Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marcos Pin: Broken Artist

26

Marcos Pin: Broken Artist

By

Sign in to view read count
Marcos Pin: Broken Artist
Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is famous for the religious pilgrimage, but in the jazz world it is gaining a reputation as a breeding ground for premier musicians. A host of piano players make the area home, so guitarist Marcos Pin easily stands out in the crowd. The hard bop influenced Broken Artist is his tenth release as leader, representing a focused trajectory and commitment to craft.

This project is based around six compositions which depict a day in the life of a musician as he carves out an existence. The enthralling liner notes, actually a short story by Félix Amador, serve as a guide, and lay out the scenario of an anxious performer in Santiago, a city with hard edges, no longer so blessed. Running on "Blind Hope," offers plenty of room for saxophonist Pablo Castanho, who appears to challenge the premise that all is lost, as he lunges straight ahead into the smoke and flames. Melancholia wraps around the ballad "Lullaby For My Two Boys," as our hero experiences the bittersweet emotions that take over when the applause is gone, the money's short, as he slips into his children's room, wondering about the future.

"I Love You Too," is a line used to often to cover the tracks of unfulfilled promises, in light of unremitting love. This song is an ensemble workout, Pin displaying clever arranging, as they kick it into the fast lane. There is a blue shade to "Castanho's Reed," specifically written for the sax man who spends more on his horn than he ever hope to make. Pin has an affinity for complex pieces, and "Carmen's Call," by Malcolm Stilton, is a study in tempo accents and chord crescendos. The distant constellation "Vulpecula," is the inspiration for this song, a tranquil observation taken from a lonely bridge on a dark night. In a world full of obstacles and challenges, sometimes the simplest acts of awareness can bring inner peace.

The concept Pin adhered to is the struggling artist, which may sound mundane, but is still relevant today, as people continue to follow their bliss. From his point of view, as a jazz guitarist at the end of the Iberian Peninsula, it might seem like a long arduous endeavor, but that is why he does it. If it was easy, anyone could do it. Jazz was born out of necessity of expression, and continues to be a source of encouragement around the world. The road to Santiago de Compostela is paved with hope, and the journey is for the faithful. Marcos Pin is on his own path, far from defeated, he is just getting started.

Track Listing

Blind Hope; Lullaby For My Two Boys; I Love You Too; Castanho’s Reed; Carmen’s Call; Vulpecula.

Personnel

Marcos Pin
guitar

Marcos Pin: guitar; Yago Vázquez: piano; Pablo Castanho: alto sax, soprano sax; Alfonso Calvo: double bass; Andrés Rivas: drums.

Album information

Title: Broken Artist | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Free Code Jazz Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.