Marcello Cardillo, Buster Williams, Tommaso Perazzo, Portrait of a Moment Review

Portrait of a Moment: Trio Architecture in Real Time

By Nolan DeBuke

Portrait of a Moment is a thoughtfully captured session featuring pianist Tommaso Perazzo, drummer Marcello Cardillo, and the legendary bassist Buster Williams. Recorded live at Steiner Studios in just one day, the album balances compositional formality with spontaneous interaction. It’s a trio project rooted in jazz tradition but expressive of a modern sensibility, with stylistic variety and trio cohesion that make it engaging for listeners. The real-time communication across generations of players stands as one of the album’s most valuable musical statements.

The opener, “Back at the Right Spot!,” sets the tone with its bright, swinging feel and well-synced trio energy. The synergy is immediate, driven by a catchy Williams-inspired bassline and tight rhythmic interlock with Cardillo’s drums. The composition leans into bop phrasing, and the trio’s unified phrasing and groove-conscious approach make it feel both grounded and fresh. In contrast, “Alba Sul Mare” slows the tempo and broadens the emotional range when it moves to a faster Latin feel. The group’s listening dynamic comes to the fore as Perazzo’s voicings shimmer with modern intervals, while Cardillo colors the edges with forward movement on the drums. The tune’s pacing and rich harmonic textures evoke the unfolding of a music story, delivering a resonant performance that rewards close attention.

“Kind of Blues” takes a playful turn, foregrounding the trio’s light-footed swing and interaction. Williams and Perazzo lock into an up-tempo walking groove that underpins Cardillo’s playful accents and buoyant melody. Their shared rhythmic language, precise but joyful, demonstrates the trio’s ability to balance tradition with personality. “Christina” shifts back to an intimate, reflective mood. Williams’s dedication to his granddaughter grounds the piece in emotional sincerity, and the trio plays with a hushed intentionality. Perazzo’s lyrical phrasing and Cardillo’s textures shape the piece as a quiet conversation, underscoring the depth of personal narrative in jazz expression.

“Where Giants Dwell” is built on structural variations, showcasing the trio’s ability to navigate transitions with clarity and rhythmic coherence. The composition’s layered motifs function as anchors, allowing each soloist to pivot while maintaining form. The opening solo piano statement transitions smoothly into a brisk swing, and the trio’s internal alignment, especially during handoffs between composed and improvised material, demonstrates the trio’s communication. “Footprints,” the trio’s nod to Wayne Shorter, unfolds patiently. Instrumental entrances are staggered for dramatic and textural effect, and the modal language gives Perazzo room to explore harmonic extensions and rhythmic motifs reminiscent of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Williams’s bass solo is lean and melodic, with clarity of articulation and swing feel that lift the ensemble, while space itself becomes a compositional tool.

“Soul Leo” introduces a funk-inflected groove, anchored by Williams’s robust pulse and Cardillo’s exacting time feel. Perazzo plays with rhythmic displacement and motivic development, layering over the groove with punch and inventiveness. The track’s tight pocket and energized execution provide contrast to the album’s more reflective moments, displaying the trio’s stylistic versatility. “Ricordi” is constructed around a recurring motif introduced by Williams and subtly mirrored by piano and drums, creating a tapestry of sound around a central topic. The trio stretches tempo and dynamics with sensitivity, reminiscent of Corea’s trio work, melding memory with forward momentum in a fluid and emotionally connected performance.

The closing track, “For Wayne,” is concise yet effective. It functions more as a musical gesture of a sound and style that lies in Wayne Shorter’s cohesion and intention through music. The group distills the spirit of Shorter’s compositional language into a compact homage, showcasing the trio’s mutual respect and interpretive range. It’s a fitting end to an album defined by listening, trust, and the courage to let the first take speak.

Portrait of a Moment is an intergenerational dialogue captured with immediacy and depth. Williams doesn’t play the role of elder statesman dictating the direction; instead, he engages in fluid, mutual exchange with Perazzo and Cardillo. The decision to record almost entirely in first takes adds to the album’s raw, unfiltered energy. There is no sense of posturing or overproduction, just three musicians responding in the moment, crafting real-time structures that reflect jazz’s essence.

The trio interplay demonstrates balance and rhythmic flexibility, but also how melodic responsibility can pass fluidly among players. Each track offers a different lens into trio behavior, making this record technically precise, emotionally grounded, and performance diverse, Portrait of a Moment is a listening pleasure of modern jazz.