ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while
Soul Note and
Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. With keyboard master
Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter
Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (
Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to
Bix Beiderbecke and
Armstrong, and to
Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents
Gianluca Petrella,
Stefano Bollani,
Rosario Bonaccorso, and
Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends
Roswell Rudd and
Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on
ECM. Three years later, after
Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by
Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist
Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on
ECM. Rava followed the released in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included
Bollani, tenor saxophonist
Mark Turner, bassist
Larry Grenadier, and drummer
Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by
ECM in the fall of 2011. Its members included trombonist
Gianluca Petrella, pianist
Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer
Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer
Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of
Jackson's material. ~ Francesco Martinelli