Cast your mind back to 2006 and Mario Biondi's masterpiece album Handful of Soul and this is where you would have encountered the genius of Luca Mannutza before. A member of the Blue Note Records released The High Five Project, which featured on Handful of Soul, Luca also acted as arranger for all the tracks on the album, including the worldwide smash hit This Is What You Are. Now, with Circles, The Luca Mannutzi Quintet adds to A.MA Records' superb catalogue with an album based on a profound understanding of harmonic and rhythmical exploration. Featuring covers of Bobby Hutcherson's goundbreaking Herzog and Bud Redding's consumate The End of the Affair this album is a must must for jazz efficianados and music collectors alike; indeed Circles is destined to become a classic in its genre.
Offered here as pre-order tracks, the Quintet excel on the title track and opener Circles and D- Isolation, as they do on across the eight song album. The line-up of Luca Mannutza on piano, Paolo Recchia on alto-sax, Jordan Corda on vibes, bassist Danielle Sorrentino and Sasha Mashin on drums takes on the compositions with a beautifully languourous, unhurried and relaxed expertise; both belying and enhancing the wonderfully complex arrangements presented here.
Circles is released on digital and CD through A.MA Records and is available on Bandcamp from 21st of November with pre-orders from the 14th of November including both pre-order tracks-
Liner Notes By Enrico Bracco:
I've been hanging out and collaborating with Luca for several years, and I can say with absolute certainty that he's one of the most accomplished musicians I know; his ability to navigate the various jazz languages is astonishing. Despite his profound knowledge of tradition, his compositional universe has shifted in recent years toward a decidedly more contemporary approach. From this perspective, I can say that his focus on the contemporary music scene, both in New York and elsewhere, is so great that he's become a point of reference and a sort of promoter for many musicians.
The tracks on this new album vividly reveal this research, based on a profound understanding of harmony—particularly evident in the song "D-Isolation"—and rhythm, such as the tracks "Circles" and the arrangement of the famous "End of a Love Affair," to name a few. The harmonic and rhythmic exploration is never a sterile exercise in style, but always functional to the development of a complex and far from banal melodic discourse, as for example in the three-quarter time piece "Vortex," a composition with a circular harmonic progression in the best tradition of 1960s post-tonal jazz.
We cannot fail to mention the fantastic musicians who manage to enhance everything with great mastery: Paolo Recchia on alto sax, the young talent Jordan Corda, a rising star on the vibraphone, Daniele Sorrentino and Sasha Mashin, an incredible rhythm section capable of dealing with the leader's compositional vicissitudes with ease and relaxation!
credits
released November 21, 2025
Luca Mannutza Piano
Paolo Recchia Alto Saxophone
Jordan Corda Vibraphone
Daniele Sorrentino Double Bass
Sasha Mashin Drums
Recorded at La Strada Studio – Rome – March 2024 Producer: Sasha Mashin SMASHINPRODUCTION Recording Engineer: Enrico Furzi
Assistant Engineers: Francesco Bennati Sasha Mashin
Mix Mastering Engineer: Sasha Mashin Thanks to Nevaton Microphones – Yamaha Drums –
D’Addario Zildjan/VicFirth – Nino Sortino Ligatures
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