Circular Motion

A pianist who originally hails from Italy, Crosara is well-versed in bop lore, and his delicate flow might indicate a debt to Bill Evans.
DownBeat

From a lifetime of music creation, Seattle-based Italian pianist and composer Francesco Crosara selected 10 of his compositions from the last 40 years with the idea of highlighting the nexus between early work, with its simplicity and youthful appeal, to later works where he expressed richer harmonic textures and possibilities. Always close by are the influences from his early mentoring in Rome from Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie, through his move to the US and the program at USC. Three different rhythm sections bring his music to life, each adding varied sonic textures and rhythmic vitality to the whole. Bassist Clipper Anderson and drummer Mark Ivester swing and float; the vibrant grooves of electric bassist Farko Dosumov and drummer D'Vonne Lewis lend a modern momentum; and the youthful eclecticism of bassist Osama Afifi and drummer Xavier Lecouturier adds yet another dimension.

"The kind of sensitive swing seldom heard since Bill Evans...precious insights into his fertile imagination and harmonic daring."
JazzTimes

"Crosara's compositions provide a source of joy, comfort, escape, and healing...distilling a multitude of identities, backgrounds, and personalities."
Earshot Jazz

Production Info:

Produced by Francesco Crosara
Executive Producer: Francesco Crosara
Recorded & mixed by David Lange
Assistant Engineer: Benjamin Lange
at David Lange Studios, Edgewood, WA
January 17 & 18, 2022
Mastered by Ross Nyberg
at Nyberg Mastering, Issaquah, WA
Liner notes by David R. Adler
Band photos by Francesco Crosara
Artist photo by Julia Crosara
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Circular Motion

Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
If you love the piano, you're in for a treat! Indeed, according to DownBeat, ‘An Italian-born pianist, Crosara is well-versed in the tradition of bop, and his delicate flow could suggest a debt to Bill Evans.' For Jazz Times, ‘… precious insights into his fertile imagination and harmonic boldness.' And for Bayou Blue Radio, an exceptional alb ...

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Playing piano and synthesizer, Francesco Crosara mixes and matches trios with bassists Clipper Anderson/Farko Dosumov and Osama Afifi with drummers Mark Ivester/D'Vonne Lewis and Xavier Lecouturier respectively on this album of originals. On keyboards, there's a Stevie Wonder meets Weather Report feel to "One Day Honey One Day Onions" and the de ...

Times-Standard (Arts Editor)
Play what you love - Pianist Francesco Crosara, who is originally from Italy and now resides in Seattle, has a new album coming out mid-month titled "Circular Motion." "I refuse to be labeled a ‘straightahead' player or a ‘fusion' player," says Italian–born, Seattle–based Crosara. It's a sentiment widely shared by jazz musicians, though ...

KNKX, The New Cool (Abe Beeson)
The Italian pianist Francesco Crosara moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2017 and quickly gained attention for his joyful, Latin-influenced melodies in an acoustic setting. The new album Circular Motion is a half-acoustic, half-electric affair with three different trios playing fresh recordings of original songs written over Crosara's 40-year career ...

LE SOIR (Belgium) (Jean-Claude Vantroyen)
Francesco Crosara, an Italian based in Seattle, plays piano and Yamaha MODX-8 synthesizer on this album. With three line-ups, each with drums, two with an electric bass, one with a double bass. An album heavily influenced by Chick Corea who also liked to play with different musicians, well-known or young to discover. Crosara plays his own music plu ...

Jazz'NMore (Switzerland) (Luca d’Alessandro)
The jazz pianist Francesco Crosara, who comes from Milan, has found his second home in Seattle. Here he has his Forged a career and put together an impressive repertoire over the years. The best titles from the past On "Circular Motion" he looks back over the past forty years, together with extremely capable fellow musicians the basses and drums. ...

Udite Udite (Italy) (Music Editor)
"I refuse to be labeled as a 'straightahead' musician or a 'fusion' musician," says the resident Italian pianist in Seattle, Francesco Crosara. It's a sentiment widely shared by jazz musicians, even if each takes different paths to reach that point. Crosara, for the part of him, plays both the acoustic piano and the Yamaha MODX-8 synthesizer this ...

EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE (Anne Carlini)
For those not in the know, Francesco Crosara is an Italian jazz pianist and composer who has performed at select musical venues internationally. Furthermore, over his illustrious career thus far, he has also performed with Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Von Freeman, Lilian Terry, Bobby Shew, Ira Sullivan, Don Menza, Joh ...

O's Place (Oscar Groomes)
Pianist, composer Francesco Crosara assembles a fine team of musicians for Circular Motion. There are three distinct trios The first includes Farko Dosumov (b) and D'Vonne Lewis (d) on four selections. Clipper Anderson (b) and Mark Ivester (d) join Crosara on four songs, and Osama Afifi (b) and Xavier Lecouturier (d) play on two selections. We enjo ...

Culture Jazz (France) (Yves Dorison)
Although Francesco Crosara has lived in Seattle for a long time, he is nonetheless Milanese by birth. And you know, Italian musicians have this thing with melody that belongs only to them and which challenges the listener every time. That's how it is and you will hear it in this beautiful record where the pianist plays, depending on the pieces, wit ...

Jazz Life (Japan) (Hiroshi Ogawa)
A new work by Francesco Crosara, an Italian pianist currently based in Seattle. In addition to his original songs written and collected over the years, the album includes 10 songs, including re-recordings of past works themed around Mount Kurama in Kyoto ("Kurama") and Brazil ("Sarava"). Crosara has succeeded in expanding his range of expression wi ...

BackDigit Magazine (Italy) (Patrizia Marinelli)
Francesco Crosara: the musical story of the virtuoso pianist in the album "Circular Motion" Francesco Crosara recently released his new album Circular Motion. These are 10 selected pieces which in some way tend to summarize the brilliant career of the Italian pianist who has settled for years in Seattle in the United States. Music that draws fr ...

Jazz Views (UK) (Ed Sapiega)
Circular Motion is a captivating album. It features three distinct piano trios with three different flavors: one with acoustic bass and drums and two with electric bass and drums. This innovative three-band approach piqued my curiosity, and I was pleasantly surprised by the diverse and rich musical journey this album offers. Crosara was born in ...

JAZZIZ (Matt Micucci)
*EDITOR'S CHOICE* Chick Corea's influence on Francesco Crosara can be heard throughout the Italian-born pianist's recent recording Circular Motion (OA2). Like Corea, Crosara refuses to be pigeonholed as a straightahead or fusion jazz artist, but rather seamlessly combines their aesthetics and instrumentation throughout the album. The Seattle-based ...

Fra Noi Magazine (David Witter)
A GRAND MUSICAL JOURNEY In the old days, when folks traveled by ship and train, passengers' trunks were adorned with colorful stickers indicating the cities and nations they had passed through. Jazz pianist Francesco Crosara's latest recording is a musical version of such a suitcase. Born in Italy, Crosara immigrated to the United States and has ...

RootsTime.BE (Belgium) (Jan van Leersum)
Francesco Crosara (Milan, 1960) is a pianist/composer and music educator, he was born in Milan and now lives in Seattle (USA). His role models are Chick Corea, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock. As far as I can tell, he released seven albums, including 1999's "Colors" with the renowned Chicago tenor saxophonist Von Freeman. His music moves between jazz ...