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Drummer Vito Rezza has been building his reputation on Toronto’s vibrant music scene for three decades, but nothing in a long, illustrious career as a studio stalwart and leader of the critically acclaimed jazz ensemble, 5 After 4 could prepare listeners for the majestic beauty of Rezza’s new CD, "Drums of Avila" (now available from Alma Records).

Rezza and 5 After 4’s fifth CD is a texturally rich, rhythmically sophisticated original work featuring sterling contributions from jazz stars Michael Brecker, Toots Thielemans, Joey DeFrancesco, Guido Basso and a host of other brilliant musicians.

After establishing his reputation as a volcanic, teenaged drum prodigy, Vito Rezza became a studio star. He has contributed to recordings, film scores and television and radio work with artists including Joni Mitchell, John Lee Hooker, Gino Vanelli, and Big Mama Thornton. The veteran musician also enjoys a successful second career as a character actor in an impressive list of film and television roles.

Rezza credits more than 20 years of martial arts discipline, Zen study and other Eastern philosophies for his new recording’s artistic breakthrough. 5 After 4’s 1992 Juno-nominated CD, Notorious hinted at the depth of Vito’s musical vision, and Drums of Avila showcases all of the musician’s compositional and technical strengths.

From the CD’s opening title track featuring Rezza and fellow drum master Vinnie Colaiuta, the new recording is a dazzling, eclectic collection of performances including seven of Vito’s daring, original compositions.

Benani Choudhury, along with harmonica legend Thielemans, and John Goldsmith on piano, delivers a heart wrenching vocal performance on Kristy Cardinali’s song, In Dreams. Chris Rouse adds expressive stacked vocals to Vito’s version of Help Me Find Peace of Mind, a track that also features the tenor sax and background vocals of Steve Kennedy, who played on Motherlode’s original, hit version of the song. Drums of Avila also features Kevin Breit, Rob Piltch, and producer/arranger Peter Cardinali’s propulsive bass. Together, they paint an exquisitely lyrical song cycle.

Highlights include Brecker’s tenor sax pyrotechnics above Rezza and Colaiuta’s fractured rhythms on Manhattan Bounce and Basso, DeFrancesco and Thielemans’ seductive contributions to Vishnu’s Dream. Breit’s angular guitar lines and Vito’s old teacher and Nexus percussion master Bob Becker’s African kalimba and percussion spices-up the 12/8 rhythm of Rezza’s playful Torontella. Cardinali and Rezza cook-up a withering, Afro-Cuban groove behind Alexis Puentes’ sensual guitar on Clowns, and Matt Horner, a longtime member of 5 After 4, contributes a gorgeous, Keith Jarrett-inspired composition called Number Nine that caps Drums of Avila on a soulful, high note that features some of Vito’s tastiest drumming.

"We’ve stayed away from musical clichés," Rezza explained, adding, "I love working with acoustic instruments, and nothing sings like a Fender Rhodes. It’s such a beautiful experience to play with jazz masters like Michael Brecker and Toots Thielemans," Rezza continued. "I’ve always been a big fan of the jazz organ too, and it was one of my dreams to play with Joey DeFrancesco. It’s a dream come true, I’m in heaven."

When you hear Vito Rezza’s "Drums of Avila", you’ll be in jazz heaven too.