Label: Intakt Records, 2023
Personnel - David Virelles: piano; Ben Street: bass; Eric McPherson: drums.
Cuban-born David Virelles has proven to be one of the most virtuosic and technically adept pianists out there. He recorded with Andrew Cyrille, Chris Potter, Henry Threadgill, and Tomasz Stanko, but when it comes to his own original compositions he often draws from his roots. Those Afro-Cuban influences are suitable for twisting with versatile contemporary touches of post-bop and avant-garde jazz. The follow-up to Nuna (Pi, 2022), Carta, is a fine all-around trio showcase for his expandable and improvisational crossovers. Joining him here are bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric McPherson.
“Uncommon Sense” kicks off the album with an unaccompanied piano intro that leads to a slick bass line churned by Street as the pivotal groove. Balancing between expressive soloing and closely bound ensemble work, the piece denotes an incessant cymbal spark that confers a refractive scintillation.
“NYChepinsón” bears an authorial brisk persona, providing one of the most animated sections of the disc. Busy drum thwacks and solid bass lines accommodate the incredible motif at the center of the theme. A brief mambo incursion attests that linguistic barriers are not a problem here, and the trio returns to the point of departure for a fluid piano improvisation. Starting off with classical movements, “Tiempos” feels like straight-ahead Cuban jazz expressed with lots of feeling. Combining gaiety and passion, the trio reharmonizes their path toward the triumphing avant-jazz that brings it to a conclusion.
Both low-key, the title track and “Samio” have methodical, nimble percussion and sympathetic airy bass moves making good company to the meditative piano playing. They probably won’t thrill the listeners as much as “Confidencial”, which is the sole non-original composition on the album. Penned by the Cuban timbalero and rhythm creator Enrique Bonne, this rich number, structured with imaginative sequences, goes from a clear piano statement delivered with beautiful melody and lush cluster chords to a taut rhythmic drive, and then a solo piano passage before landing on an evocative sultry danzón from Cuba.
This phenomenal hybridity denotes sophistication in the process. Virelles and his associates make it cerebral and adventurous by turns, as well as fairly accessible.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Uncommon Sense ► 02 - Confidencial ► 04 - NYChepinsón