Vinny Golia • Bernard Santacruz • Cristiano Calcagnile « To Live and Breathe… » // Bill Meyer, Dusted

The album’s title telegraphs the seriousness with which this ad hoc, international trio approaches improvisation. But heaviness never bogs them down. If anything, they make a virtue of being light on their feet, benefitting from the elevated pitch potential of Los Angeleno Vinny Golia’s two woodwinds (soprano saxophone, piccolo) and Milanese drummer Cristiano Calcagniele’s preference for sizzle over rumble. Golia puts more wind into the endeavor’s sails by favoring quick, stabbing forays and long, hurtling lines. Santacruz is a conversational bassist, able to dish apposite asides even when he’s holding down a pulse. His solemn, solitary introduction to “Thoughts Within The Vineyard” invests the whole affair with an affecting gravity.