#camjazz

[donospl]

Literackie Biuro Podróży [sezon 3 odc.7]

Literackie Biuro Podróży [sezon 3 odc.7]

KRYMINAŁY I SENSACJA W audycji: Jeffrey Archer „Nic bez ryzyka” Dom Wydawniczy Rebis Robert Galbraith „Niespokojna krew” Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie Ruth Ware „Śmierć Pani Westaway” Wydawnictwo Czwarta Strona MUZYCZNY PRZERYWNIK Giovanni Guidi „Ojos de Gato” z albumu pod tym samym tytułem wydanym przez CAMJAZZ Magdalen Nabb „Śmierć Anglika” Wydawnictwo  Próby Maurizio De Giovanni „Miejsce…

[devikhwang]

<Today’s CD> 데뷰앨범은 아니지만, enya 레이블에서 출시된 그의 음반들은 저돌적인 젊음이 넘치지만, 정교한 테크닉이 화려하게 펼쳐진다. Cam jazz로 이적한 후, 그의 연주는 부드러운 성숙함과 멜로디의 아름다움이 돋보이긴 하지만, 나는 그의 초기 작품 연주들이 좋다. enya에서 나온 이 “Black Inside”는 파라오를 이탈리아에서 세계적인 레벨의 피아니스트로 한단계 그레이드업 시킨 작품이고, 이 때부터 그의 천재성이 세계적인 주목을 받게 되었다. 베이스의 아이라 콜맨과 드러머 제프 ‘테인’ 왓츠라는 막강 서포터를 맞아서 파라오의 피아노는 불을 뿜는다. 지금과는 확연히 다른 스타일이 신선하기도 하지만, 올해 나온 그의 신보와 비교해 보는 것도 재미있을 것이다. #music#jazz#enya#AntonioFarao#blackinside#camjazz#piano#IraColeman#JeffTainWatts#1998#Italy(Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan에서)

[professeur-stump]

Arrivées

263.  Starting Point, John Taylor (John Taylor, Songs And Variations, 2004-05) (CamJazz)

⌘

[constantinmarburg-blog]

#biginjapan, irgendwann auch im #buchcafebadhersfeld, und zwischendurch schon mal am Sonntag in der #jazzzeit zu Aktuellem aus #belgien🇧🇪 und #luxemburg auf #radiounerhoert #marburg. Ausser zwei Veröffentlichungen von #camjazz gibt es je vier von #hypnoterecords und #igloorecords - und noch ein paar. - #rum901 #radiounerhört #radiounerhörtmarburg #michelreis #luxembourg #luxembourgcity #luxembourg🇱🇺 #luxembourgville #luxembourgeoise #luxembourglife #luxembourgish #luxembourgbelge #luxembourgartist #luxembourge #luxembourgo #igersluxembourg #reisdemuthwiltgen #reisdemuthwiltgentrio #marcdemuth #paulwiltgen (hier: Radio Unerhört Marburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqf6rDaDpa1/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1072xba2fjrlu

[scentedpiekidpatrol-blog]

#MatteoBortoneTrio #Claroscuro #CamJazz

[radionoventa-blog]

Jam Session "L'Hymne à l'amour..." By Simone Dal Santo

[jazzviewswithcjshearn]

Antonio Sanchez & Migration: Lines In The Sand (CamJazz, 2019)

Antonio Sanchez: drums, voice, additional keyboards; John Escreet: piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet synthesizer; Thana Alexa: voice and effects; Matt Brewer: acoustic and electric bass; Chase Baird: tenor saxophone and EWI. Elad Kabilio: cello on “Travesia” and “Long Road”; Nathan Shram: viola; Paola Gonzalez, Karla Gutierrez, Jonathan Mendoza: spoken word on “Lines In The Sand”.

The eighth album from drummer and composer Antonio Sanchez, Lines In The Sand functions compositionally as a sort of direct follow up to the album length Meridian Suite (CamJazz, 2015). More than anything, it  packs a moving sociopolitical message about what it means to be an immigrant in the United States. A stunning album with incredible musicianship and rapport between  the drummer vocalist Thana Alexa, saxophonist Chase Baird, keyboardist John Escreet and bassist Matt Brewer. it will also satisfy fans longing for cinematic compositions since the final album of the Pat Metheny Group, The Way Up (Nonesuch/Metheny Group Productions, 2005).

The Album

Sanchez uses his experience as a Mexican immigrant turned legal citizen as inspiration, but the album is something that can tell the story of all immigrants in this country regardless of their origin.  He also further fleshes out a few themes found on Bad Hombre using them as compositional grist for the mill, and taking them to new places.  For instance the opening of “Travesia” with it's 9/4 arpeggio is an extension of the arpeggio found on the former recording's “Nine Lives”.  The drummer fashions some rich written melodic material that takes full advantage of the expanded role that vocalist Alexa now has in the ensemble.  More so than ever she is a completely integrated member of the ensemble, through the use of several effects boxes, not only is she a singer, and instrument, but also synthesizer blending in naturally with Chase Baird's tenor saxophone and EWI with melody lines and tons of texture.  Nathan Shram's viola combines with Elad Kabilio's cello to create a virtual string section for a rocking section inspired by Radiohead ten and a half minutes into the piece. Sanchez used Logic to add some barely imperceptible MIDI to add some weight to the multi tracked viola and cello parts that are a segue to Escreet's energetic piano solo with Matt Brewer's power packed Paul Jackson spiced electric bass behind him.  “Long Road” brings strong emotion through melodic development of a simple seven or nine bar phrase sung by both Alexa and Sanchez heavily layered, Sanchez's drums adding commentary to a piece that brings ultimate melancholy.  “Bad Hombres Y Mujeres” reprises the bass line of “Bad Hombre”, but augmented by a mind melting, twisting melody with Alexa and Baird in unison.  Ultimately the knottiness turns into a memorable hook, and a thrilling battle between Baird's EWI and Escreet's Prophet synthesizer exploding into the cosmic atmosphere before a Sanchez drum solo, and the band grooves out on a 7/4 section to fade out.  “Home” is also reprised from Bad Hombre featuring Alexa's vocals, and turned into a nice pop song.  The title track at 26 minutes is quite moving summarizing thematic material from the suite and featuring  deeply emotional poem readings of “At The Wall, US/Mexico Border 2020” by Paola Gonzalez and Karla Gutierrez, and “Blood Country” by Jonathan Mendoza offering a satisfying close.

Sound

Lines In The Sand features expert engineering by Sanchez himself with assistance from long time engineer Pete Karam.  There are a lot of sub details in the mix such as panning, doubled snare hits, bouncing reverb and texture. The drums are very present in the sound stage with Alexa's layered vocals and effects providing a lot of sound stage depth in the foreground and background, Escreet's piano and Rhodes thick, and full bodied.  The mastering by Danilo Rossi is very dynamic and captures the peaks and valleys of the music, and Sanchez' hand at post production has become even more adept since his soundtrack work and Bad Hombre.

Closing

Overall, Lines In The Sand proves to be the most complete statement thus far of Antonio Sanchez as a composer to date.  Over the course of 8 albums in 12 years, the compositional growth has been stunning and with Migration he has a band that perfectly marries the composed and improvised aspects of the music. Indeed he has learned and applied multiple lessons from his membership in Pat Metheny's ensembles, and the format of Migration is akin to that of thee Metheny Group in that it's an open forum for genre less exploring and players with distinct personalities make their mark on the music.  An excellent and inspiring effort.

Music: 10/10

Sound: 8.5/10

[rich4a1]

Enrico Pieranunzi Quintet The Extra Something Live at the Village Vanguard

Enrico Pieranunzi Quintet The Extra Something Live at the Village Vanguard

Enrico Pieranunzi Quintet The Extra Something Live at the Village Vanguard Camjazz Is it possible to record over eight albums and still remain under the radar?  If you are unaware of pianist and composer Enrico Pieranunzi, that’s perfectly forgivable as the Italian piano master has developed most of his career in Europe.  The Extra Something is remarkably his third live album recorded at the…

[pontiobangor]

What’s Cwmwl Tystion/Witness  all about?

Trumpeter Tomos Williams (Burum and Khamira) has a new musical project touring Wales in June, which will reach Pontio’s Theatr Bryn Terfel on Saturday night, 29 June 7.30pm. Here he expands a little on the ideas and the influences behind his newest venture 'Cwmwl Tystion / Witness'...

Tomos Williams has assembled a cast of brilliant Welsh musicians to perform a new Suite of music which reflects on the cultural and political present and the history of Wales under the title 'Cwmwl Tystion /Witness'.

The band touring Wales and London (12th June - 29th June) will perform the newly composed 'Witness Suite' incorporating strong elements of jazz, free improvisation and Welsh folk music.

The name 'Cwmwl Tystion / Witness' has Biblical roots, but is derived from a poem by the great Welsh poet, nationalist and pacifist Waldo Williams (1904-1971). In his poem Waldo asks 'Pa Beth yw Dyn?' (What is Man?) and the music of the 'Witness Suite' 'bares witness' to these complex times.

The band has been hand-picked; Huw Warren and Rhodri Davies are stellar Welsh musicians, who's creativity has garnered international reputations. Huw V Williams, Francesca Simmons and Mark O'Connor all bring unique qualities and experiences to the band, while the performances will be augmented by live visuals from Simon Proffitt.

On composing the 'Witness Suite' Tomos admits to being heavily influenced by recent political music: Wadada Leo Smith's totemic recordings (in particular Ten Freedom Summers and America's National Parks), Ambrose Akinmusire's genre-bending Origami Harvest and Harriet Tubman's searing, visceral music all led to writing new music that reflected on the current political climate, as well as reflecting on the Welsh experience and recent Welsh history.

Movements have significant titles: 'Tryweryn' and 'The Blue Books', in memory of recent and not so distant Welsh history, while 'Mynyddoedd Cymru' (The Welsh Mountains), and Paul Robeson and the Miners Eisteddfod 1957, celebrate the Welsh landscape and culture . The final movement 'Pa Beth yw Dyn?', (What is man?) directly references Waldo Williams' poem, placing the work outside the boundaries of national identity and asks a more fundamental universal question.

Tomos is particularly excited to be working with Huw Warren (piano) and Rhodri Davies (harp, electronics) for the first time. Huw and Rhodri have never shared a stage or performed together, so Cwmwl Tystion / Witness will deliver an important first in this regard.

Tomos says “ I've had the idea of putting a band like this together for some time, but after listening to Wadada Leo Smith's 'America's National Parks', my thoughts crystalised and it became obvious to me that Wales needed a project like 'Cwmwl Tystion/Witness' at this time.

It feels like Wales has been under siege recently - with one thing leading into another - so I deliberately want to fuse the influences of the avant-garde and free jazz with more straight ahead elements to represent the chaos and uncertainty of the present.”

About the band members Tomos says “I've known Rhodri and Huw for years, and am a huge admirer of their work, but have never performed with either. This will also be the first time that these two perform together, which is pretty exciting. Huw V and Francesca bring their own influences to the project – both are very comfortable with the avant-garde and free improvisation which is particularly important to this band, while Mark O'Connor quite simply is an astonishing drummer. I've played with Mark for years, and he always takes the music in different directions and colours and augments every musicians contribution. I really can't wait to get started on the tour and hear these brilliant musicians perform together.

There's also the added element this time of Simon Proffitt's live visuals. I've never performed with visuals, but rather than being and 'add on' the visuals will be pretty central to each performance. I knew Simon would come up with some cool stuff – which he has – so the interaction between the music and the visuals will add another layer to the performance and to the audience. Simon has designed numerous posters and CD covers for me over the years, and he did the eye-catching poster for this tour too, so I had every confidence that he'd come up with some interesting ideas.”

Aberystwyth Arts Centre are an important partner for the project, where Cwmwl Tystion/Witness rehearsed for two days prior to the tour.

'The Cwmwl Tystion Suite' has been funded by Tŷ Cerdd, and the tour is made possible by generous Arts Council of Wales financial support.

Here's some more information on the musicians:

Huw Warren has been at the forefront of British Jazz since the 1980s, and has recently released two albums on ECM with Quercus (alongside Iain Ballamy and June Tabor), as well as releasing his new piano trio Everything in Between in March this year on CamJazz. Huw has been a central figure on the Welsh jazz scene for decades, and his ability to play both on the 'inside' and 'outside' is crucial to this project and the over-all band sound.

Rhodri Davies, a harpist from Aberystwyth, is one of the leading figures of free improvisation and contemporary composition both nationally and internationally. He has played with a who's who of improvising musicians (Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, John Butcher, Butch Morris, Pat Thomas) as well as being the harpist of choice for contemporary composer Eliane Radigue and  many others. Recently he has formed the avant-pop band Hen Ogledd with Richard Dawson. The avant-garde and improvisatory element that Rhodri contributes sets the music apart and is a central voice throughout the entire Suite.

Huw V Williams from Bangor now living London is known for his 'Hon' band and album that was released a few years ago. He will be releasing a new trio album later in the year

Francesca Simmons is a violin (and saw) player from Clwyd who is equally comfortable improvising or delivering a folk melody. She works regularly with theatre productions and various other bands.

Mark O'Connor is Wales' pre-eminent drummer who's worked with Tomos over the past decade (touring internationally with both Burum and the Indo-Welsh fusion band Khamira), as well as playing with Huw Warren and Paula Gardiner amongst many others.

Simon Proffitt,  a visual artist and designer will be accompanying the performances with live visuals.

Tomos Williams - trumpet Huw Warren – piano Rhodri Davies – harp, electronics Francesca Simmons – violin, saw Huw V Williams – bass Mark O'Connor – drums Simon Proffitt – live visuals

Tickets from www.pontio.co.uk or 01248 38 28 28

[tmnotizie]

di Antonio De Signoribus

ALTIDONA – Per i Concerti Oro ecco Malibran jazz. A esibirsi sarà, sabato 2 novembre, alle 21,15, ad Altidona, presso la sala colonna dell’ Accademia Malibran, Enrico Pieranunzi Trio. Così composto: Enrico Pieranunzi al piano, Luca Bulgarelli al contrabbasso, Alessandro Marzi alla batteria. “Oltre ai Concerti di Musica Classica-sottolinea Rossella Marcantoni, direttore artistico dell’Accademia Malibran; Accademia che sta occupando un suo spazio prestigioso e una sua riconoscibilità sul territorio- abbiamo deciso di aprire anche ad altri generi musicali come il jazz e la canzone d’autore, con grandi nomi. 

Per i 3 appuntamenti Malibran Jazz  abbiamo coinvolto artisti straordinari come il sassofonista Javier Girotto quartet,  il più grande jazzista italiano;  il pianista e compositore Enrico Pieranunzi che suonerà in trio con Luca Bulgarelli, e Alessandro Marzi, prossimamente;  e non poteva mancare, in cartellone,  il  bandenoista Daniele Di Bonaventura, eccellenza internazionale, che il 21 dicembre presenterà in prima esecuzione il suo CD Romanze senza parole. Sarà un momento bellissimo e l’occasione per scambiare gli auguri di Natale con il nostro pubblico meraviglioso”.

Enrico Pieranunzi nasce a Roma nel 1949. Pianista, compositore, arrangiatore, ha registrato più di 70 CD a suo nome spaziando dal piano solo al trio, dal duo al quintetto e collaborando, in concerto o in studio d’incisione, con Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Paul Motian, Charlie Haden, Chris Potter, Marc Johnson, Joey Baron.E’ l’unico musicista italiano di sempre ed uno dei pochissimi europei ad aver suonato e registrato più volte nello storico “Village Vanguard” di New York con Marc Johnson and Paul Motian (Camjazz, 2010).

Ha composto diverse centinaia di brani, alcuni dei quali sono ormai veri e propri standard suonati e incisi da musicisti di tutto il mondo (“Night bird”, “Don’t forget the poet”, “Fellini’s waltz”).E’ stato scritto di lui: “Pieranunzi è un pianista di intenso lirismo, in grado di swingare con energia e freschezza e, nello stesso tempo, di non perdere mai la sua capacità poetica. La sua musica canta”.(Nat Hentoff, 1990). “Enrico Pieranunzi immette nuova linfa nel jazz contemporaneo” (Ray Spencer, Jazz Journal International, 1992). “Ricordate il suo nome, perdetevi nella sua musica”

(Josef Woodard, Jazz Times, 2000)

Luca Bulgarelli nasce in Abruzzo nel 1972. Inizia a studiare basso elettrico e successivamente contrabbasso. Studia ai seminari di Siena Jazz nel 1992 dove vince una borsa di studio. Si diploma in Contrabbasso presso il Conservatorio di Campobasso nel 1997. Ha suonato nei più importanti Jazz Festival italiani internazionali. Ha collaborato e collabora con: Enrico Pieranunzi, Roberto Gatto, Maurizio Giammarco, Enrico Rava, Paolo Fresu, Rita Marcotulli, Mariapia De Vito, Nicola Stilo, Rosario Giuliani, Stefano Bollani, Gianluca Petrella, Fabrizio Bosso, Gunther Schuller, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Manieri, George Garzone, Toninho Horta, Alain Jean Marie, Mundell Lowe, Philip Catherine, Rick Margitza, Bob Mintzer, Tooth Thielemans, John Abercrombie, Dave Liebman, Stefano Di Battista. Nel mondo della musica leggera con: Mimmo Locasciulli, Francesco De Gregori, Beppe Servillo, Paola Turci, Daniele Silvestri e Sergio Cammariere con il quale ha in inciso cinque album.

Alessandro Marzi, nato a Roma in una famiglia di musicisti, con madre e padre entrambi insegnanti al Conservatorio. Presto dimostra una grande sensibilità per le dinamiche espressive e sviluppa un personale gusto estetico, radicato nella batteria jazz, ma aperto a sonorita’ latine e percussionistiche. Terminato il Liceo Classico, conseguira’ brillantemente anche il Diploma in Percussioni al Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia.

Da oltre 20 anni è sulla scena concertistica, incidendo oltre 100 dischi, e collaborando con musicisti della scena Nazionale ed Internazionale, da Marcello ROSA a Bill SMITH.

Suona in ambito prevalentemente jazzistico, pur misurandosi frequentemente con diversi linguaggi musicali e modalità espressive, con concerti in Italia, Spagna, Belgio, Francia, Bulgaria, Giappone, Finlandia, Norvegia, Svezia, Brasile, Africa, e dirette RAI, Radio e Televisione in Italia e all’Estero, dove si è prodotto dal Jazz alla Classica, alla “Leggera” con Musicisti di grande valore del mondo Jazzistico Italiano ed internazionale.

Dopo il concerto seguirà un Brindisi con i vini speciali della Tenuta Cocci Grifoni di Ripatransone, illustrati dettagliatamente dalla dottoressa Paola Cocci Grifoni. Il Brindisi è anche una grande occasione per conoscere  da vicino i musicisti, che si intratterranno con l’appassionato pubblico della Malibran.

[afrodaddyjazz]

Antonio Sánchez’s album tour “Lines in the Sand” hit The Sugar Club in Dublin, Ireland NOVEMBER 20th! @antoniodrums1 @camjazz @thesugarclub @chasebaird88 @john_escreet @matthewcbrewer @thana_alexa #jazz #futurejazzlegend #dublin #ireland (at Dublin, Ireland) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqWcxiABCfg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1m9v0jambp29r

[jazzworldquest-blog]

FINLAND:CamJazz- New Release: "XX" (by Joona Toivanen Trio)

CamJazz NEW RELEASE

October 27, 2017

XX Joona Toivanen Trio Joona Toivanen (piano) Tapani Toivanen (bass) Olavi Louhivuori (drums)  

“The great piano trios – and this is becoming one of them – were always coalitions of musical vision, always adjusting a certain tension between lead and supporting voices.  The music here is so fresh, engaged and outward looking…  ‘We’ve had the same constellation since we started playing together in 1997’. This is what you get when you play together not for three years, but for twenty.”  (Brian Morton)

  Come visit CamJazz.com for Vinyls, Box Sets, CDs and Digital Downloads! Free Shipping in Italy and 50% Off Shipping Worldwide  for any purchase made from our website.  

www.camjazz.com

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2zAtyha

[podilatokafe]

Republic of Jazz: Enrico Pieranunzi Quartet – New Spring (Live At The Village Vanguard) CAMJAZZ 2016 Πηγή: Republic of Jazz: Enrico Pieranunzi Quartet - New Spring (Live At The Village Vanguard) CAMJAZZ 2016

[riffsstrides]

Joona Toivanen Trio

November

Camjazz, 2014

Olavi Louhivuori ( Drums )

Joona Toivanen ( Piano )

Tapani Toivanen ( Bass )

The new work of Joona Toivanen Trio is an additional outcome of their common vision, which has given rise to a sizable number of remarkable projects and records. The Finnish pianist, still accompanied by Tapani Toivanen on double bass and Olavi Louhivuori on drums, composed an album that strikes a balance between the modern and the traditional,  and between quiet, distinctively Nordic jazz moods and openness to new sounds and new expressive forms. This all is made even more intriguing by the outstanding empathy among the three musicians, who are able to cleverly back one another and, through refined mutual listening, reach a remarkable degree of interplay and responsiveness. Thus, each of them plays a leading role, in turn, and bears the responsibility for steering his band-mates towards new directions, new vibes, new melodic insight.  Eleven tunes, the authorship of which is equally shared between the bandleader and Louhivuori, also saving space for the title track by the double bass player. From the opening track “Moon Illusion” to the closing track “Open, Closed”, there is a quiet feeling in the air: time drawn out, a soft touch and sober, balanced arrangements. A journey in search of a clear, pure, crystalline sound. An elegant, refined tone. A thoughtful album, that never stops looking for new inspirations, between skillful song-making and moments of intriguing improvisation.

Brian Morton in camjazz.com

Originally, Joona Toivanen Trio hails from Jyväskylä, where the brothers Toivanen and drummer Louhivuori started playing together in Jazz Bar’s junior jam sessions before any of them had come of age. With a special permission to play at a bar, they quickly became a local jazz phenomenon. After two self-released albums, Joona Toivanen Trio signed a contract with the renowned EMI Blue Note before becoming one of CAM Jazz label’s protégés. The trio is known for their seamless musical communication, clear and serene soundscapes and strong sense of melody. Being a naturally tight-knit group, each musician also composes for the group: The result is lyrical, melodic and elegant music, and a sound that both recognisable and individual. With these ingredients it is hardly a surprise that Joona Toivanen Trio is one of the most alluring young Finnish jazz bands – one that has toured as far and wide as Europe, Australia and Asia.

Joona Toivanen (b. 1981) belongs to the crème de la crème of Finnish pianists, currently residing in Göteborg. His latest release is the 2013 solo album Polarities. Besides his own trio, Toivanen has collaborated with some of the best Finnish jazz artists, and after completing his degree at the Jyväskylä Conservatory he has studied at the Academy of Music and Drama in Göteborg and at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Tapani Toivanen (b. 1982), currently based in Copenhagen, plays in the 2013 Danish Music Award winner Aske Drasbæk Group. Drummer Olavi Louhivuori (b. 1981) is unarguably one of the leading Finnish drummers of today. In addition to his genre-stretching group Oddarrang, Louhivuori can be encountered sitting on the drummer’s seat in such groups as SUN Trio, Tomasz Stanko Quintet and Alexi Tuomarila Trio. This summer, he was selected as the Pori Jazz Artist of the Year.

in http://jazzfinland.fi

[thepacereport]

The Pace Report: "The Migration of a Great Drummer" The Antonio Sanchez Interview

Four-time Grammy Award Winning drummer, composer, and band leader Antonio Sanchez recently played Subculture in NYC for his official record release performance for his latest CamJazz release "The Meridian Suite" with his band Migration.

Over the last decade Antonio Sanchez has backed the likes of Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, and other jazz luminaries and is one of the most requested session musician.

Antonio Sanchez and Migration continues to carry the great lineage of the jazz fusion groups like Weather Report, Tony Williams Lifetime, and the Pat Metheny Group by fusing jazz, rock, and some world music elements with his band. Band members include Donny McCaslin, John Escreet, Matt Brewer, Thana Alexa, and Adam Rogers.

For more info on Antonio Sanchez's upcoming club dates or to order his latest CamJazz Recordings please visit him online at www.antoniosanchez.net.

[jazzviewswithcjshearn]

A deeper look at Antonio Sanchez: Bad Hombre (CamJazz, 2017)

Antonio Sanchez: drums; keyboards; voice; electronics.  Voice on “Bad Hombre Intro”: Ignacio Lopez Tarso

Drummer Antonio Sanchez has been a major voice on the jazz scene since 1997 when pianist Danilo Perez brought him to national prominence.  His stock rose considerably when joining guitarist Pat Metheny in 2001 replacing Paul Wertico, joining the Pat Metheny Group for the recording “Speaking Of Now” (Metheny Group Productions/Warner Brothers, 2002) and he has remained with the guitarist for over a decade, being the drummer of choice on all of Metheny's projects.  2007 saw Sanchez' career as a leader for Italian based CamJazz begin and starting with “Migration” a decidedly blowing based date featuring Chick Corea, Chris Potter, David Sanchez, and Metheny.  The following year's “Live in New York At Jazz Standard” was a quartet date with David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon, and Scott Colley featuring elongated, definitive takes on tunes featured on the drummer's debut along with a few new tunes. 2013's “New Life”, the first to feature Sanchez' group Migration signalled a point of evolution in that there was a heavier emphasis on composition.  While memorable compositions have always been a part of Sanchez' oeuvre as an artist, 2015's “Three Times Three”, like the first two albums, more a blowing record in execution had a enhanced degree of compositional awareness,growing from “New Life”. This awareness was exploited completely on “The Meridian Suite”, Migration's second album, and like the Pat Metheny Group's final opus “The Way Up” (Metheny Group Productions/Nonesuch, 2005) was an album length suite.  For Sanchez' sixth album “Bad Hombre”, he goes into territory first mined on the soundtrack to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's epic, acclaimed film, “Birdman” (2014) and expands it even further into a truly personal statement, politically and socially.  

Sanchez has always been conscious not to make drummer's records, even with the  heavy emphasis on improvisation in the earlier albums mentioned above, a compositional construct was always found.  Here, that idea is taken even further by means of solo drums and electronics, crafted from hours spent in Sanchez' basement recording studio The Lab at his Jackson Heights, NY home. The traditional recording studio limits time for experimentation, and inspired from electronic music the drummer listened to from favorite groups like Haitus Kayote, Little Dragon, Aphex Twin, and Boards Of Canada, he used the nearly infinite time of his home studio to piece together segments of drum improvisations with intriguing electronic backdrops.  The added timbres aren't just backdrops for drums, but also frame the ideas the direction the improvisations go. The album is not a drum solo record in the traditional sense.

As a proud Mexican-American who became a U.S. citizen at the tail end of President Barack Obama's term, Sanchez has also used the power of social media to be an activist against the policies of President Donald Trump, in a truly unprecedented time in America's history.  Sanchez uses music to push the ideas forward, doing something much needed in jazz today, making a social statement.  Jazz has always been a music bolstered by political and social concerns, an aspect that sometimes gets lost in modern jazz albums that tend to be overly musically analytical. “Bad Hombre” joins the ranks of jazz classics like Sonny Rollins' “The Freedom Suite” (Riverside, 1958) and “We Insist” (Candid, 1960) by Max Roach, and more recent albums such as trumpeter Terence Blanchard's excellent “Breathless” (Blue Note, 2015) and Gregory Lewis' stirring “Organ Monk: The Breathe Suite” (Self produced, 2017) in making a statement.

Sanchez' roots as a  Mexican come to the fore on “Bad Hombre Intro” using an old recording of a Mariachi band, with narration of an old corrido (tale of the Mexican revolution) “Benito Canales” from his grandfather Ignacio Lopez Tarso, who at 92 years old is one of the most famous, oldest working actors  in Mexico. Sanchez's , displaced Jack DeJohnette ish funk comes from far beyond the scope of the speakers, with his bass drum sounding almost doubled by a conga as it centers itself into the stereo image.  Floating Wurlitzer like chords announce themselves almost like music for the opening sequence of a film.  To borrow from one of Mexico's national pastimes, boxing, the title track's pounding bass ostinato is reminiscent of skillful footwork, as a base to set up cutting off the ring. Sanchez' subdivisions of the beat framing the ostinato only using bass drum, snare, toms, hi hat and cymbal stack are like Julio Cesar Chavez devastating his opponent with a stinging body attack set up by his vaunted left hook.  A ominous spiraling synth sequence fades in, along with more synth creating a drone back drop.  A furious flurry of double bass pedal work and electronically altered reversed, distorted drums explodes into the sudden splashing of crash, ride and swish knocker cymbals flailing a drum n bass like rhythm in front of a deliriously gleeful distorted electronic wash.  “Fire Trail” utilizes a 4/4 sequenced synth pattern while Sanchez superimposes 5/4 drumming over the top, not unlike rhythmic derring do he used to do as a member of Perez' band. The superimposing of a 5/4 meter here is totally natural.  Usually the listener is tipped off to an odd meter by unusual movement and accents in the rhythmic pattern, but here it's very subtle and totally organic, not loudly screaming that it's an odd meter. “Momentum” ushers in Sanchez's signature snapping flams on the rim of the snare, glistening cowbell hits, into a whirling, purposeful increase of tempo with equally ecstatic transformations of acoustic sound such as reversed tom and cymbal rolls. The drummer’s rock roots and exploration of different  dampening techniques come to the fore on “The Crossing” where t-shirt deadened snare and toms bring to mind John Bonham and fills reminiscent of the drum groove on “Pavane” on the Alan Parsons' Project's classic “Tales Of Mystery And Imagination” (Island, 1976).  The closing “Anti-Social” comes closest to typical “jazz” content featuring a swinging 4/4, Sanchez' commentary with snare and bass drum dialect firmly in post Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette mode, transitioning into a more surreal sound collage complete with Sanchez speaking Spanish, and coughs deep in the mix in time with the drums.

“Bad Hombre” is truly a watershed album in Sanchez' career.  Along with drummers Mark Giuliana and Chris Dave he has helped redefine the language of jazz drumming and add to it, whereas in the fairly linear progression of jazz history innovation tends to stop at Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette and Billy Cobham, while sometimes including Jeff “Tain” Watts. Jazz drumming vocabulary is being subtly enhanced today by the use of special effects like tom drums with tambourines bells lined along the head or cymbal stacks, which carry a similar effect to a much larger 20 or 22” China swish knocker providing a similar trash, just drier.  Sanchez' electronic manipulation of acoustic drums as well as using unconventional dampening methods to acoustic drum sounds, truly expand the palette.  Additionally this album is best heard on a good hi fi pair of headphones where all the subtle details pop out.  “Bad Hombre” is an astonishing new chapter in the ongoing narrative of Antonio Sanchez

Rating: 10/10