Drums and guitar is an unusual combination for a jazz duo, but Stefano Bagnoli and
Enzo Rocco make it seem so natural. For the most part surprisingly lyrical, these freewheeling Italian improvisers serve up 14 helpings of attractive and original morsels. While Bagnoli is a fine drummer, Rocco is the more interesting player, one who spans genres and appears entirely comfortable as either a melodicist or as a hardcore thrasher. The tracks are short -- mostly in the two to three minute range -- but they are fully developed, perhaps due to the no-nonsense attitude of the musicians. Rocco favors tunes with simple, catchy lines from which the two take off. He can be almost minimalist, but then he shoots forth like a spiraling star; his rock roots come to the fore on "Rocco & Rollo." Surprisingly accessible and entertaining, yet at the same time pushing the edges, Rocco and Bagnoli make an attractive team and one that incorporates disparate elements. Their efforts are worth a listen. ~ Steven Loewy