The pristine islands (Roots - Longing)

The fado and 'was a recent discovery for me, just a couple of years, overheard in a very classic piece of classical guitar accompanied by Fado, the Portuguese guitar and voice so very special' like an instrument of Mary Joao.

From them, and 'began a path towards the fado and as I discovered songs, singers, paths, I realized that fado has common roots with blues, but the particularity' that distinguishes it and 'to have remained immune to the contamination and to commercial logic.
Fado means fate or destiny, and literally, and 'a kind of music mostly sung, and it expresses' indissolubly linked to the term "saudade," a term from the translation almost impossible, that expresses this sentiment throughout Portuguese and Brazilian "nostalgia" though longing and 'limited because the saudade is not' only refers to the past, but contains within it live and hope for the future.

The combination of dark and melancholic fado music is not 'exact and not all the fado' sad, because while it is true that the feeling of the Portuguese people and 'inevitably related to the pain from the constant wars, the singing of the African slaves of the Portuguese colonies, the legends about the sea and 'salty tears shed by the Portuguese women awaiting the return of the sailors, there is always that tension toward the horizon, toward the sea to navigate and explore.

A sensitivity 'seems to come out of the all-female fado, and in fact the most' great interpreters of this music are typically female voice, with a way to express this feeling at least incomprehensible to most of us Europeans.

To quote one of the most Mysia 'great contemporary interpreters of fado:

"Nosotras exorcizamos el dolor de la vida de una manera más que el hombre natural. Claro que hay de grandes cantantes fado, but I fascinan femeninas porque las voces transmiten with the tragedy más fuerza de la vida. "

A strange that Europe Portugal remains largely untouched, as the social fabric, very far from the bright lights of the modern West, a reality 'still rural and simple.
And wonder of wonders fado seems to be immune to globalization, and probably this and 'good, listen to a piece of fado singers of even the most' recent as Mariza and Misia, or 'always experience a "metaphysical", as a plunge into the past and listen something that can get beyond the commercial monopolies of music, a pristine oasis in a world music often "corrupted" by the logic of mergers as an exercise of style.

For if in the previous post I talked about a natural fusion of roots of communities where musicians bring in their souls these common roots (roots as saying in the Arabian comment to previous post) do nothing but process them and make them come out naturally in their music, there are many examples of fusion that are not as natural but are of the species of monsters created artificially in the laboratory with the sole purpose and pursuit of purely commercial logic.
And 'as if the identity' of the tiny Portuguese people were immune to this type of contamination, and I do not think it is nationalism an end in itself but simply by the fact that these roots are so deeply rooted, so strong, that sea that so given and taken away to the Portuguese people continues to be present at that feeling of "saudade", a way to live daily events.

We have examples of contamination of fado, but in this case are the natural state of this music, classical music, with openings to the introduction of the piano (a beautiful combination that makes Mysia in its disk Paixoes Diagonais hosting one of the most 'big interpreters of the music of Chopin Maria Joao Pires in portugal), or to Africa that it always represents the matrix, the origin of the mother of all rhythms.
And it 's impossible to see fado disconnected from poetry, Portuguese literature other feature that makes it so' difficult contaminabile. The interpreters of fado recent past have always drawn from the poem, and 'also imbued with a feeling I would say very close symbiosis with the music of fado. And the verses of Pessoa present in the compositions of Mariza and Misia always attract some of the tragedy umano.Eppure always live in the notes, the music of such singers as in the texts of Portuguese poets feel a strong tension towards the future, the hope that the tragedy of human life contains within it the light.

The fortunate islands (F.Pessoa)

Which voice is the sound of the waves
that is not the voice of the sea?
And 'the voice of someone who speaks to us,
but, if we listen, silent,
just to be made ​​to listen.

And only when, half asleep,
We hear no more we hear,
it speaks of hope
towards which, as a child
sleeping, sleeping smile.

I am fortunate islands,
are lands that do not occur,
where the King lives waiting.
But, if you go arousing,
the voice is silent, and only there is the sea.

• Misia KCRW Live Show October 29, 2000
• Mariza KCRW Live Show July 14, 2002

My Summertime (Guajira and Blues)

"I think the Guajira and the Blues have a very strong common bond. Both genera are the result of working people than those who cultivated sugar cane in Cuba or Puerto Rico or harvested cotton in south america. Music after all reflect the people and is 'more' beautiful when it comes from people .... Summertime and the life it's easy .. "(Ray Barretto My Summertime)

One of my favorite albums of latinjazz, summertime in my piece that gives the title track there 'all the poetic music of percussionist Ray Barretto probably among the most' prolific and original of the last year the scene of the Afro Cuban Jazz.

A strong common bond, in the work of the plantations of Cuba, or in those of South America, and it 'just that what you hear in the music of Ray Barretto and New World Spirit Group, the true spontaneous fusion of genres not artificial new world. The very history of Barretto and 'drenched atmosphere of the new world being born in New York to Puerto Rican immigrant family. In his music, the distant shadows of that week at the Apollo with Bird and his group in the early 50, the melodies of Cole Porter, Gershwin, Ellington and suggestions Caribbean Basie, the brilliant insights of Gillespie with Chano Pozo and the driving force of his big band salsa. It 's wonderful to hear the simple and essential congas tumbao of Barretto, so' far dall'equilibrismo circus of many other contemporary percussionists, the montuno always exciting for me Hector Martignon in which I find always some new note and so 'terribly "Sabrosa" and its accompanying ... a mix of jazz voicings and rhythmic games on a small sentence, the solo on Autumn Leaves on My Summertime or so are really 'balanced tension between Afro-Cuban rhythm and jazz harmonic tension.
I understand why 'this young pianist from Bogota' has become one of the most 'recorded among the pianists of matrix Afro Cuban, participating in productions of Celia Cruz, Ismael Rivera to name only some of the names of the salsa scene in New York with whom he collaborated. The other fellow travelers have MP Mossman on trumpet, flugelhorn and trombone, and tenor and soprano A. Kolker. The arrangements of these two horns are amazing, definitely an example of how to make it look just 10 second wind with the force of wise arrangements, the harmonies are indeed open never predictable, and the harmonies are always involved the counterpoint of the bass and piano.
Really difficult to choose among the pieces on this album, but Barretto's interpretations range from Brubeck In your own sweet way with purchasing a new light under the skillful hands of Martignon and his companions, the very classic Autumn Leaves is accented highly original arrangements of two brass sextet, which appear to make this a great orchestra, a tribute to Monk Off Minor difficult but successful, until you get to My Summertime real heart of the fusion of genres on this record, blues and guajira so 'inextricably fused together virtually indistinguishable, a Magma sound between the Afro-Cuban roots, harmonies gershwin, cotton plantations and the blues of the people who work there. The album closes with an original i love Worlds of Ray Barretto where exactly emerges in all its strength to the matrix that underlies the group's music, Afro Cuba and swing .... so swing on this beautiful piece of the pianism a quote very thin and the arrangements of Don Grolnick. A disc which is' the starting point for a new phase in the history of music Barretto, the point of working through all of his musical past, the stage of maturity 'and is' a great listen from this record of 1995 until the very recent past productions.

Rating:

Fred Hersch Treviso February 16, 2005 (Endless Stars)

A gentle man, the one that sits at the piano for this half-empty theater, dressed in black sitting at his piano it seems almost a part. Talk and 'sweet, soft, as will his notes, the notes of a lover, I like his approach to the piano solo, surrender to the flow of notes, and' the sweetness in his hands, caressing the keys do not never strikes, the sound of new york, the ideal of Cole Porter, Gershwin Gerge, reminiscent evansiane, love for the other musicians, great respect for the audience that listens to him.
Concert starts Embraceable you one more piece of the 'finest ever written by Gershwin, a passionate lyrical approach always very soft, supple harmonies move, exploring more aspects' of the sweet ballad, sequentially So in Love by Cole Porter, a dip heart I love this piece, and the interpretation thereof by 'Hersch and' that of a man in love, in love with life, a woman, music, and 'a wonder what comes out of these notes.
The concert continues with a piece to air songs without words, from an original box of 3 CDs released 4 years ago, Hersch's compositions are beautiful, fresh, very evansiane sure, but always particular and terribly intimate and inspiring.
So his love for Monk with Let's cool one, feels in-depth study of piano playing monk, with his sound so 'dreadfully New York, and' amazing how much you feel the apple in the music of Fred Hersch, this sound could never have a pianist in Europe or the American West Coast, urban sound, sound of musical sound of Broadway, sweet smell of the city 'that never sleeps. And 'good his interpretation of Monk, which starts to become stressful as more and more' Hersch, never violent, never too edgy.
The concert continues with 'another original Endless Stars, inspired by the sky of a cold night, so' says sweetly from that stage Fred Hersch, Hersch's music in this case and 'impressionist painting that multitude of stars in a cold sky winter and for a moment you really have the impression of seeing your breath in the cold, the wind in the trees and a beautiful sky, and 'consuming this composition, cyclical harmonies that run safely in outlining the character of this starry sky , cluster chords and slightly sweet melancholy of my thoughts that accompany listen and follow in his vision so amazed Hersch 'harmonious night.
Then a piece dedicated to the great trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, entitled Up in the Air, perhaps the first moment of creative vacuum of the concert, the piece and 'nice but I seem to not take off, but it could also be my tiredness and the fact that I do not know this piece, I have not heard before the suggestions are very evansiane and as' the way he played this piece.
Now comes perhaps the gem of this concert, a piece of Duke Ellington and Billy Straihorn dedicated to Romeo and Juliet Star Crossed Lover, a ballad difficult harmonically complex, rarefied atmosphere, and a huge heart on the keys, difficult to keep the emotion for this interpretation which is out of everything but all the love possible between Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy and the sense of inevitability 'of fate, already' only this piece deserves the 350 km made to listen to this marvel. The piece 'pianism so congenial to' intimate Hersch, introduced him gently, without revealing its secrets slowly take shape with the exposition and gives us more and more a note 'most beautiful' right, never overdoing the drama 'always with serenity' also addressing negative and desperate moments of life. The concert concludes the first of two encores with a beautiful standard Whisper Not by Benny Golson, a particular swing to Hersch, too introspective and intimate, the walking bass left hand, and 'strange syncopated, sometimes you give suspensions that increase the rhythmic tension.
So the time of the encore, the first a and 'a gift, a piece Mood Indigo, which still smells of New York, the poetics of Ellington and Strayhorn, sophisticated harmonies, lightly presented as if it were the natural state of the music, those voicings beautifully natural so 'characteristic of Hersch. The concert would be over, because 'and' rightly so ', but I can not resist and started to howl my joy for his playing and be like' kind and gentle to the public, and there he falls, and Fred Hersch says timidly quite a while and it 'a lullaby just a couple of minutes and just played the beautiful Lotus Blossom still a composition of Ellington and Strayhorn, an unexpected gift that lets the sound in the ears of serenity' and peace.
Mr. Hersch Thanks for these notes and pictures of this evening.

So in Love (Cole Porter)

Strange dear, but true dear,
When I'm close to you, dear,
The stars fill the sky,
So in love with you am I.
Even without you,
My arms fold about you,
You know, darling why,
So in love with you am I.
In love with the night mysterious,
The Night When You were there first.
In love with my joy delirious,
The thought That you might care.
So taunt me and hurt me,
Decieve me, desert me,
I'm yours till I die,
I know I am in love with you

Epigraphs (Horizons)

Watch the stormy sea, a winter Sunday, highs and lows of a day "off." Listen, imagine and feel the wind sounds, inevitably when I watch, listen, listen, and maybe even do not watch. And the sea reminded me of Ketil Bjornstad, a piano tied to the sea, that sea north of valuable life, life-instinct almost primordial. A strange disk Epigraphs, could be easy to fall into the trap of the New Age piano and cello, but a record thus 'markedly European, European deliciously, that contains the sounds' like 'crystalline piano and so' hot cello.

And so 'high and low, cold and heat, enchantment and disenchantment, and all this' sounds in' David Darling and Ketil Bjornstad of. Parentheses sound, small portraits or better inscriptions, to listen to the sea front, imagining the horizons open, perhaps the opposite of the storm that forms on the horizon, classical influences, but always left everything to the imagination of the listener, no note cover, no elements that can distract from the contemplation of the horizon, the soundtrack of thoughts in the making, as the clouds form and dissolve, like the waves form and break, leaving the eyes and ears the sound of ' infinity.

Straight and Circumference

Listen and Watch

Piano and Cello

Jerry Gonzalez - Ya Yo Me Cure '

And I 'happened to his hands, returned by a friend months after the loan has been forgotten, this record of Jerry Gonzalez. A stunning drive in some ways, a real cornerstone of the roots of Afro Cuban jazz. The dominant theme of the disc and 'the rumba and folklore of the African and the Caribbean.
It 'a hard first of all inspired and desired, feels the desire huge Jerry Gonzalez on congas and trumpet in the music that you listen.
The liner notes confirm this impression:

"This is a collection of Realized dreams: dreams of music that i could only feel being in Nuoyoriqueno, livin in New York. When the time of realization CAME It could only have about how with the help of people who share the examination dreams ...... .... "

And yet at the end

"There exists Obstacles That Prevent Certain commercial creative music, Such as this from being recorded or played, CuchiFrito Especially in the circuit. I believe in music, good music. It was tiempo ya: Ya Yo Me Cure

I hope you find our dreams as beautiful as we are proud of them "

I would like to speak with Jerry Gonzalez and tell him he's right, I found his musical dreams beautiful, perhaps as he had hoped that I had arrived, and his musicians' true are all tuned in to that dream in the making of the disc, must have been beautiful the atmosphere in the studio at that torrid July and August of 1979 in NYC and when 'was created this little masterpiece almost forgotten in the history of Latin Jazz.
Very special contribution of Hilton Ruiz on piano, in the first piece a beautiful rumba Agueybana Zemi has a montuno overwhelming that drags the percussion, and bass Andy Gonzalez tumbao with a solid and imaginative, always manages to set up to support the rhythmic tension. Beautiful choice of repertoire, very dreamy, ranges from traditional rumba Agueybana Zemi Ya Yo Me Cure and 'landscapes to more' jazz Nefertiti and Evidence, to enter the heart of the Santeria tradition with Baba Orisha Fieden and conclude with Caravan a great Latin Jazz Standard Tizol-Ellington. Oh yeah one more little gem of piano Ruiz, The Lucy Theme two minutes and 50 pure joy in a trio with bass and congas always hovering on the swing and latin with that wonderful and always amazing to me that only the sense of time Latinos have .. Ya yo me and care

Tracks List
Agueybana Zemi (Rodriguez)
Nefertiti (Wayne Shorter)
Ya yo me cure '(Rodriguez)
The Lucy Theme (Daniel Adamson)
Evidence (Monk)
Baba Fiden Orisha (Rodriguez)
Caravan (Tizol-Ellington-Mills)

Rating:

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