| Jazz |
Certainly, this album will not revolutionize the genre, but it is evident that this guitarist possesses enormous potential. While the compositions themselves hold relative interest, it is in the arrangements that one must look, and it quickly becomes clear that James Zito’s intention was to present a relatively classic jazz album immersed in a form of modernism that appears to be his signature. It is in this aspect that the magic unfolds—Zito commands the instruments with masterful precision, offering the listener brass sections that are not only impeccably executed but truly impressive. The same can be said for the rhythmic structures.
At just 28 years old, Zito has already graced some of New York’s most prestigious jazz stages, including Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Birdland Theatre, the Django, Minton’s Jazz Club, and the Blue Note, among others. A graduate of the esteemed “Artist Diploma” program at the Juilliard School, he has toured both in New York and internationally with their elite quintet.
Ultimately, this album feels like a catalog of all the possibilities that Zito has explored. A deep and repeated listening reveals an undeniable truth: for this debut effort, Zito has chosen to take minimal risks, ensuring instead that the album holds together from start to finish. And indeed, it does—remarkably so for a first album, where nothing feels out of place, nothing appears to be missing, down to the sequencing of the tracks, which seems to have been carefully thought out. Among his notable distinctions, he won first place at the Wilson Center International Guitar Competition and received the Special Prize at the Jarek Smietana International Guitar Competition in Kraków, Poland. He has performed alongside renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Wycliffe Gordon, Michael Dease, Jane Monheit, and many others. In 2020, Zito became an ambassador artist for Benedetto Guitars, a prestigious maker of handcrafted instruments.
Listening to this album, I can already sense what the next one might be. On X (formerly Twitter, where he goes by @DrCoolness), pop-bebop tendencies emerge throughout, and one can easily imagine a post-bebop album in the future,a leap I am more than willing to take. For this musician seems to have revealed only a fraction of his capabilities in this album, and as one listens to him play, it is clear that he is galloping towards his artistic future.
I took great pleasure in listening to this album, with my only critique being a slight lack of audacity in the compositions, though this in no way diminishes the enjoyment it provides. This is, without a doubt, one of our “favorites” for the month of April, and I am certain that many of you will appreciate this album, as it truly deserves to be heard.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 7th 2025
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