JAY D’AMICO TRIO

GINEVRA, A PORTRAIT OF LITTLE GIRL BLUE

Consolidated Artists Productions

Jay D’Amico, piano/composer/arranger; Greg D’Amico, bass; Michael Fox, drums.

The sad-eyed woman’s portrait on the cover of Jay D’Amico’s Trio album is Ginevra de’ Benet, a Leonardo da Vinci painting, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art in Washington.  It sets the mood for this pianist and composer’s project. When D’Amico first began to contemplate De Vinci’s portrait, he thought that the woman reminded him of the Rodgers and Hart jazz standard, “Little Girl Blue.”  But it also conjured up an era of classical music and great European visual artists.

D’Amico is a huge fan of Chopin’s music.  You can hear this classical influence in his compositions. The trio opens with “Convocation,” where Jay’s piano tinkles the melody tentatively into space, teasing my ear and drawing me into his original, waltz-time piece. Michael Fox sets the three-quarter time on trap drums and Greg D’Amico adds his double bass chops to the mix.

The title tune has a trace of the blues laced through the classical arrangement like a shiny piece of gold thread. After all, Ginevra De ‘Benci is quite blue in that portrait. Jay endeavors to capture that spirit in this original composition.

His song titled, “Campobasso” translates to “Low Field.”  It invites Greg D’Amico into the spotlight on his bass instrument. The tune is a slow swing and quickly becomes one of my favorites of this project.  Greg and his brother Jay have been performing together for more than fifty years.

The trio’s interpretation of “Little Girl Blue” is lovely, with Jay throwing in a bit of “the Surry with the fringe on top” as an improvised piano lick.  I enjoyed when Michael Fox slapped his drumsticks and introduced me to a tune called “Swing Time.”  Fox was born in Brooklyn, New York and is a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts.  He’s known to play with a diverse number of musicians, often performing in pop and blues bands. He solos during this happy, moderate-tempo arrangement.

This is music that reminds me of my days sitting at a piano bar, sipping drinks and enjoying the ambience. Here is a warm, seasoned trio of musicians, who are comfortable with each other. They spread that comfort and warmth onto their listeners.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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