Dave Tofani

An American Garden

Solo Winds 1701

Dave Tofani, saxophones, flutes, keyboard, composer, arranger; New York City String Orchestra; additional horn and rhythm players; forty-one musicians in total.

Dave Tofani is nothing if not hard working, composing, arranging and playing several instruments; tapping inspiration from family and mentors that have touched and enhanced his life. Tofani has put together seven tracks that are full of beauty and surprise, a deeply rich CD of contemporary Jazz music. Opening with "An American Garden" we are offered carefully scored ensemble playing which is slick, upbeat, solid and pleasingly harmonic. In "New York At Night" his alto sax is clean and purposeful, full of passion in this emotional wander through the night in question. In "Quintetto di Flauti", he plays six parts. "Liberte" has him playing ten woodwind instruments with that special Tofani 'feel' it's a sort of snake-charm swirl meeting contemporary Jazz with fine harmonic coloring finishing in pastel serenity. "High Mowing Orchestral Suite" is a colorful upbeat orchestral piece, opening with a driving pulse and Tofanits soprano sax ranging throughout, it becomes more reflective, but never loses its drive although coming to a contemplative end. Tofani is a fine all-round musician, he writes good music and is a powerful, urgent player who plays as if he means it, a CD for the connoisseur.

by Ferdinand Maylin

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