A profound sense of restlessness permeates Space Between, creating an atmosphere of intense emotional tension. Antonio Figura introduces this expressive landscape with Incipit, a brief yet edgy twenty-four-second psychedelic interlude that opens the album.

The title track follows, offering a compelling example of Figura's artistic vision: sparse melodic material, an essential modal harmonic structure, tightly focused rhythmic drive, and the dry, intimate sound of the piano, whose mechanical nuances are left fully exposed. The performance is built upon an interplay that remains in constant, dynamic tension.

In fact, Space Between presents a remarkably broad stylistic palette. Figura achieves this by featuring alto saxophonist Rosario Giuliani on four tracks and vocalist Cleveland Watkiss on two, expanding the album's sonic dimensions and enriching its musical narrative. The result ranges from groove-driven pieces showcasing Figura's exceptional improvisational voice at the piano (Speak Softly), to more intricate rhythmic textures (White Shadows), lyrical themes supported by ostinatos and sustained pedal tones charged with tension (Cages), and fully realized vocal songs (Speak Softly and Baobab).

By virtue of both its conception and its artistic coherence, Space Between can rightly be regarded as a concept album.

(Luciano Vanni, Jazzit Magazine)

Figura is a pianist with a clearly defined artistic identity and a distinctive musical personality, both of which find their fullest expression in this remarkable album.

Above all, his approach is one of restraint. He builds his music through subtraction, with a Zen garden–like sense of space that places particular emphasis on silence. In this respect, the bebop piano tradition has left only the faintest traces on his aesthetic world. His musical lineage points elsewhere: most obviously to Paul Bley, but also back to Bill Evans and, further still, to Teddy Wilson.

His improvisational language is constructed from fragments of melodic ideas and reveals a marked preference for rich two-handed chordal writing, as heard in Buenos Aires 1952, perhaps the only piece on the album where the main theme emerges with greater clarity.

The compelling beauty of this music lies precisely in the elusive quality of its poetry. Painted in delicate shades, it speaks to a deeply introspective emotional landscape, with rhythm often implied rather than explicitly stated.

Bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Kendrick Scott make a far more substantial contribution than might be apparent at first listen. With a pianist of Figura's temperament, however, such restraint is not only appropriate—it is an essential aesthetic choice.

(Piacentino, Musica Jazz Magazine)