Pete Fucinaro’s astoundingly accomplished Little Window is fully formed and thoroughly convincing. The debut album is so impressive that Kansas City jazz enthusiasts unfamiliar with the locally based saxophonist could initially mistake portions of Little Window for the work of area masters Adam Larson or Bobby Watson.
Yet production techniques rarely employed by local artists and the playing of unfamiliar voices betray the distant origin of Little Window. The album was recorded in New York last November with friends of Fucinaro largely unknown in Kansas City.
As with some of his adventurous cohorts, Fucinaro is a graduate of University of North Texas. The musicians are not immune to the artistic gravitational pull of Snarky Puppy, the occasionally gaudy band founded at the institution.
For the most part, Fucinaro tempers the youthful propensity for flash with cultured maturity. “Bonfire” is state-of-the-art mainstream jazz. "Prelude", featuring vocals from Ebba Dankel, evokes the groundbreaking collaborations between David Binney and Gretchen Parlato.
Rock elements add edginess to “Conreco” and the title track. The application of synths on “Slim” echo the 1980s work of the supergroup Steps Ahead. The successful use of an array of sensibilities help make Fucinaro’s debut one of the most exciting Kansas City albums of 2025.
(Little Window will be released Friday, August 22.)