Circular Motion

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. Bassist Clipper Anderson and drummer Mark Ivester join Crosara on straight-ahead acoustic tunes, while he employs Osama Afifi and Xavier LeCouturier for a few songs with "more of a world music approach," he explained. The third rhythm section, Farko Dosumov and D'Vonne Lewis, bring a contemporary post-fusion element. "One Day Honey, One Day Onions" establishes a sharp groove in 7/4 time that finds Crosara's keyboard wash topped by a synthesized sound you might mistake for electric guitar. Dosumov's sparsely backed bass solo is soaked in rubbery effects, leading to a colorful drum break from Lewis. The song is one of Crosara's most recent creations, which he debuted in 2021 for a remote streaming concert at the Royal Room. Crosara explained that he used an "electric guitar synthesizer voice with a clear inspiration and dedication to (fusion guitarist) John McLaughlin."