JAY D'AMICO, Tuscan Prelude: Jazz Under Glass

In 2008, nine years after establishing his unique classical and jazz hybrid style with re-imaginings of arias by the likes of Puccini, Bellini and Verdi, pianist/composer Jay D’Amico returned to Italy – both physically and perhaps more significantly, musically – for Tuscan Prelude, a collection of originals that launched the Jazz Under Glass branding aesthetic that has subsequently driven and defined all of his recordings, including Nocturne (2010), Melodia (2024) and most recently, Ginevra: a portrait of little girl blue (2025), a collection featuring a new trio (that includes his bassist brother Greg D’Amico) inspired by Da Vinci’s late 1470’s painting Ginevra de Benci.

It was during the production of Tuscan Prelude that veteran jazz promoter – and longtime D’Amico friend and supporter – Michael Carlson suggested they use the phrase “Jazz Under Glass,” which helped solidify and unify the pianist’s overall concept – tying his entire catalog together from Ponte Novello on. For D’Amico, the term conveys a distinctive, more delicate approach apart from mainstream jazz with its elements of simple classical thinking – and, as he muses, “something a little special demanding attention!” Carlson adds that the phrase implies a “pristine” aspect that’s evident in the pianist’s touch and overall sensibility within the music. He adds, “This carries with it the implication for the slight but telling differences within pieces that move toward more of an edge than others in each release.”  

Reflective of its compelling title and slightly impressionistic landscape CD artwork, Tuscan Prelude continues D’Amico’s jazz expressions connected to his deep ties to his Italian heritage. He conceived the project in Montalcino, an historic hilltop town in Tuscany, while visiting the vineyards of Franco Biondi Santi – the family that invented Brunello. The pianist reflects, “It’s all about wine, (being very careful with) women and song with us. Being there will do wonders for inspiration.

From the up-tempo, spritely and effervescent opening title song through the moody, atmospheric closing charmer “Aria in D,” the eleven pieces on Tuscan Prelude are powerfully and emotionally rooted in everything - each note, chord and harmonic nuance of his interpretations of classic arias - he learned from the experience of creating Ponte Novello. That album gave him the confidence to go outside the established operatic literature and compose more of his own works and contemporary arias.

A fascinating side note on “Aria in D”: Some years after D’Amico composed this original version, it was picked up and licensed to the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless” along with several other of his original compositions. His brother Greg, also the bassist of his current trio whose tasteful rhythms richly animate “Aria in D,” and a young lady from Tuscany wrote Christmas-themed lyrics in English and Italian to the instrumental piece, resulting in a holiday song titled “His Gift of Love on Christmas Day” or “Suo Regalo Per Natale.” The track also features the late Vinnie Favata on drums; the same trio was featured on the pianist’s next album Nocturne.

Throughout his four decade-plus recording career, D’Amico has been very particular about creating a specific overall vibe centered around his interactions with musicians chosen specifically for each project. Though billed as The Jay D’Amico Trio as opposed to The Jay D’Amico Jazz Ensemble, the common rhythmic thread from Ponte Novello to Tuscan Prelude is drummer Ronnie Zito. For the later project, D’Amico chose bass great Marc Johnson, who was a member of the final Bill Evans trio, along with Joe LaBarbera on drums, and is longtime bassist and producer for his wife, Brazilian pianist/composer Eliane Elias. D’Amico chose both musicians for their sensitivity and intuitive understanding of what he was trying to accomplish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCvpcgb0NnU

Like Ponte Novello and every album up through Ginevra, Tuscan Prelude showcases D’Amico’s masterful, sometimes boisterous yet often quite delicately woven tapestry of European jazz and American jazz. Each of the pieces boasts distinctive touches of both as the European feel runs through the program and the trio’s performance clearly conveys the American jazz aspects.  

While it seems mandatory to ask a composer about what inspired specific tunes, it’s notable that when reflecting on Tuscan Prelude, D’Amico says, “I don’t recall what it was that inspired each piece, but it was always something – the overall Italian landscape, etc.” One surreal exception to this is “Improvviso,” a thoughtful tribute to Chopin that starts with a dreamlike gossamer ivory dance of various intensities, then quickly bursts into a frenetic bebop-flavored frolic with fast pumping bass and drums before settling back into a state of classical reverie. The other exception (sort of) is the lilting, sensual and often sprightly (with sparks of playful higher-end chords and sparkly improvisation) “Theme in Bb Minor,” which he thinks someone requested as a theme to a never realized radio talk show. Had the show made it and been as engaging as this piece, it would have been a hit!

As for the other gems of this sublime repertoire, well, those of us who have been to Tuscany – and maybe others who know it from films, documentaries and nature photography books – can imagine him sitting at a piano, looking out at the distant vineyards and vistas and allowing nature and divine inspiration to take over. We can switch our imaginings to a starry Tuscan night for the quick tonal shifts (dark/soft, light/energetic) and rich nimble ongoing ivory musings of “Nocturne,” the centerpiece of Tuscan Prelude (Track 6) which appeared again on and inspired the same trio’s follow-up album of that name.    

D’Amico’s classical side perhaps emerges most prominently on the pieces “Fuga,” “G Minor Ballade” and “Prelude in A Minor,” each of which start as haunting meditations featuring Johnson’s extended sorrowful bowed notes before becoming frolicsome jazz romp. The artful fusion culminates in the three movement under ten-minute mini sonata, which journeys from the easy flowing swing and swirl of “Mvt. !” to the tender piano solo of the brief “Mvt. 2, then wrapping with the more stately, dramatic and finally high spirited “Mvt. 3.” The first and third sonata pieces remind us just how effortlessly D’Amico and his cohorts can switch from classical grandeur to high minded jazzy excitement.

We’ll give the last word on the immensely exciting, always fascinating Tuscan Prelude to his one time teacher, the late pianist Mike Longo, who wrote in his liner notes: “If there is one word that would describe the music of Jay D’Amico it would be ‘originality.’ I recall reading a book by Igor Stravinsky many years ago in which he stated that if there was any gift in music, it would be the gift of melody. Jay, with his ability to successfully fuse classical music thinking and the time conception and influence of jazz, displays evidence that he is in possession of this gift and has crafted it into a musical statement of the highest order. Bravo!”