Joy
Three Pines, 2022
9/10
The Juno Award winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini pens an album that was inspired by Louise Penny’s Gamache book series, where the goodness, decency and courage of the characters is present in the colorful and soulful songs that welcome some of Canada’s best musicians.
“Three Pines” opens the listen with Amy Cervini, Felicity Williams and Emilie-Claire Barlow’s gorgeous, wordless vocals in the very dreamy, melodic climate, and “Surprised By Joy” follows with Cervini’s acrobatic drumming alongside Adrean Farrugia’s firm keys and bright brass that emits a very flowing jazz demeanor.
Further along, “Roar And Havoc” benefits much from Rich Brown’s agile electric bass and Luis Deniz’s rich alto sax, while “Bella Bella” is a more intimate affair that showcases Kelly Jefferson’s soulful tenor sax and Dan Fortin’s acoustic bass in the calm versus busy textures.
Inching towards the end, “Lacoste” features Artie Roth’s sublime acoustic bass to complement Cervini’s restrained drums and the poetic brass, and “I’m Fine” exits with William Carn’s well timed trombone and the eloquent keys helping make for a stirring and timeless finish.
The album actually features 3 of Cervini’s working bands, i.e. Turboprop, Tetrahedron and Tune Town, and the large amount of players helps each tune find a unique place to reside but that as a whole resonates grace, love and beauty.
Travels well with: Craig Davis- Tone Paintings; Billy Drummond- Valse Sinistre