CADENCE MAGAZINE/USA – JANUARY 2005 – LARRY HOLLIS
“FELICE CLEMENTE, “”INSIDE ME”” Splasc(H) Records 2004.
It’s interesting that should contain a composition by Sonny Rollins. The lovely ballad that Felice Clemente interprets in honor of those who pioneered Modern Jazz remains timeless. A love of melody and harmony will always be tied to our love of modern music. From post-Bebop to the Modern Mainstream, young lions such as Clemente continue to preserve the tradition, while forging ahead with a powerful love for the creative spirit. Originals by the saxophonist, and several of his septet members, prove that these artists intend to see Jazz grow. Clemente is thirty. he majored in classical clarinet at Milan’s Giuseppe Verdi Music Conservatory before moving on to post-graduate studies that included Jazz studies at the same institution. Verdi would be proud to know that his name continues to inspire young artists the world over, and to support them in their creative endeavors. Clemente’s music is Straight-Ahead. He’s captured the timeless spirit that moves us in our pursuit of a Modern Mainstream definition. Saxophone, trumpet and trombone deliver soulful leading lines, as piano, bass, drums percussion spell out punctuating phrases in support. Everyone solos. It’s Modern Jazz at its best. On both tenor and soprano, the leader explores melody with a laid-back spirit that guarantees listenig pleasure. His rhythmic conception assures that his audience will intuitively resort to head bobbing and foot-tapping. It’s unavoidable. Clemente’s cohesive unit soars with a highly recommended performance that is guaranteed to win support from all walks of life the world over.