Label: Food Records, 2024
Personnel - Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Xavier Del Ccastillo: tenor saxophone; Walter Stinson: double bass; Zack O’Farrill: drums, percussion.
Brooklyn-based trumpeter Adam O’Farrill is a force of nature whose mature and innovative compositions epitomize contemporary jazz boldness. Hueso marks the return of his quartet, Stranger Days, featuring saxophonist Xavier Del Castillo, bassist Walter Stinson, and his brother, drummer Zack O’Farrill.
The album opens with a solo trumpet rendition of Radiohead’s “Truth Ray I”, where Adam's stunning technique is on full display, utilizing synth-like effects and multiphonics pushed to tremolo extremes. “Truth Ray II” brings the full quartet into play, showcasing deep camaraderie as Adam and Del Castillo engage in intricate counterpoint and staccato precision, while a shift in the drum flow provides Stinson with space for a tactful improvisation.
“Dodging Roses” starts with Zack's gorgeous, stable rhythm, later having saxophone and bass alternating riffs and thoughts in advance of impeccable horn-fronted unisons and a more invigorating rhythm. Adam’s angular solo ascends with tremendous ease, backed by constant flare ups and slowdowns in the chord-less accompaniment. Showcasing muscular rock insinuations, “Hueso” illustrates why Adam and Del Castillo form an enthusiast, powerful frontline, employing intense counterpoint over a nuanced bass pedal point and understated drumming. Their improvisations are imbued with emotion and creativity.
“Proximity of Clouds” unveils lumbering, droning parallels at the outset, a particularly yielding quintuple rhythm at the base, and classical nuance during the sax-trumpet interplay. “Gesturing Towards the West” is grandiose in sound and defiant in posture, evincing attributes like coordination, tension, and timbral depth. The album culminates with the darker atmospherics of “Cumulus”, where the horns wrap their sounds around bass and drums, creating an intriguing soundscape.
Hueso invites listeners to explore and internalize its emotional depth without ever disappointing. Adam O’Farrill further solidifies his progressive credentials as both a modern trumpeter and a forward-thinking composer.
Favorite Tracks:
03 - Dodging Roses ► 05 - Hueso ► 08 - Cumulus