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Fernando García: Guasábara Puerto Rico
ByThe rest of the set was composed by the leader. "Audubon" (named after a street he lived on in Manhattan) plays with a three against four time feel, first with Jan Kus' tenor saxophone solo, then Gabriel Vicéns' guitar solo, and finally a dialog between the drums and percussionist Victor Pablo . The title tune is in five, with a theme that interlaces Kus' tenor saxophone with guest Miguel Zenon's alto saxophone. Vicéns contributes a fleet guitar solo, followed by pianist Gabriel Chakarji, Zenón's powerful alto spot, and finally the leader's drum solo.
"Healing Prayer" is a gentle feature for Kus' soprano saxophone (in seven; the composer loves to use uncommon time signatures), as well as the guitar. After a more folkloric interlude (featuring García's vocals on "Guaynabo Mi Tambor") the album closes with the driving "Tiempo," an Afro-Cuban flavored original. Double bassist Dan Martinez switches to electric bass; drums and percussion both get the spotlight, playing over a vamp.
Guasábara Puerto Rico is an exciting blast of Latin jazz with a fresh perspective. García distinguishes himself as drummer, composer and bandleader, supported by a strong, supportive young band.
Track Listing
Audubon; Ideas Convergentes; Guasábara Puerto Rico; Healing Prayer; The Element; Guaynabo Mi Tambor; Se Va; Tiempo.
Personnel
Fernando García
drumsFernando García: drums, vocals (6); Dan Martínez: upright bass, electric bass (8); Gabriel Chakarji: piano; Gabriel Vicéns, guitar; Jan Kus: tenor sax, soprano sax (4); Victor Pablo: barril, congas; Miguel Zenón, alto sax (3).
Album information
Title: Guasábara Puerto Rico | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Zoho Music