A Canadian Songbook
Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop
TPR Records TPR-017-02 (ernestocervini.com/artist/turboprop)
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Ernesto Cervini mines the more esoteric entries in the Canadian songbook to put together this fabulous album. When I Fall (Barenaked Ladies) and Clumsy (Our Lady Peace) are the only two songs included with more mainstream exposure. In fact, When I Fall might not be recognized even by fans of the «Ladies» because Cervini’s jazz arrangement stretches it out and includes an emphatic and gospel-tinged saxophone solo by Joel Frahm. However, this version’s emotional core manages to match and even rise above that of the original.
Cervini includes two originals: If/Then is a quirky off-metre tribute to his early computer programming days and Stuck Inside is his reflection on the pandemic. The Turboprop musicians (Tara Davidson, alto sax; Frahm, tenor sax; William Carn, drums; Adrean Farrugia, piano; Dan Loomis, bass; Cervini, drums) deliver sparkling and precise ensemble playing and inspired solo performances throughout.
