The music moves comfortably between acoustic intimacy and moments of added drive, with light nods to rock alongside a deep jazz sensibility.
Losen Records
Lorenzo De Finti – Piano; Stefano Dall’Ora – Double Bass; Marco Castiglioni – Drums; Alberto Mandarini – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Over his past few releases, Milan-based pianist Lorenzo De Finti has built a reputation as one of Europe’s more distinctive modern jazz voices. Working with a long-running quartet, he’s earned praise for music that can thin out to almost nothing, then turn around and hit hard without warning. Backlash of Uncertainty is the group’s latest statement, and it feels like a record that’s comfortable playing with contrast
There’s a moment early on where you realize this record isn’t going to settle into one lane and stay there. The opening title track starts with a metallic, almost minimalist pulse before the flugelhorn slips in, and then—suddenly—the band hits a hard-driving groove that feels closer to rock than jazz. Just as you get comfortable with that weight, everything drops away, leaving Lorenzo De Finti alone at the piano, delicate and exposed. That tension and release pretty much defines the album.
What really stands out is how physical this quartet can sound. With just piano, trumpet or flugelhorn, bass, and drums, they often give the impression of a much larger band, switching textures and approaches on the fly. De Finti isn’t afraid to throw a full stop into the music, let the silence hang, and then re-enter from a completely different angle. Stefano Dall’Ora’s bass plays a big role in that—bowed one moment, cello-like and mournful, then snapped back into tight, percussive lines that lock in hard with Marco Castiglioni’s drums.
“The Other Route That Wasn’t There” takes a more restrained path, built on lightly plucked bass notes that seem to hang in the air, soft piano chords, and delicate brushwork. De Finti leans into repetition here, letting phrases circle and swirl until Alberto Mandarini’s trumpet rises above it all. Mandarini favors a clear, open tone—no vibrato, no dramatics—and it suits this music perfectly. Even in the upper register, he sounds calm and unforced, like he’s floating just above the band rather than pushing against it.
That sense of suspension shows up elsewhere on the record, particularly on “Nine Bridges in Königsberg,” where De Finti leans into a minimalist idea, repeating a small piano figure and letting it circle while the trumpet sketches the melody and the rhythm section gradually adds weight underneath. Drums and bass press forward until the music feels ready to tip, then the band recedes, thinning the texture and leaving Mandarini to shape the line over measured drums and open piano space.
The closing epic, “Occam’s Razor,” stretches past twelve minutes, unfolding patiently rather than rushing toward a payoff. It opens loosely—piano circling the keys, bass murmuring underneath, cymbals whispering at the edges—before the band gradually tightens the frame. There’s a playful edge to De Finti’s playing as the piece builds, heavier chords landing alongside lighter figures that skip across the keyboard. When the whole group finally leans in,
Castiglioni shifts the feel with hands-on drum textures and a steady tom keeping the pulse, giving the music a physical weight that pulls everything together.
Throughout Backlash of Uncertainty, De Finti and Dall’Ora’s shared writing voice is easy to hear. The music moves comfortably between acoustic intimacy and moments of added drive, with light nods to rock alongside a deep jazz sensibility. Nothing feels forced or overplayed. Even when the band shifts direction or leans into a new texture, the mood stays calm and inviting, making this an easy record to settle into and spend time with.
