Searchin' - Anthony D’Alessandro

Searchin' is pianist Anthony D'Alessandro's album released in 2024, featuring a core quintet with trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III, bassist Neil Swainson, and drummer Ernesto Cervini, with guest vocalist Caity Gyorgy appearing on select tracks. The seven-track program mixes D'Alessandro originals like "The Golden Mean," "Outbreak," "Tune for Monty," and "Wonder" with the standards "East of the Sun" and "Someone to Watch Over Me," plus the blues "Blues for the Down and Out." D'Alessandro, based in Canada, plays with a crisp, harmonically inventive touch that reflects both bebop and modern jazz influences. Benack, a Pittsburgh-born trumpeter who also sings, contributes bright trumpet solos and vocal performances. Swainson, a veteran Canadian bassist who recorded with Woody Shaw and Art Blakey, provides an authoritative rhythmic foundation. Gyorgy's appearances connect the album to her own growing discography — she and D'Alessandro have collaborated regularly, with D'Alessandro playing piano on her Hello! How Are You? album. The album balances swinging, straight-ahead performances with more reflective original compositions.