Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2022
Personnel - Roman Filiu: tenor saxophone; Alex LoRe: alto saxophone; Marta Sanchez: piano; Rashaan Carter: bass; Allan Mednard: drums. Guests: Camila Meza: vocals, guitar (#5); Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet (#5); Charlotte Greve: synths (#5).
The pianist/composer Marta Sanchez was born in Madrid and works in New York, where she has already demonstrated bold compositional skills with contemporary jazz pieces that adhere to form and structure. The quintet has been her preferred format since 2015, but on this new outing, SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum), she recycles the lineup with new musical partners. She maintains the Cuban saxophonist Roman Filiu in the frontline - here surprisingly playing tenor only - and welcomes Alex LoRe, whose blustery alto statements are an excellent match. The group is complemented by a zestful rhythm section in which Sanchez teams up with bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Allan Mednard.
As the title implies, this recording mixes elements of her Spanish and American experiences, but its central piece, “Marivi” - a tribute to Sanchez’s mother who passed during lockdown - falls outside the predominant mood as she abdicates from the saxophone players to feature the guest vocalist/guitarist Camila Meza, who sings in Spanish, and the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, who sails serenely with a mix of keening and brightness.
Most of the pieces have relatively short themes, and “The Unconquered Vulnerable Areas” ushers in a stimulating rhythmic drive, having the expeditious LoRe delivering gracious ideas. After that, there's a shared soloing moment in which Sanchez and Filiu articulate a nice musical conversation. Displaying more reflective tones are the following: “Dear Worthiness”, a ballad with a three time feel in direct relation to an onerous sense of insecurity; “The Eternal Stillness”, a pool of gorgeous effulgence; and “The Hard Balance”, a delicate chamber-like number with horn polyphony and polyrhythmic feel that spotlights the group’s atmospheric strengths. The latter two pieces feature bass improvisations.
The always intelligent and sophisticated playing of Sanchez can be savored on the title track, where a relentless piano motif underlays the theme statement before morphing into sparse chordal work. Her dexterity reinforces the background in support of explorative saxophone deliberations. The piece kind of shapes up as a colorful Latin march by the end. Also, the closing short-themed track, “When Dreaming is the Only”, is a showcase for an ever-interesting dialogue between saxophonists eagerly trading off ideas back and forth.
This is a strong album whose music emanates inextricable feelings derived from a particularly intense time in the life of this gifted Spanish pianist.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Unconquered Vulnerable Areas ► 03 - SAAM ► 09 - When Dreaming is the Only