Rushin' by Emanuele Cisi

An album that puts jazz at the center. Emanuele Cisi records his first release for Mono Jazz (Right Tempo) returning to those elements from which everything begins and in which everything is fulfilled. With melody and swing, a deep sense of blues—not just as a style but as a fundamental state of music—and spirituality, the improvisation here becomes a space where the pieces reveal themselves as springboards for self-expression.
RUSHIN’ is not merely a collection of references and tributes, although there are some; instead, it embodies a spirit and an approach where the performance isn’t what matters. The recordings took place over just one weekend, resulting in a mere take and a half—two takes at most—to preserve the energy and inspiration of that initial discovery. Because playing a piece is about discovering it. Take, for example, "BAUBLES, BANGLES and BEADS," originally a ¾ waltz transformed into a Broadway classic when sung by Frank Sinatra. Here, it’s infused with the essence of John Coltrane, sounding as if it’s at the crossroads of "My Favorite Things" and "Inch Worm." Similarly, Cisi’s original "PHAROAH’S MESSAGE" reaches towards a spiritual jazz that has, in recent years, captivated younger audiences, as seen with artists like Kamasi Washington and Shabaka Hutchings. It honors both Sanders and Coltrane—one of Cisi’s heroes, alongside Lester Young and Sonny Rollins. An album like this demands, of course, an authoritative knowledge of the genre. Cisi on saxophone, Dado Moroni on piano, Nicolas Thys on bass, and Jorge Rossy on drums form a powerhouse quartet. In some pieces, they expand to a quintet with the young trumpeter Cesare Mecca, who’s not yet 30, joining in.
They breathe new life into the Blue Note vibe of Hank Mobley’s "MY GROOVE YOUR MOVE" and pay homage to Lee Morgan’s ‘Sidewinder’ with "BOOGALOOP." Cisi and Moroni are both heavyweight talents with a profound love for jazz, complemented by Tys and Rossy, who, having shared a home in New York for a time, create a solid and swinging rhythm section—ideal for a jazz centered recording session.
Whether it's Cisi’s original "RUSHIN’," Jackie McLean’s "LITTLE MELONAE," or Moroni’s "ILE DE ROUME," which blends a European sensitivity with a gentle Cuban influence, each piece shines. "HI-FLY" pays tribute to Randy Weston with its perfect melody, even if built on just two notes.
The homage to Coltrane’s lyricism is also evident in "NEVER LET ME GO," a ballad that quotes the tail end of "Naima." RUSHIN’ is an album that celebrates jazz not as a lesson but as a personal and collective experience—a matter of men and style.

Gianluca Runza – September 2024

For the recording of ‘RUSHIN’’, four friends and European Jazz colossuses meet in Torino on a shining weekend of early April 2024. They are among the most in demand jazz men around so it took some time to match their busy schedule.
- EMANUELE CISI (leader, tenor & soprano saxes), professor of saxophone at the Torino Conservatory of Music, has shared stage and studio with jazz greats as Clark Terry, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Cobham, Nat Adderley, Aldo Romano, Daniel Humair, Enrico Rava and Sting. In 1994 he has been elected greatest new jazz scene talent by the prestigious ‘Music Jazz’ magazine.
- DADO MORONI (piano) is one of Italy’s most renowned jazz pianists, celebrated across Europe and the United States. At just 17, he debuted with Tullio de Piscopo and Franco Ambrosetti. Alongside Hank Jones, Barry Harris, and Roland Hanna, in 1987, he became the only European pianist invited to the prestigious Thelonious Monk Piano Competition jury in Washington. His career includes collaborations with some of the world’s greatest jazz stars such as Alvin Queen, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Zoot Sims, Ron Carter and Oscar Peterson.
- NICOLAS THYS (bass) is a Belgian bassist. Thys took private lessons with Dave Holland, Marc Helias the Netherlands), where he also taught bass and double bass. In 2001 received the ‘Golden Django’ award as best young talent. His original tutors were Dave Holland, Marc Helias and Marc Johnson. Within his stunning collaborations we can mention the ones with Toots Thielemans, Brussels Jazz Orchestra and Mark Stern.
- JORGE ROSSY (drums) is a drummer, pianist and vibraphonist from Spain who initially played with top Spanish jazz musicians and global stars like Woody Shaw, Kenny Wheeler, and Jack Walrath. He then joined the Danilo Pérez Trio and later the Paquito D'Rivera Sextet. In 1991, Rossy moved to New York, where he collaborated with jazz greats like Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Joshua Redman. From 1995, he toured and recorded extensively with the Brad Mehldau Trio. He has since recorded and toured across the U.S., Spain, Morocco, and more, while contributing to groups like the Lee Konitz Quartet and Carla Bley’s Liberation Orchestra.
- CESARE MECCA (trumpet) guest on two tracks, is a young promising trumpeter from Torino, student of Emanuele Cisi, who has already collaborated with heavy weights such as Gianni Cazzola, Flavio Boltro, Marcello Rosa and Massimo Farao.

Jazz, Funk, Soul & Acid Jazz label from Milan, Italy.

Right Tempo is a community of dedicated people with an uncompromisable passion for music. Since 1993, we deliver timeless releases with a focus on outstanding quality of sound, artwork and packaging. In times of increasing impersonality and conformation, we see music as a medium for self-expression and collective growth.

linkin.bio