Eight years ago, as Italian musician/producer Gaudi embarked on his latest dub project, he wanted to expand the genre’s horizons by blending it with jazz. To achieve this he called on some of reggae’s biggest names, resulting in the album, Jazz Gone Dub.

Released on December 5 by VPAL Music, a subsidiary of VP Records, it is the pianist’s latest project with dub, the sonic, bass-heavy sound that emerged during the 1970s through engineer/producers Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock and Lee “Scratch” Perry.

On Jazz Gone Dub, the London-based Gaudi collaborated with master guitarist Ernie Ranglin, Sly and Robbie, and David Hinds of Steel Pulse.

“My production approach for Jazz Gone Dub marked a significant departure from the many reggae and dub projects I have undertaken over the past four decades. For this album, I needed to carefully balance two musical languages that, while sharing common roots in black music, differ considerably in style,” Gaudi told the Jamaica Observer. “While there have been several past explorations, from late 60s jazz-influenced ska to more contemporary fusion projects, my aim was to create a sound that felt entirely new — a fusion that is simultaneously modern and timeless, where the spirits of jazz and dub remain intimately intertwined, almost as if they were in dialogue.”

Jazz Gone Dub is also his second venture with VPAL, following Havana Meets Kingston in Dub. That was a joint effort released two years ago with Australian producer Mister Savona.

The 62-year-old Gaudi arranged, composed, and produced the nine-song set in his London studio. He used analogue equipment from the 1970s and 1980s to record the songs, and reel-to-reel tape to “capture the warm, distinctive tonal character that defines the project”.

For the jazz element, Gaudi called on British saxophonist/flautist Gavin Tate-Lovery, Italian trumpeter Roy Paci, and Italian pianist Nicolo Fragile.

“To achieve the sound I envisioned it was essential to collaborate with accomplished jazz musicians, providing them with clear direction while, at the same time, granting them the freedom to express themselves naturally within their own musical language,” he said.

Gaudi admits that the first seed for this project was planted back in 2017, while working in his London studio with Hinds on arrangements for their Grammy-nominated album Mass Manipulation.

“During one session I introduced a chord progression that included a diminished seventh — an uncommon and harmonically complex choice for reggae. David responded enthusiastically and jokingly said: ‘Gaudi, I didn’t know you could play jazz,’ “ shared the man who had studied classical piano for 12 years.

Hinds then jokingly suggested that he make a full album combining reggae and jazz. The following year, I worked with Mad Professor on our collaborative album Mad Professor Meets Gaudi, which included a track incorporating solid jazz elements.

“The response to that track was very encouraging and further motivated me to pursue this concept… [T]he album finally came to life,” shared Gaudi in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Born Daniele Cenacchi in the city of Bologna, Italy, Gaudi has experimented with dub since the early 1990s. Relocating to the United Kingdom in 1996, he has worked with the genre’s biggest exponents, including Perry, Dennis Bovell, and Mad Professor, as well as roots-reggae singers Bunny Wailer and Mykal Rose.