Nicola Sabato Quartet - Lined With a Groove - Album CD Jewel Box

Here, the music is spontaneous, warm, and communicative. It swings from beginning to end. There's an apparent relaxed atmosphere within the context of a meticulously prepared session. Nicola Sabato has chosen an intelligent repertoire with five great standards (Georgia On My Mind, Time After Time, East Of The Sun, The Nearness Of You, and Shiny Stockings), some less common themes, some penned by master bassists (Sam Jones's O.P. or Ray Brown's Lined With A Groove, which, as a tribute, lends its title to the album), and composed an original piece (Snugglin'). For each track, he has written arrangements that sound natural and exciting to the ear, carefully considered each element, and offered tempos that are sometimes unusual—all elements that avoid the monotony and parade of more or less successful choruses that are too often found on many albums released today. (Dominique Burucoa)