Label: Habitable Records, 2021
Personnel - Javier Subatin: guitar; Demian Cabaud: bass; Pedro Melo Alves: drums. Guests - João Mortágua: alto saxophone; Samuel Gapp: piano; Ricardo Jacinto: cello.
Javier Subatin, a versatile Argentinian guitarist based in Lisbon, gathered with fellow countryman bassist Demian Cabaud and Portuguese drummer Pedro Melo Alves for a stimulating new album. Guest performers appear on six of the 12 tracks.
The central pieces on this record - Subatin’s ‘Mountain’ compositions - are interspersed with more abstract collective improvisations that can go from avant-garde settings with constant restless motions (“Birds”) and controlled tension (“Shadows”) to slightly eerie episodes with a percussive emphasis (“Caves”).
The opener, “Mountain#1”, is among my favorites, showing the trio in absolute command of multiple meter signatures. Before the final straight-to-the-gut rock muscularity limned by Alves’ drum work, there’s a strident improvisation by Subatin. He makes an impact by engaging in rhythmic ideas that shifts chromatically.
The polyrhythmic “Mountain#3” brings us discernible, emotionally charged harmonic movements in 13/8 before opting for a symmetric jazz rock groove with hints of funk. This is celebrated by the enthusiastic interplay between Subatin and guest pianist Samuel Gapp.
Also featuring an ostinato-driven passage in 13, “Mountain #5” is atmospherically drafted for freedom but also includes thoroughly composed parts. The tension grows and the peak is reached halfway, during the bandleader’s revved-up soloing process. Yet, all ends pacifically with the bowed bass orienting us toward a circular trajectory.
Diversity is an asset here, and if “Mountain#4” blossoms like a folk dance and shows signs of fusion, then “Mountain#2” suggests chamber classical music with appropriate counterpoint, for which much contributes the cellist Ricardo Jacinto. By contrast, “Mountain#6”, which starts breezily in seven, features the suppleness of altoist João Mortágua and a solo dissertation by Cabaud in a well-paced ride. As a conclusion, all guests take part in “Solo#5”, a melodic and beautifully textured piece with a flowing sense of pop song.
The contemporary aural descriptions of these ‘mountains’ make us want to climb them to the top. Moreover, the telepathic camaraderie between the musicians is noticeable and the ambitious musical experiment wins.
B+
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mountain#1 ► 05 - Mountain#3 ► 10 - Mountain#6