Rather than characterising ‘Thinking Heart’ as a ‘jazz album’, we’d prefer to consider it as a blank canvas, a space where Andrea Longato, Rob Heath and Bryan Percivall are able to fuse a series of life-long influences together. The result is perhaps more surprising than one would expect: giving space and compositional pauses the attention they deserve, the NYC-based trio explores jazz phrasings and straight rhythms with calm and wittiness, embodying a particularly slow-paced ethos.
Opening episode ‘Daisies’ showcases it in cathartic fashion, with Longato’s creative guitar tones revealing a wonderfully eclectic path, one that refrains from dealing in genres and fictional barriers; rather, one that seeks to reconcile all those differences. Citing seminal musicians such as Bill Frisell, Wayne Krantz, and Daniel Lanois, Andrea draws on a vast wealth of heroes and personalities, ultimately shaping his own musical endeavour sui generis.
Written and recorded by Longato himself, ‘Thinking Heart’ is one of his sharpest efforts to date, together with being his debut as bandleader. Speaking about the project and the collaboration with Heath and Percivall, he explains: “Me, Rob and Bryan share a love for improvised music, but we also all have an extensive background working as sidemen for pop artists. I think this brings a unique perspective to the trio, in which freedom of expression and commitment to the part harmoniously live together.”
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