JAY AZZOLINA

PRESENT TENSE

Truth Revolution Recording Collective

Jay Azzolina, guitar; Joe (Sonny) Barbato, accordion/piano; Dave Zinno, bass; Rafael Barata, drums/percussion.

You may recognize the name Jay Azzolina as the jazz-fusion guitarist who worked with the Grammy Award-winning group ‘Spyro Gyra.’ This is Azzolina’s fifth album release as a bandleader.

Azzolina relocated to the United Kingdom in August of 2024 and has established himself with a group of musicians based in Britain and Wales.  He brings a soulful blend of cultures to this project, all wrapped in a jazzy soundscape.  The addition of Joe (Sonny) Barbato on accordion adds a fresh spice to Azzolina’s quartet.

In 1995, Jay Azzolina received his M.F.A. degree from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase, New York.  In 1997, he became a member of the John Patitucci Band and was part of that aggregation on their albums “Past Tense” and “Live at One Station Plaza” (2002) and “The Rolling Stones Project” in 2005. He also played on a couple of Michael Franks records. This current album release issues in a whole new “Present Tense” for this talented guitarist.

“So much of our lives as humans is taken over by reliving the past and/or worrying about the future.  It so often seems that we aren’t really living in the present.  For me, writing and performing music automatically places one in the present.  It’s the default tense, and I guess I want to emphasize the importance of it on this recording,” Azzolina shares in his ‘one sheet’ press release.

Jay Azzolina has composed all the music on his project.  The opening tune, “Big Lou” is the first single that will be released to promote this album. I’m struck by the power of his tune.  It could easily be the cinematic soundtrack for some exciting movie.

Another favorite of mine from this album is titled “Viracocha” and swings hard!  This Azzolina album employs more Straight-ahead jazz than fusion.

The tune, “Clarebelle” leans more towards the fusion category, but once the group jumps into the ‘swing’ groove, it becomes more Straight-ahead again. You will hear Azzolina take the lead on his guitar in a powerful way, richly supported by the bass of Dave Zinno and prodded forward by the powerful drums of Rafael Barata. Barata takes an exploratory solo towards the end of this arrangement. This Azzolina composition quickly becomes another favorite of mine. Zinno steps forward midway through the arrangement to let his bass speak, improvising in a very emotional way. Barbato also takes a piano solo, with fingers dancing wildly, but with precision, over the rhythm section groove. It’s another great composition by Jay Azzolina, one of eight on his inspired album of music, “Present Tense.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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