• Mark Corroto // ★★★★ All About Jazz (July 8, 2022)
The live recording is actually in two parts, one lengthy continuous improvisation divided into four sections with Golia on soprano saxophone and a shorter encore where he hoists a piccolo flute. As the music progresses we can hear the trio’s sound crystallize. Opening with “An Introduction To Bonsai Basics,” the three find common ground with their leap into energy music. Each player flexes their individual muscles, Golia spins some circular breathing, Santacruz pulls thunderous notes, and Calcagnile whirlwinds a meteoric pulse on cymbals and his drum kit. As the opener segues into “Thoughts Within The Vineyard” Santacruz’s bass steps to the front with a dazzling solo, which navigates the trio into a meditative mode. Golia’s saxophone takes on an Eastern vibe and Calcagnile extracts sound from scraped cymbals and tiny percussion gestures.
The trio flows again into the aptly titled “Drumstart.” Calcagnile’s drumming ignites Golia’s circular patterned sound as the energy intensifies, leaving no doubts this is an excellent working trio. They then shift into “Visit To The Mountains,” the most “composed” of their free improvisation, or shall we say their most compelling statement as a trio. The encore, with Golia switching to piccolo, comes at the ears like a demon’s exorcism with vocalized notes blown against crashing percussion and thunderous bass. By their applause, the audience answers in the affirmative, this group has triumphed.
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