Composition is more important to jazz than ever. The best and brightest are working away at their detailed scores, trying to make fresh sense out of the explosion of great American music from the last century.
It is helpful for every practitioner to draw on their own folklore. Marta Sanchez is from Madrid, and her modern jazz reflects something ineffably Spanish: Not in an overbearing way, but just as a visible part of the overall design. It’s important not to deny your roots, whatever those roots may be. You are who you are.
I wrote the liner notes to Sanchez’s first Fresh Sound quintet disc Partenika. At the time I was pleasantly surprised at her command of composition, especially her unforced competence when writing for two saxophones. Five years later, her third disc in this configuration is considerably more advanced and offers more exposed piano improvisation.
Cascadas Right away we are plunged into this distinctive sound world, a style unique to this ensemble, with “cascades” of saxophone on top of rich contrapuntal harmony. Chris Cheek is almost the band’s elder statesman, a master soloist with an approach both virtuosic and oblique. Sanchez’s own feature offers a kind of tough elegance that she has grown into since moving to New York City, still the best place for young players to test their mettle.
Parmesano This is really beautiful formal composition, with expressive saxophones drawing on the Ellington tradition. Roman Filiu talks through his alto with a dark sound and technique to burn: Filiu and Cheek are a good match. Indeed, since Cheek plays high on his horn and Filiu can play quite low, occasionally one must listen hard to determine who is playing. It’s a smooth combination.
Nenufar Moody dreams begin at the piano before moving to the rest of the ensemble. Sanchez told me Debussy was a direct influence on this piece: perhaps there is also a hint of Wayne Shorter in the overall aesthetic, with those glowing suspended chords ,and fragments of melody that question and answer each other in unexpected yet satisfying ways. When blowing, Cheek’s organizing principles owe something to Shorter as well. Throughout the album, Rick Rosato and Daniel Dor breathe on each feel in an organic way, driving or relaxing as needed.
El Cambio Phrases with potentially awkward leaps in made earthy by Dor’s groovy pulse. The ensemble really heats up behind Filiu’s brainy and soulful improvisation. Sanchez herself gets a solo cooks along, darting in and out of the rhythm.
El Rayo de Luz Sanchez says, “This piece is informed by concepts that I learned in a Rogerio Boccato workshop called ‘Ritmica’ that teach you how to have two different times signature happening at the same time.” Fillu and Rosato both get a chance to navigate an attractive chord sequence.
I Will Miss You Begins in with some of the most abstract sounds on the disc. After a rhythmic and lyrical solo from Filiu, Sanchez splashes impressionistic sounds up and down the keyboard, finding her way back to a more conventional argument.
Dead Flowers A lonely chorale introduces a loping combination of four and six, a perfect texture for Dor’s charismatic drumming. Rosato’s bass is right in there as well, anchoring and prodding the time. The rhythmic interlude after the piano improvisation is notably aggressive and appealing. Cheek runs with the power and plays another great solo.
Unchanged Has the most “difficult” progression in rhythm section, a big challenge for the soloist, and both Filiu and Cheek take it apart on their own terms. The band aces the hard chart, and their enjoyment is self-evident. From Spain to Brooklyn and back to Fresh Sound: it’s a lot of fun all around.
credits
released November 22, 2019
Roman Filiu: alto saxophone
Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone
Marta Sanchez: piano
Rick Rosato: bass
Daniel Dor: drums
Recorded by Andy at Brooklyn Recording
Mixed and Mastered by Michael Perez Cisneros at Big Orange Sheep
Edited by Matt Marantz
Album Cover by Alicia Martin Lopez
Liner notes by Ethan Iverson
Pictures by Tayla Nebesky and Luke Marantz
supported by 31 fans who also own “El Rayo de Luz”
So many great pieces. Beautiful playing. Take "The Hard Balance", fabulous horn playing. Roman Filiu sounds like Wayne Shorter on Miles Davis’ Circle. Lot’s of quiet emotion here. I fully recommend this sweet creation. Gracias a Marta y todo el grupo. Espero que vengan a Seattle algún día.
Check out Dear Worthiness, what great alto work. Takes a great bandleader to get such subtleness. Marta reminds me of early Hancock with her lyricism. Solid pulsating bass and drums. rkburk
