Luca Aquino
It must be something in the warm waters of The Med, for here comes Luca Aquino, another lyrical Italian trumpeter to emulate the achievements of Paulo Fresu and Enrico Rava, both of whom have been effusive in their praise for the young player from Benevento. His 12 Points! appearance coincides with the release of Sopra Le Nuvole, his debut for Universal, and a further chapter in the lengthy development of a personal group sound with guitarist Giovanni Francesca, bassist Marco Bardoscia and drummer Gianluca Brugnano. It's a journey that started with Miles and Chet Baker, took a detour through Norway for Nils Petter Molvear's emotive electronica and the new trumpet vocabulary of Arve Henriksen, returning to Southern Europe for an infusion of Italian romanticism.