Lorenzo De Finti Quartet: ‘Backlash of Uncertainty’

Out now on Losen Records is ‘Backlash of Uncertainty’, the new album from pianist Lorenzo De Finti’s quartet. All five tunes seem to encapsulate some of the best of contemporary jazz, with the jazz quartet and electronics combining beautifully.

All compositions and production are a collaboration between De Finti and bass player Stefano Dall’ Ora: each tune allows for improvisation around the beautiful writing, with the collective effect being one of contemplative modernity.

These are lengthy tunes that allow the quartet to expand their approach. The title track opens with a confident and decisive response to some of the difficult times in which we live, with electronics and some gorgeous bowing from Dall’Ora. There is more of a soulful feel in The Other Route That Wasn’t There perhaps of all the tracks, this is the one that shows Alberto Mandarini’s trumpet at its best across the range of the instrument. 

Across the album, there are some particularly brilliant quartet moments, particularly the combination of drums from Marco Castiglioni and bowed bass in an early section on Temporary Shunt. As the track progresses, the electronics add a new layer and depth to the quartet sound.

The final - and longest track - is Occam's Razor, reflecting a simplicity against complexity evident in the theory from which it is named. It's not really simple, but perhaps there is a simplicity to the collaboration between these four extraordinary musicians. Keep listening for the final addition of a collective improvisation that allows the tune's extension.

Recorded, mixed and released across 2025, Backlash of Uncertainty really does feel like an album for this year and all that has gone on in the world and continues as we head towards 2026.