Margherita Fava, Murrina Review

by Jeff Becker

Margherita Fava’s Murrina is an album shaped by classical bloodlines, American jazz mentorship, and a pianist’s deep commitment to narrative-driven improvisation. Fava’s playing is rooted in lyricism, structural clarity, and rhythmic curiosity. Supported by Brandon Rose’s resonant bass, Jonathan Barber’s kinetic drumming, and thoughtfully chosen guest appearances, she delivers a modern jazz album that is built on harmonic insight, rhythmic architecture, and a refined sense of ensemble trust.

The album opens with the rhythmic lattice of “No Clue.” The Cyclic patterns pulsing beneath Fava’s playful yet harmonically precise piano language fill the air. Her touch is buoyant, with voice leading that unfolds naturally across the trio’s building interplay. The band’s communication is supple as Rose anchors the groove, while Barber’s transitions brim with forward motion. Fava’s solo builds through motivic expansion and harmonic elongation until it hands off seamlessly to Barber’s climactic drum feature. The return to the theme feels natural, a satisfying closing of the loop that reveals the composition’s elegant geometry.

“Keep On” (feat. Bob Reynolds) shifts the trio’s color palette from the moment Reynolds’ tenor enters. His contribution is warm, conversational, and rhythmically alert. The tune’s form gradually expands, offering a narrative arc that mirrors its title. Reynolds’ solo is full of his characteristic rhythmic elasticity and harmonic playfulness, the lines curling around Fava’s interactive comping. She responds to every gesture with harmonic extensions, subtle cross-rhythms, and guide-tone clarity that supports without crowding. Her own solo brims with excitement, with a blend of contemporary jazz phrasing and crisp attack that energizes Barber’s cymbal-driven propulsion.

Fava’s reimagined Brahms’ “Intermezzo, Op. 117, No. 1” is a journey in translating classical affect into modern jazz vocabulary. Her touch is agile and percussive, yet never abrasive, making each phrase dance. Barber and Rose weave around the melody with sensitivity, transforming the music into a breathing trio performance. The interplay bridges genres with the classical line remaining central, while contemporary harmonic colors, flexible phrasing, and rhythmic reshaping give the music a fresh architecture.

Rich bass tones introduce an atmosphere of depth before the composition’s hypnotic groove takes shape in “Murrina.” Fava’s harmonic language is modern jazz with layered voicings, unexpected cadential turns, and sectional contrasts that flow naturally. Barber’s drumming is sculptural, shaping the music through accents, textures, and shifting feels. The composition’s form is one of its strengths, with transitions between sections of adventurous and organic melodies. The trio’s cohesion makes this one of the album’s centerpiece statements.

Fava approaches Ellington’s “Satin Doll” with a Latin-inflected A-section groove offset by a bridge that swings decisively, creating a dialogue between rhythmic cultures. Her arrangement respects the melodic contour while pushing harmonic boundaries with reharmonizations that stretch the familiar into new dimensions without fracturing it. Her solo over the up-tempo swing feel shows her crisp time feel, incisive accents, and motivic clarity. Rose and Barber lock in tightly, their figures interlocking around Fava’s rhythmic nuance.

A quiet, evolving beauty, “Yarn” brings in new sound, space, and texture. The trio builds the performance gradually, exploring harmonic environments with patience. Fava’s motivic development is one of the track’s most rewarding aspects. The way she turns small cells into extended phrases, using subtle rhythmic displacement and harmonic variation, is the reason.

“Murrina Reprise” is a spontaneous moment captured by accident; this short track acts as a glimpse into the band’s chemistry. It’s playful, groove-forward, and relaxed; evidence that Fava’s trio can generate infectious feel even without formal structure.

Built from modern chordal patterns and a tight motivic melody, “Foreshadow” illuminates Fava’s skills as a composer and pianist. The contemporary–Latin fusion composition has textures folding into one another without stylistic friction. The trio operates with remarkable unity as Barber’s drumming alternates between subtle contouring and assertive propulsion, while Rose’s grounded lines reinforce Fava’s harmonic frames.

A nu-jazz exploration that widens the album’s sonic landscape, “Alter Ego,” incorporates electric bass and layered synths without feeling disjointed from the acoustic core of the majority of the project. The shift in the second half brings a radical, rhythmic, and synth-driven texture that embodies the composition’s title. When Taber Gable and Jeff Babko enter, their playing complements Fava’s narrative, adding color without overpowering it. This is one of the album’s boldest tracks, a demonstration of Fava’s willingness to challenge her palette and recontextualize her influences.

With Murrina, Margherita Fava will grab your attention as one of the rising pianists of her generation. She defines a musical identity marked by harmonic sophistication, rhythmic vitality, and a composer’s intuition for structure and emotional flow. The trio’s interplay is consistently compelling, enriched by thoughtful guest appearances and a clear artistic vision.