Esteem

Tracklist

1. On Cue7:13
2. Gardel7:04
3. Resumé / Sheni5:17
4. Cymbals1:28
5. Game 74:26
6. Questions5:39
7. Wiechmann3:19
8. Game5:54
9. Night Breath7:01
10. Musk3:17
11. Whisper1:16
12. Esteem3:00

Personnel & credits

• Paolino Dalla PortaDouble Bass
• Gianni BertonciniDrums
• Cristiano ZattaEngineer [Sound Engineer]
• Federico ZecchinExecutive-Producer
• Eva BaggioGraphics
• Mirko R. BoscoloPhotography By [Photo]
• Claudio FasoliTenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax]
• Michael GassmannTrumpet

About this record

Genre

Jazz

Style

Contemporary Jazz

Discogs

View on Discogs ↗

Press

“tra scrittura e libertà controllata, come pratica della misura”Doppio Jazz (Francesco Cataldo Verrina) ↗

Reception

Critical coverage of this specific 1999 Flex Records date is sparse, as is typical for a small Italian-label release. The one substantial dedicated review found is a 2026 retrospective piece by Francesco Cataldo Verrina on the Italian site Doppio Jazz. It frames "Esteem" not as a casual recording document but as a coherent reflection on improvised music-making at the close of the 20th century, treating composition as a critical, conscious practice that balances analytical rigor with sonic imagination. Verrina situates the album in a phase of artistic maturity for Fasoli, past both imitation of American models and predictable identity shortcuts. He praises a measured, non-redundant discourse with strong formal coherence — "controlled freedom" in which each player works within tight structural logic while keeping expressive room, and the rhythm section acts as a formal shaping agent rather than mere accompaniment. Notably for this discography, Verrina states that the contributions of bassist Paolino Dalla Porta and trumpeter Michael Gassmann do not introduce stylistic fractures but enrich the chamber-like (cameristic) interplay. No English-language reviews (AllMusic, All About Jazz, JazzTimes, Down Beat) of this exact title were located, nor any Swiss/German press; mainstream jazz outlets cover other Fasoli albums but not "Esteem."

Background

Recorded June 1998 at Movin' Studio in Saccalongo (near Padua, Italy) and released in 1999 on Flex Records (catalog FX 1007/04 99). Credited to the "Claudio Fasoli Experience" quartet: Claudio Fasoli (tenor and soprano saxophone), Michael Gassmann (trumpet), Paolino Dalla Porta (double bass) and Gianni Bertoncini (drums). The conceptual frame is composition-as-critical-practice: written material that opens controlled space for solo exploration while preserving formal coherence built on harmonic tension and structure. The track listing includes On Cue, Gardel, Resumé–Sheni, Cymbals, Game 7, Questions, Wiechmann, Game, Night Breath, Musk, Whisper and the title track Esteem. The release is documented on Fasoli's own discography site (claudiofasoli.com), which lists it under the Experience ensemble name with no extended liner notes.