Robert Castelli Boom! Quartet

“Resonant Alien – Live at The Black Cat, Belgium”

(Self Released)

Robert Castelli – drums,  Gilles Estoppey – keyboards,  Dani Perez – electric guitar, David Duffy – electric bass

The Jazzmann doesn’t usually review digital only releases but I’m prepared to make an exception with this new live album from drummer and composer Robert Castelli.

Robert and I go back a long way so before I turn to the music on this latest recording I’ll provide a bit of background /  biographical information.

Born in New York State of Italian heritage into a drumming family (his father and uncle were both pro drummers) Castelli started playing at a very early age and in addition to his obvious skill behind the kit he is also a talented composer and bandleader. He has lived and worked in Europe for many years, first basing himself in Austria before moving to Spain and settling in Barcelona.

I first saw Castelli perform way back in 2010 at that year’s Brecon Jazz Festival when he led a London based quartet featuring guitarist Nicolas Meier, saxophonist Dave O’Higgins and bassist Patrick Bettison at Theatr Brycheiniog. That was an early morning gig but it was a highly enjoyable event that helped to get the day off to a great start. My review of that performance can be found as part of my Festival coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/saturday-at-breon-jazz-festival-07-08-2010

After the Brecon show I spoke with Castelli and he was kind enough to provide me with a review copy of the first Boom! Quartet album from 2008, which included a number of the tunes that had been played at Brecon. It featured an Austrian quartet comprised of saxophonist Tom Muller, guitarist Mike Scharf and the curiously named bassist Struzi, who also acted as recording engineer. My review of that recording, which I described at the time as being “a muscular but intelligent brand of fusion and funk” can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/robert-castelli-boom-quartet 

2010 saw Castelli introducing new material and a new Austrian quartet featuring saxophonist Sebastian Grimus, guitarist Roland Stonek and bassist Hannes Steif on the live recording “Live at Porgy & Bess Vienna”.  Besides leading from behind the kit Castelli also enjoyed a brief cameo on acoustic guitar in a flamenco flavoured duet with Stonek. Album review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/robert-castelli-boom-quartet-live-at-porgy-bess-vienna

By 2020 Castelli was resident in Barcelona after thirteen years of living in Austria. He duly introduced another new version of Boom!, a truly international quartet featuring other musicians based in Barcelona. In addition to the leader the group included Argentinian guitarist Dani Perez, Swiss keyboard player Gilles Estoppey and the only Spaniard in the group, bassist Emilio Martin, who hails from Gran Canaria.

Their album “Party at One World Plaza” featured Castelli’s writing exclusively (the two earlier albums had also included compositions by other band members) and was also a digital only release. I usually only cover physical releases but after having remained in regular email contact with Robert since 2010 I was prepared to make an exception and was very pleased that I did so. “Party at One World Plaza” represented Castelli’s most satisfying album thus far and is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/robert-castelli-and-boom-party-at-one-world-plaza

In 2023 after a near thirteen year wait and after several thwarted attempts I finally got to see Castelli perform in the flesh again when a London based version of the Boom! Quartet played at a Music Spoken Here event at The Marr’s Bar in Worcester. The line up featured two Italian born musicians who now ply their trade in London, guitarist Francesco Lo Castro and keyboard player Marco Marconi. The line up was completed by the British bassist Jonny Wickham.

Supported by the young Kidderminster based Tom Hodgkins Trio the Boom! Quartet delivered a hugely exciting performance and it was great to meet up with Robert again after all these years. The other musicians in his group were also highly impressive with Lo Castro and Marconi both representing exciting new discoveries for me. 

Even more significant was the fact that this was the first Music Spoken Here event that I ever attended. Founded in 2022 by the enterprising promoter Dave Fuller and with the emphasis on fusion and funk the MSH series has been a terrific addition to the Midlands jazz scene, bringing a strand of jazz to the region that rarely gets a look in at more ‘straightahead’ jazz clubs.

I’ve been an MSH regular ever since that night and the series has produced many truly memorable performances. I’ve also made a lot of new friends from attending MSH events, while also effectively becoming the series’ ‘resident reviewer’. And of course the initial spark for all these good things came from the fact that Robert Castelli was playing there, so I’m eternally grateful to him for that.

My review of Castelli’s 2023 performance at The Marr’s Bar can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/artists/profile/robert-castelli-boom-quartet-tom-hodgkins-trio

In October 2025 Castelli returned to MSH and the Marr’s Bar with a slightly different version of the Boom! Quartet with Lo Castro and Wickham joined on keyboards by the Polish born musician Anita Lazinska, who was ‘depping’ for Marconi and playing her first gig with the band.  She fitted in brilliantly and won herself a lot of new fans in the process.

This was another superb night and one which saw the band performing in front of a far larger audience than first time round, with MSH having continued to build a loyal following during the intervening period. My review of the Boom! Quartet’s second visit to Worcester can be found here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/robert-castelli-boom-quartet-music-spoken-here-the-marrs-bar-worcester-09-10-2025

“Resonant Alien” was recorded at the Black Cat Jazz Club in Thourout, Belgium and introduces the latest edition of the Boom! Quartet with the Barcelona based trio of Castelli, Estoppey and Perez joined by the Irish bassist David Duffy. The programme features four new compositions from Castelli plus arrangements of Michael Brecker’s “Madame Toulouse”, Joe Lovano’s “Cymbalism”  and the Miles Davis classic “Nardis”.

The first track combines a spacey, atmospheric intro featuring the sounds of guitar effects and swirling synths with the original composition “Fraulein Badass”, which is dedicated to Castelli’s daughter (who was presumably born in Austria) “because she is”.
The “Intro”, which features Castelli on rhythm guitar, lasts for around two minutes before Castelli and Duffy kick in with a funky and propulsive groove that fuels the high octane soloing of Perez on guitar and Estoppey on Hammond, with Perez returning for second helpings. Duffy’s funky electric bass lines become more prominent as the piece progresses. This is the kind of muscular but intelligent fusion that has come to define Castelli’s sound. At times it’s reminiscent of the music of guitarist John Scofield, and particularly those bands where Scofield has included an organist in the line-up.

There’s a slight reduction in pace for “Frankly Frustrated”, the title representing Castelli’s response to the challenging cultural and economic climate currently facing contemporary jazz musicians. “I’m a musician in these times. I am frankly frustrated”, he declares in his album notes.
The angular grooves underpin an expansive keyboard solo from Estoppey, who again predominately favours an organ sound. He’s followed by Perez on guitar, whose efforts draw a round of applause from the Belgian crowd. The leader then enjoys his first drum feature of the set, a typically powerful and authoritative excursion around the kit. Again the overall sound is broadly Scofield-esque.

Next up is the quartet’s high energy interpretation of the Michael Brecker composition “Madame Toulouse”, a tune from the late, great saxophonist’s 1998 album “Two Blocks from the Edge”. Ushered in by the leader from the drum kit the funky, shuffling groove frames an expansive solo from Estoppey, this time adopting a piano sound. The audience at The Black Cat respond positively as he hands over to the similarly impressive Perez as Castelli and Duffy combine to provide the necessary rhythmic impetus.

Title track “Resonant Alien” takes its title from the album art work, which was created by Castelli’s daughter. I guess it could also refer to Castelli himself as an ex pat American drummer living and working in Europe. Angular funk grooves underpin the twang of Perez’s guitar before he launches into the first solo, deploying his range of effects wisely to create a variety of guitar sounds. Estoppey adopts a synthesiser sound for an expansive solo that draws further applause from the audience. Duffy then enjoys his first feature of the set with a fluent and mobile electric bass solo.
Castelli’s drums achieve a greater prominence in the tune’s closing moments.

Apparently the decision to include the Miles Davis tune “Nardis” was made “totally off the cuff on the night of the performance”. At nearly eleven minutes duration it’s easily the album’s lengthiest track. The piece is introduced by an extended passage of unaccompanied guitar from Perez that mixes acoustic and electric sounds and has subsequently been described by Castelli as “COLOSSAL!”.
I recall the late, great guitarist Ralph Towner recording a version of this piece for his 1980 ECM release “Solo Album” and wondered whether this might have been a source of inspiration for Perez.
Once the familiar theme kicks in the piece is tackled in the Boom! Quartet’s signature fusion-esque style with Estoppey deploying an organ sound with something of an electric piano feel about it for his inventive and exploratory solo. Duffy is given another chance to demonstrate his abilities as an electric bass soloist with another highly articulate feature. Perez then returns for a high octane solo fuelled by the leader’s powerful drumming in cahoots with Estoppey and Duffy. A fiery group performance also incorporates a dynamic Castelli drum feature prior to a final collective restatement of the theme.

“Cymbalism” is a tune written by Joe Lovano for his 1997 album “Trio Fascination: Edition One”, which the saxophonist recorded with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Elvin Jones. Castelli’s arrangement of this complex composition, which has something of the spirit of Ornette Coleman, about it,  incorporates some dazzling guitar / organ unison passages and exchanges, plus high octane solos from Perez on guitar and the leader at the drums, who is a dynamic presence throughout.  Underpinned by Duffy’s springy electric bass this is a fiery and energetic group performance that elicits a rousing reception from the audience.

The album concludes with “Lets Get Level”, Castelli’s dedication to the London based bassist ‘Level’ Neville Malcolm. The composition also draws inspiration from the tune “Pauline” by the French fusion group Sixun. Intended as the ‘hit’ of the album it’s a kind of jazz calypso that borrows from both African and Caribbean sources with Estoppey’s keyboards approximating the sound of steel pans alongside Perez’s jangling Township style guitar. Castelli is a whirlwind of activity behind the kit, driving his band forward with energy and enthusiasm. The joyousness of the music is infectious and I suspect that other members of the band may be doubling on percussion at some points during the performance. There are brief cameos for percussion and electric bass, plus an organ solo from Estoppey that channels the spirit of Booker T Jones and “Soul Limbo”.
This joyful, high energy performance is followed by “Outro”, a brief reprise of the atmospherics at the start of the album, with Castelli again briefly featuring on guitar.

The “Intro” and “Outro” sections are inspired by the album cover, as Castelli explains;
 “The outro is meant to bring us back to the beginning. Just like the motion in the artwork. The saxophone player plays, it goes around the Moon, then comes right back”.

“Resonant Alien” represents a highly enjoyable addition to the catalogue of Castelli and the Boom! Quartet with a selection of brand new compositions and arrangements played in the band’s high energy fusion-esque style. On the original compositions strong melodies are combined with equally strong grooves to create music that is both adventurous and accessible. The covers are very well chosen with Castelli’s arrangements bringing something fresh to every piece. The playing is excellent throughout with Castelli and Duffy proving to be a highly effective rhythm team in addition to enjoying their individual moments in the spotlight. The momentum that they generate provides the inspiration for both Estoppey and Perez to deliver exceptional solos and to bounce ideas off each other. But it’s Castelli whose playing and presence is right at the heart of the music and there’s no better place to hear Boom! Quartet than in the live environment.

“Resonant Alien” captures something of the energy and spirit of a Boom! Quartet live performance and credit is also due to Rick Jowitt, the mixing and mastering engineer and Castelli’s joint producer on this project.

Castelli is due to visit the UK again in 2027. I hope I’m able to catch up with him and the band somewhere along the line.

 

 

blog comments powered by Disqus