone Dacion on grand piano, Germano Zenga on tenor, and Gendrickson Mena Diaz on trumpet and flugelhorn. A third Lo Greco brother, Vincenzo, wrote all eleven tracks.

Although the songs follow the tight structure of classic jazz, there is a lot of variety in mood. Some is cool, some is upbeat, and there is a bit of Latin influence.

This project aims to emulate past masters, and it does so admirably, not aiming toward any experimental work. Everything here is filled with melody and thoughtful musicianship. And that's certainly the right spirit.

~ Dave Howell

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