| Jazz |
There’s a French proverb that says, “La valeur n’attend pas le nombre des années”, true worth doesn’t wait for age. It’s a fitting phrase for pianist and composer Anthony D’Alessandro, whose playing radiates the poise and depth of an artist twice his years. From the first notes of his new album City Lights, he manages something rare: to capture both the enduring language of jazz tradition and the pulse of the present moment. Nothing feels accidental. His melodic lines are taut yet lyrical, and his arrangements reveal a musician who listens as intently as he plays.
D’Alessandro, a Toronto native, has quickly emerged as one of Canada’s most promising jazz voices. WholeNote Magazine praised his “innate sense of swing and groove” and “sparkling technique,” qualities that have propelled him beyond national borders and onto the international stage. After earning critical acclaim with his 2024 debut “Searchin’”, D’Alessandro spent the next year touring Canada, the United States, South America, and Europe, a journey that both broadened his audience and deepened his sound.
City Lights, his sophomore release, showcases not only D’Alessandro’s growth as a composer but also the vitality of a new generation of Canadian jazz musicians making their mark globally.
The album features a sextet of exceptional players: trumpeter Summer Camargo, the youngest member of the Saturday Night Live band; tenor saxophonist Jacob Chung, a Canadian talent now based in New York; bassist Jonathan Chapman; and JUNO Award–winning drummer Ernesto Cervini, whose sensitive yet authoritative drumming anchors the record. Vocalist Jennarie adds a soulful counterpoint on “Oversight,” a haunting ballad co-written with D’Alessandro that highlights his gift for melody and mood.
The cohesion of the album is perhaps its greatest triumph. Achieving a unified sound within a modern jazz ensemble, one that balances precision with spontaneity, is no easy feat. Yet *City Lights* unfolds with the natural flow of a live conversation among equals. Cervini’s drumming, in particular, stands out: his touch combines the elegance of a percussionist with the seasoned intuition of a veteran bandleader. Each musician seems indispensable, their interplay guided by shared purpose rather than ego. The result is a recording that feels as thoughtfully constructed as it is alive in the moment.
Across seven original compositions, D’Alessandro reveals the mind of a composer who swings effortlessly yet refuses to be confined by convention. There are hints of cinematic lyricism and the harmonic sophistication of the Great American Songbook, but also rhythmic ideas drawn from modern funk and post-bop. The track “Overnight,” for instance, carries an understated beauty, it sounds simple until one listens closely to its subtle phrasing and harmonic turns. D’Alessandro doesn’t seek to dazzle with speed or pyrotechnics. Instead, his artistry lies in balance, in the quiet confidence of a musician searching for truth rather than effect. One could imagine him sharing a stage with Dexter Gordon, an artist he seems to mirror in his deep respect for jazz’s lineage, coupled with an insistence on staying resolutely modern.
There’s also something distinctly Toronto about D’Alessandro’s sensibility. The city’s jazz scene, cosmopolitan, open-minded, shaped by its multicultural character, has long fostered artists who can navigate both tradition and innovation. In that sense, City Lights feels like a reflection of its place of origin: rooted in the past, fluent in the present, and oriented toward the future.
Ultimately, what makes City Lights so compelling is its warmth. Beneath its technical polish and compositional ambition lies a joy that is unmistakably human. The music swings, breathes, and even smiles. It invites the listener not just to admire, but to share in its sense of discovery. By the album’s end, one is left thinking: what a pianist, what a composer, and what a reminder that real artistry, regardless of age, is always about honesty and heart.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 23rd 2025
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Musicians :
Anthony D’Alessandro – piano
Summer Camargo – trumpet
Jacob Chung – tenor saxophone
Jonathan Chapman – acoustic bass
Ernesto Cervini – drums
Jennarie – vocals (track 6)
Track Listing :
Four Minute Miles
Staying The Course
Scared Ground
City Lights
The Line Up
Oversight
Green Sauce
Charleston
Harlem Strut
All compositions by Anthony D’Alessandro unless otherwise notated.
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Jeff ‘Fedge’ Elliot.
Recorded at Union Sound Studios on May 6, 2025.
Album design by Tilda Hedwig.
Photography by Rebecca Schmal and Max Power.
Copyright © 2025 Anthony D’Alessandro Music.
All rights reserved.
Made in Canada