It has been a long journey since Filippini debuted his trio in 2003 with Love Is the Thing and the Blues Too. Back then the 21-year old was winning awards and prizes as if there was no tomorrow. And no wonder. Firmly within the swinging jazz tradition, the young pianist impressed with a level of coherent virtuosity rare in one so young that was married to a powerfully compelling swing. He was clearly a talent to watch. Derivative at this stage in his career, yes, but he clearly had something to say and the skill with which to say it. Ten years later he emerged with Facing North and it was clear he had developed a very personal voice within jazz on what was his Cam Jazz debut with Danielsson and Louhivuori. If anything Breathing in Unison simply serves to underline the coming of age of this major jazz talent from Italy, but more than that it highlights an ensemble of genuine substance capable of framing the pianist's flights of invention to best advantage. Together with the exemplary Danielsson – who shot to international prominence with Keith Jarrett in the 1970s – and the Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori – who first attracted attention as a member of the Ilmiliekki Quartet and has gone on to be one of Europe's ‘go to’ drummers – Filippini has developed a rhapsodic approach that is both expressive and moving as he spins endless compelling variations that draw the listener into the heart of his improvisations. You have to be someone special to fearlessly draw on ‘As Time Goes By’ or ‘Secret Love’ without lapsing into cliché, but the way Filippini claims these songs as his own says much about his increasing stature as an artist.