FABIAN ALMAZAN TRIO at JAZZ STANDARD, nyc, AUG 28

• photography by ©Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas

It’s always gratifying to go back to the Standard, a wonderful room with a feel-good atmosphere, unbeatable performances, and nice people. On Wednesday, August 29th, Cuban-born pianist Fabian Almazan performed with his trio for the second consecutive night, in celebration of This Land Abounds With Life, his fifth recording as a leader. On the bandstand with him were the incredible bassist Linda May Han Oh and polyvalent drummer Henry Cole.

The second set opened with “The Poets”, a relentless, breathable, and yet groovy piece that, exuding some sweetness, also panned out with kicking rhythmic accents. The song alludes to and was inspired by the Cuban ‘Pie Forzado’, a peculiar style that features poets-improvisers. Flowing at 3/4, the tune was practically launched with an electric bass solo, aesthetically supported by Almazan’s chordal crosscurrents. The pianist also made a breakout statement with plenty of outside moves in anticipation of a 4/4 final section garnished with electronics.

Han Ho switches to double bass for the following tunes, with the first being “Pet Steps Sitters”. However, she didn’t pluck a string until Almazan finished a lyrical, deliberate, and largely rubato piano prelude wrapped in slightly dissonant effects. In a couple of minutes, the music had reached dense and dramatic proportions with a strong classical feel. A magnetic bass groove and rhythm were then imposed before effusive solos got under way.

“Uncle Tío” distributed deeper sounds across the room with Cole’s deft work on toms, but it was with the kinetic “Benjamin”, the album’s opener, that the trio definitely grabbed the audience. The intense energy put on this piece, in conjunction with its exquisite variations, provided a jubilant conclusion where Almazan’s perfect composite of folk ideas and advanced post-bop language stood out.

I agreed with the pianist when he declared that music is medicine.