Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023
Personnel - Guillermo Klein: piano, composition; Chris Cheek: tenor and soprano saxophones; Leo Genovese: Fender Rhodes, keyboards; Matt Pavolka: bass; Allan Mednard: drums.
Argentinian pianist Guillermo Klein is thoroughly established as one the most genial composers of our time. His imaginative music and arrangements are all over the course of nine originals that compose the new album, Telmo’s Tune, titled after a composition for his son. You can hear him mastering styles, in which he always puts a stamp of his own, in a quintet with creative New York-based instrumentalists such as saxophonist Chris Cheek, keyboardist Leo Genovese, bassist Matt Pavolka, and drummer Allan Mednard.
The first track, “Criolla”, is a propulsive and expertly rendered diatonic folk piece whose complex rhythmic juxtapositions feel natural to the ear. Following changes in pace and texture, the music, with its grandiose and hopeful vibe, is a charming showcase for Cheek’s wondrous soprano playing. “Push Me Not” mixes and matches sounds in an unusual way, flirting with elements of tango and electronic music (mostly due to Genovese’s periodic glitchy pulse) while squeezing in something from Tom Waits and Kurt Weill. Odd meters are carved all over the map and Mednard is very comfortable with it. He finds the space to stretch out over a vamp here, as well as in “Camello” (an episode of Klein’s 2008 Solar Return Suite), whose additive tempos {7+5}, curling bass groove, rock-influenced demeanor, and overlapping layers give it a fusion look.
Drawn from his 2008 album Filtros, the mercurial “Amor Profundo” features plenty of exquisite variations, denoting modern classical and jazz influences. It’s not hard to spot the leader’s hand as the piece is intricately crafted with provocative tempo shifts and other nuances that often causes us to get lost in its rhythmic mesh. Meticulously composed, “Quiero” shows another side of Latin, here overlapped with an afrobeat in seven, whereas “A Navarro” touches on Brazilian choro.
Quieter tunes include: “Si Vos me Queres”, a balladic mystery full of searching and synchronicity that is introduced by Pavolka; the title track, which surfs cool harmonic waves in waltzing mode; and the dreamlike “Burrito Mirror”, which keeps everything slightly off-kilter, between possibility and reality, while mirroring the arco bass and tenor parts.
Klein’s deal is very unique, using different genres but playing beyond them to form a style that undertakes tricky and graceful interactions. Skirting jazz in its pure forms, this is another vibrant and disarming recording from a first-class composer whose oeuvre deserves all our esteem.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Criolla ► 02 - Push Me Not ► 07 - Camello