Marta Sanchez Trio - Perpetual Void

April 29, 2024

Label: Intakt Records, 2024

Personnel - Marta Sanchez: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Savannah Harris: drums.

Spanish-born, New York-based pianist and composer Marta Sanchez embarks on a fresh chapter in her career with Perpetual Void, her seventh album as a leader and the first in the piano trio format since 2008. Departing from her previous projects leading a forward-thinking two-horn frontline quintet from 2015 to 2022, which resulted in four remarkable albums, Sanchez now presents a stripped-down approach that remains bold in its aesthetic, holding ground with the avant-garde and modern composition.

The titles of some tracks hint at the challenges Sanchez has faced in recent years, including loss (the unexpected death of her mother in 2020 had already been emphasized in the album SAAM), grief, anxiety, and insomnia. “Prelude to Grief” sets the tone at the same time that introduces “The Absence of People You Long For”, where Sanchez’s trio mates, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Savannah Harris, interlock moves with accuracy. Their pensive musing extends through “The End of That Period”, with its occasional shape-shifting dynamics and tension, and continues in “Prelude to Heartbreak”, which channels a contemporary classical atmosphere through dreamlike yet restless piano cascades.

The album opening cuts are mesmerizing: “I Don’t Want to Live the Wrong Life and Then Die” bursts with urgency, under an intricate odd-metered flow with subsequent rhythmic transitions - probing rubato reflections before concluding with a faster theme than when it started. “3:30 AM” alludes to Sanchez’s insomnia, with the trio tossing off a strapping rhythmic drive that reminiscent of electro-punk-rock. Piano counterpoint, angular melodic phrases, and dark cluster chords punctuate the piece, leading to extroverted exchanges between bass and drums.

Sanchez keeps things moving with the expansions and contractions of “The Love Unable to Give”, an 11/8 piece, and finds solace in the smooth logic of “Black Cyclone”, infused with jazz tradition-inflected ideas and spinning with contrapuntal liquidity, infectious vocabulary, and Tordini’s compelling bass statement. “29B” ends the solid set with the same verve that started it.

Perpetual Void is built with imaginative new pulses, polyrhythmic allure, and enveloping harmonic waves that make an impact on the listener. You’ll find a lot to connect with.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - I Don’t Want to Live the Wrong Life and Then Die ► 02 - 3:30 AM ► 09 - Black Cyclone

Marta Sanchez - SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum)

February 17, 2022

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

Marta Sanchez Quintet - El Rayo de Luz

November 21, 2019

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2019

Personnel - Marta Sánchez: piano; Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Roman Filiu: alto saxophone; Rick Rosato: bass; Daniel Dor: drums.

Spanish pianist/composer Marta Sanchez has been an instigator of modern jazz. Her flexibility allows her to indulge in slick lines and gleaming surfaces with the same facility as when she shuttles between charming postbop and savory avant-garde. Sanchez’s fourth album as a leader is called El Rayo de Luz and follows an analogous framework to Danza Impossible, her excellent previous release. Both are inspired by New York City, where the pianist is based in, and feature the same group of ambitious talents with the exception of saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, who gave his place to the versatile Chris Cheek. The latter offers an array of contrasting voices to his frontline associate, the altoist Roman Filiu, while the rhythm team, harmonically sealed by the bandleader, relies on the bonded underpinnings of bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Daniel Dor.

The first two tracks, “Cascadas” and “Parmesano”, are extremely appealing. The former centers on the cascading contrapuntal work between piano and the bonded saxes, promoting an ephemeral Spanish hunch that feels good. Cheek and Sanchez are generators of virtuosic rhythmic ideas in their respective solos. “Parmesano”, featuring sax cries at the outset, copes with relentless pedals, bright tom and cymbal colors, and some exoticism in the way the bass moves. All this is streamlined into a coherent form. A peak is attained when Cheek unleashes a witty solo, having Filiu increasing the sultry Eastern spell that was captured in the meantime. The two reed players are also very active on the closing piece, “Unchanged”, with the tenorist focusing on a post-bop dissertation full of small wonders, and giving the best sequence to the delicately tart tones applied by the altoist.

These melodically independent musicians also draw on collective tightness to succeed. This is the case of the darkly hued “Dead Flowers”, whose polyrhythmic approach and groove don't eradicate its inherent cinematic quality, and “El Cambio”, whose irrigation channel firstly built on an uncanny piano ostinato, time-keeping drumming, and sparse bass actions with a propensity to funk, also transports the theme’s parallel lines. One could only marvel to hear the remarkably expressive in-and-out improvisation from Filiu.

The compositions reflect Sanchez’s musical personality, and if “I Will Miss You” adds some bolero colorant to the rhythm, then “Nenufar” stands out from the tune selection as an enigmatic musing ballad, featuring the pianist at her best.

Structurally unambiguous, this work sounds unconventional and explorative without muddling. The title cut, a sui generis dance that flows with two simultaneous time signatures attests what I’ve just said in a wordless, elegant-sounding manner. In her quest for excellence, Ms. Sanchez has a lot to give to the scene.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Parmesano ► 04 - El Cambio ► 08 - Unchanged

Marta Sanchez Quintet - Danza Imposible

January 9, 2018

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2017

Lineup - Roman Filiu: alto saxophone; Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Marta Sanchez: piano; Rick Rosato: bass; Daniel Dor: drums.

Madrid-born pianist Marta Sanchez has been an influential voice on the New York jazz scene since she moved to the Big Apple seven years ago.

Danza Imposible, couldn’t have been a better follow-up to Partenika (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2014), exceeding all the expectations by presenting music that challenges, intrigues, and bewilders. Just like the previous, her newest body of work was mounted in a quintet format, but the band denotes alterations in the rhythm section. Bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Daniel Dor were enlisted, replacing Sam Anning and Jason Burger, respectively, while the extremely pliant team of saxophones is maintained with Jerome Sabbagh on tenor and Roman Filiu on alto.

The sparkling “Copa de Luz” opens with paralleled sax ostinatos supported by relentless piano chords and alluring phrases excavated on the upper register. A strong Spanish feeling arises from the accompaniment, especially during the saxophone solo, while the navigated meter, counting nine beats per measure, feels not strange but splendid. If Sanchez based herself on Eric Revis’ In Memory of Things Yet Seen (Clean Feed, 2014) to write this first tune, she used a digital delay effect by Aphex Twin as the inspirational source for the title track. In this sophisticated, shape-shifting piece you’ll find superb polyphony and delicate if intricate sonic streams. The improvisers are Sabbagh and Sanchez.

With “Scillar”, a shimmering feel of suspension is attained through elliptical piano reflections and double saxophone agglomerations. The floating mood quite differs from the one set in “El Girasol”, a seven-metered piece with a nice flow, galvanized by intense rhythmic accentuations. It takes wing with Filiu’s inspired solo and continues with the bandleader’s pianistic dexterity. Before she finishes her solo, the wonderful contrapuntal work by the saxophonists bursts with activity. Their presence, a major asset in the art of coloring Sanchez’ writing style and idea of fluency, is also noticeable on “Board”, whose groovy side brings strains of electronic music along with smooth funk and hip-hop. The beautiful drum fills and exciting timbres of Daniel Dor are a joy to behold.

The nocturnal “Nebulosa”, a rubato lyrical forlornness, is pure noir exploration, and “Junk Food”, a modernistic portraiture of the contemporary itself, finishes the album in great style, bringing a panoply of intensities, groove, and punchy improvisations in the package.

Conquering her space with a triumphant confidence, Marta Sanchez, proves she is a top 21st-century composer. This seminal work takes us to unexpected places, radiating energy in its most varied forms and passages. This outstanding Danza is not Impossible at all!

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Copa de Luz ► 04 - El Girasol ► 08 - Junk Food