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Ernesto Aurignac Ensemble “PLUTÓN” Festival JAZZMADRID20

Ernesto Aurignac Ensemble “PLUTÓN” Festival JAZZMADRID20

por | Nov 26, 2020 | Concert chronicle

Ernesto Aurignac Ensemble “PLUTÓN” Festival JAZZMADRID20

26

NOVIEMBRE, 2020

Ernesto Aurignac, saxo alto y composiciones/ Pablo Valero, flauta/ José Andrés Fernández Camacho, clarinete y clarinete bajo/ Alejandro Revidiego, violín/ Dani Anarte, trombón, y trombón bajo/ Gon Navarro, guitarra y efectos/ Nestor Pamblanco, vibráfono, marimba/ Moisés P. Sánchez, piano/ Joan Masana, contrabajo/ Juanma Nieto, batería.

Texto: Begoña Villalobos

Fotografía: FESTJAZZMADRID20

Tenemos la idea irracional de que el ser humano tiene poder sobre el universo. Esa, a veces, patología de omnipresencia autorreferencial en la que todos en algún momento creemos, encierra parte de la esencia de la vida. 

La complementariedad de los contrarios, de los opuestos contenidos en el otro. Lo infinito, inabarcable, conectado con lo minúsculo. Todo esto viene a cuento de Plutón, la obra más reciente, escrita para nueve instrumentos por el compositor y alto saxofonista malagueño Ernesto Aurignac, que presentó en el Fernán Gómez dentro del marco del Festival Internacional de JazzMadrid20.

Ernesto Aurignac plays Charlie Parker with Strings (Teatro Cervantes)

Ernesto Aurignac narra una línea composicional de conexión entre los opuestos. Una historia o muchas historias que tienen que ver con la belleza de lo pequeño y de lo mayúsculo, de lo simple y de lo complejo. Escribe Plutón por encargo de Pepe Mompeán, para el Festival Internacional de Arte Sacro de Madrid (FIAS).

Los elementos compositivos e interpretativos oscilan desde una línea mínima protagonizada por la conversación tranquila y elegante entre dos instrumentos hasta un desarrollo de concepto sinfónico. El hilo conductor es la evolución de un motivo hacia pasajes de ricas melodías y elaboradas texturas de gran coherencia interna que nos trasladan a otros mundos.

“Solo imagino otros mundos y otros sonidos. Mi sonido es algo muy abstracto porque no pienso en ninguna pauta. Es lo que tengo en mi mente. Lo más interesante es lo que experimenta el oyente”, cuenta Ernesto Aurignac.

Estreno de «PLUTÓN» by Ernesto Aurignac + Nonet

El compositor presenta, en el Auditorio Fernán Gómez, diecisiete temas originales escritos para una formación de nueve instrumentos, de una obra que busca ir más allá del jazz contemporáneo y de la música clásica. El título habla por sí mismo, Plutón, un viaje de exploración sonora, una obra evocadora, cinematográfica. A veces de suave e íntimo diálogo de música de cámara que se transforma en profundos desarrollos orquestales de dilatadas cadencias bien articuladas. Para ello Ernesto Aurignac contó en el concierto con el pianista madrileño, Moisés P. Sánchez, un maestro de la orquestación. Junto con Pablo Valero, flauta, José Andrés Fernández Camacho, clarinete y clarinete bajo, Alejandro Revidiego, violín, Dani Anarte, trombón, y trombón bajo, Gon Navarro, guitarra y efectos, Nestor Pamblanco, vibráfono, marimba, Moisés P. Sánchez, piano, Joan Masana, contrabajo, y Juanma Nieto a la batería. 

Ernesto Aurignac dedica el último tema titulado Ser de Luz y escrito para él, a la memoria del trombonista valenciano Toni Belenguer.

Con Plutón, el compositor desarrolla una obra de gran envergadura con amplitud de colores, dejando total libertad al oyente para que experimente su viaje personal.

«Lover Man» – Ernesto Aurignac Quartet

Escrito por Begoña Villalobos

26 de Noviembre de 2020

Roberto Nieva Quintet. Festival JAZZMADRID20

Roberto Nieva Quintet. Festival JAZZMADRID20

por | Nov 19, 2020 | Concert chronicle

Roberto Nieva Quintet. Festival JAZZMADRID20

19

NOVIEMBRE, 2020

Roberto Nieva, saxo alto/ Jorge Vistel, trompeta/ Luis Guerra, piano/ Reinier Elizarde, contrabajo/ Francesco Ciniglio, batería

Texto: Begoña Villalobos

Fotografía: Pepe Ainsua, Pepe Sanz, © Jaime Massieu – AIE

Una alineación de lujo estructura la formación a quinteto que Roberto Nieva presentó en el Auditorio Centro Centro, en el Festival Internacional JazzMadrid20. 

El concierto fue un trabajo espléndido de hora y media de jazz improvisado, solo apto para aficionados a la atonalidad de la vanguardia jazzística, con influencias de Steve Coleman (el creador del M-Base neoyorquino), Román Filiú, y de compositores del siglo XX como Béla Bartók, y Oliver Messiaen.

Roberto Nieva presenta ‘Process’

El quinteto con saxo y trompeta presenta una revisión de estética hard bop del primer trabajo discográfico del saxo alto abulense Roberto Nieva, de título Process, publicado en 2019 por Fresh Sound Records 

El quinteto presentó temas, todos ellos excelentes composiciones escritas por Roberto Nieva, con una banda de sobresalientes instrumentistas, cuyas raíces se remontan a diferentes tradiciones, aunque comparten un espíritu común. 

En primera línea, la fuerza imparable del saxo alto de Roberto Nieva y del trompetista, recientemente comisionado por el colectivo Jazz Coalition, Jorge Vistel. Empujando, la poderosa sección rítmica formada al contrabajo por uno de los habituales de la escena de jazz madrileña, el cubano Reinier Elizarde -El Negrón-, que fue miembro integrante de la consagrada banda Irakere. En la batería, cada más solicitado en la escena internacional jazzística, el napolitano Francesco Ciniglio.

Bilbaina Jazz Club 2019 / XXIXAuditorio / ROBERTO NIEVA 5tet

El orden de los temas está pensado y estructurado para que exista un equilibrado balance de colores entre las sonoridades más oscuras y las más brillantes. El disfrute fue total, pues se escucharon soberbios solos de extensas improvisaciones, donde cabe señalar la maestría por parte de los vientos y la brillantez, el virtuosismo y el lirismo estremecedor de Luis Guerra al piano, director de la CMQ Big Band, que junto con los hermanos Vistel -Jorge y Maikel- y Reinier Elizarde, pertenece al grupo de insignes jazzistas cubanos afincados en Madrid. 

Escuchamos temas como Wetiko, Setup, Process, I Never was Like That, etc, que forman parte del trabajo de Nieva, para acabar con Ascending, composición de Jorge Vistel de su álbum Ossain.  

El compositor dedicó el concierto en memoria de María Eugenia Salcedo de la AIE.

El álbum debut, Process, es un viaje personal de brillante ejecución de jazz contemporáneo, con conversaciones sonoras de tiempo rápido escritas todas ellas por Roberto Nieva con un quinteto que lleva mucho tiempo tocando juntos.

Roberto Nieva Quintet en Dazz Jazz Club “Setup”

Escrito por Begoña Villalobos

19 de Noviembre de 2020

Maureen Choi Quartet. Festival Jazz Madrid

Maureen Choi Quartet. Festival Jazz Madrid

por | Nov 12, 2020 | Concert chronicle

Maureen Choi Quartet. Festival
Jazz Madrid 2020

12

NOVIEMBRE, 2020

Maureen Choi, violín/ Daniel García Diego, piano/ Mario Carrillo, contrabajo/ Borja Barrueta, batería

06/11/2020 Auditorio Caja de Música CentroCentro

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Fotos: @JAZZMADRID

Poder disfrutar de música en directo en medio de estos tiempos locos de pandemia que nos está tocando vivir tiene algo terapéutico, sanador casi. Demostrando de manera estricta y concienciada que la cultura es segura, el Festival de Jazz de Madrid ha decidido mantener su programación para la edición de este año a pesar de las dificultades obvias que ello conlleva, y ante esa decisión y visto el cuidado escrupuloso puesto en respetar de forma tajante las medidas de seguridad necesarias, lo único que podemos hacer es aplaudir a la organización y agradecer la posibilidad que se nos brinda de escapar aunque sea sólo durante un rato de la realidad asfixiante que nos rodea gracias a, por ejemplo, la magia que Maureen Choi y su banda despliegan sobre un escenario.

 

 

Comentaba lo de terapéutico porque uno no puede evitar pensar que hay algo intencionado (bienintencionado, mejor dicho) en la elección de la violinista de origen coreano como pistoletazo de salida del festival, ya que lo que pudimos disfrutar en el auditorio Caja de Música de CentroCentro el pasado 06 de noviembre vendría a ser la definición perfecta de música que, perdonen la cursilada, eleva el espíritu. El mundo es mejor con música así, y uno es mejor al salir de conciertos como este.

Choi centró su paso por JazzMadrid en su cuarto y flamante disco Theia (Barco Records, 2019), un caleidoscopio musical que aglutina Jazz, música clásica, influencias flamencas y mil cosas más con unas composiciones que la otra noche sonaron enormes, expansivas y con una carga emocional simplemente apabullante. Comunicativa en todo momento, humilde y visiblemente emocionada, Maureen Choi desplegó durante casi dos horas un repertorio que transita de forma orgánica y natural por las más diversas corrientes musicales en una narrativa que, bebiendo de fuentes clásicas, suena personal y única. Maureen Choi hace susurrar al violín por momentos, lo hace chillar en otros, y a lo largo de un concierto que solamente se me ocurre calificar de excelente, llegó a cotas emocionales realmente impactantes (piel de gallina y nudo en la garganta con la ayuda a los coros por parte de la audiencia en la coda final de esa obra de arte que es September, the First).

Junto a ella, el preciosismo de Daniel García Diego al piano (espectacular su forma de detener el tiempo en Canto Salmanchino) y la omnipresencia al contrabajo de Mario Carrillo (enorme en ese viaje a la oscuridad en el que se convierte la gigantesca Phoenix Borealis). Y luego está lo de Borja Barrueta, claro. Decía Joan Barril que un café es la certificación notarial de que los próximos cinco minutos valdrán la pena, y algo parecido se podría decir del batería/percusionista vasco: cuando ves al Sr. Barrueta sentándose a la batería, sabes que durante las próximas dos horas vas a presenciar algo único, siempre trascendente. 

Lo dicho, música maravillosa interpretada por gente con un talento descomunal: algo necesario en estos tiempos oscuros.

 

Escrito por Ricky Lavado

12 de Noviembre de 2020

Interview with Michael Janisch, “World Collide” album

Interview with Michael Janisch, “World Collide” album

por | Nov 8, 2020 | Album review, Interview

Interview with Michael Janisch, “World Collide” album

09

NOVIEMBRE, 2020

Michael Janisch, bass/ Rez Abbasi, guitar/ Jason Palmer, trumpet/ John O’Gallagher, altosax/ Clarence Pen, drums/ Guests:  Andrew Bain, drums /John Escreet, keys/ George Crowley, tenor sax.
Worlds Collide (2019, Whirlwind Recordings).

Escrito por Begoña Villalobos

With a dozen albums behind him, Michael Janisch (1979, Ellsworth, Wisconsin, US) releases his latest record entitled Worlds Collide (2019, Whirlwind Recordings), an electroacoustic album of original material recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, which combines contemporary jazz, strongly influenced by London and New York trends. The album was recorded with Rez Abbasi on guitar, Jason Palmer on trumpet, John O’Gallagher on alto sax, Clarence Pen on drums and features guests such as Andrew Bain on drums, John Escreet on keyboards, and George Crowley on tenor sax.

Michael Janisch – Worlds Collide – [Album Trailer] – Abbey Road Studio 3

Michael Janisch is a bassist, producer, and owner of Whirlwind Recordings, one of the leading independent jazz labels.

World Collide performed in Spain with a powerful British band composed of Nathaniel Facey on alto sax, George Crowley on tenor sax, Rick Simpson on piano, and Shaney Forbes on drums.

We spoke with Michael Janisch right before his concert at Cafe Madrid, back in January 2020 while on a Spanish tour promoting his new album Worlds Collide… We have transcribed and edited his responses for length.    
 
   

In&OutJazz: You are considered to be a leader on the international improvised jazz scene. In your opinion what makes you different?

Michael Janisch: I don’t actually think about being different, consciously. But what I do put a lot of emphasis on is being true to myself, and that makes everyone different. So if all you do is copy someone and play like this bass player, or try and compose like that, then you will always sound like that person. But when I’m composing, even though I have influences, I always think ‘no, I have heard that before, I have to change this’. In my playing and composition, I always try to avoid writing or playing exactly like someone else.  

If you hear a song of mine you might say ‘oh, that reminds me of….’ – for me, that is okay – but if you think that is exactly like some other musician, or whoever, then I don’t like that. I don’t mind that you hear the influence, but I always hope that it is a unique interpretation of an influence. So in that sense, I think I’m different, and I think that the same can be said of every great musician; they are true to themselves. And as I get older, and more confident, I don’t have time to think about other things, I just have to be me, but sometimes it is hard because you can think later ‘Oh, I’ve heard this before, I don’t like this, and then the next day comes, and you think ‘Oh, that was shit’, so you spend the whole day composing and then you throw it all away.  But sometimes it just flows and you think ‘this is great’ – so for me, that’s my process. That was a good question, it made me think!

 

What importance do you give to the different elements – melody, and improvisation -, on your latest album compared to previous ones? 

This album is a big mix of different sound worlds, which is one of the reasons I suppose I called it World’s Collide. The first track was written for a film, which never became a film because they lost the funding. The second song was influenced in part by Aphex Twin; I was thinking about his electronic music. Aphex Twin’s compositions, which I love, start with an idea that grows and changes, it’s pulled away, disappears, and then comes back later in a new way; so that’s that composition. It’s more like a classical composition. But within each song, I always give someone a platform to improvise. And then there’s a song called Frocklebot, but we are not going to do that tonight because I don’t have a double bass, but on that song, on the album, there is a first section and the last section and everything in the middle is completely free – because sometimes you just have to stop writing and just let the musicians sound. And also with five people, you have to think of the overall sonic picture, the balance, almost like when you see a painting – you can’t have red everywhere, or blue everywhere, so sometimes it is nice not to have blue – not to hear the drums – just to have the trumpet and saxophone players playing together. So I am thinking about these things, which I haven’t done so much on previous albums. Previous albums were always about the ensemble, which is cool, but I wanted to have a different sonic space on this album. 

I think some of the melodies on this new album are more singable, to an everyday music listener, and perhaps someone who isn’t thoroughly immersed in this kind of music. The reason I know this is that many people have told me this [laughs], but even so, there are still some really challenging metric things happening underneath the melodies; but it is done in a way that is really subtle. The musicians in the crowd may appreciate these things happening, but people who aren’t musicians may be more inclined to connect with the sing-song nature of some of the melodies.  So on this album, this was a sort of challenge I wanted to take on, this idea of subtle yet complex rhythms, mixed with memorable themes.

Michael Janisch’s Paradigm Shift – Live in London – Highlights

Can you tell us about the specific influences and jazz trends for the new album, for example, from London and New York?

The London scene, and especially the current scene, is heavily influenced by Afrobeat, with many musicians citing Fela Kuti as a starting point.  Naturally from hanging out and learning from musicians who have this as part of their history and lineage it’s found its way into my own music.  An Ode to a Norwegian Strobe features a quite common Afro Beat rhythmic pattern throughout, but I’ve sort of morphed that into 9 beats rather than the much more commonly heard 4 beats per measure.  I was listening to some interesting Grime beats that I was introduced to by some London friends, and I really liked some of the grooves, especially the urgency of the drum patterns, and thought ‘let me do something that references this energy but has my own spin on it.’  So that part is coming out of London influence and myself being immersed in that scene for over 15 years now.  As an American who spent most of my life learning from the masters of this music and still being very active performing with people Stateside, this influence is just natural and forms the foundation of all my music.

Where are you from?

I am from near Minneapolis, a place called Ellsworth, Wisconsin, it is a small town right on the Mississippi river in the north, in the middle of the states. I lived in Boston while at Berklee for 3 years, and New York for just under 2 years but have spent now most of my adult life in London, England.

Can you tell us about the various elements of your work?

I always balance structure and improvisation; it is something I have always done, I always think about both a lot. I don’t think I’ve changed much; it is just different styles; I love writing and I love letting the band play, I have been like that my whole life. It has been a very consistent goal of mine.

Sometimes some of the songs are written with so many details that the band says ‘oof, this is hard’ so this is why in other songs I just make a simple melody and let them go. You know: you make them work and then you let them play because I love both worlds. 

How do you combine owning one of the most prestigious independent jazz labels with your role as a musician?

Well, thank you for saying that, but the label was originally just a way for me to release my own music on my own terms. Whirlwind is a lot of work but it gives me great pleasure as I love running it, and it also provides an extra source of practical income so that I can do what performing I want to do on my own terms.  I can just do the shows and tours I want to do and run my label, and most importantly be home a lot, so I can see my kids grow up! 

‘Frocklebot’ – Michael Janisch

‘Freak Out’ – Michael Janisch

What is your opinion about your recent MOBO nomination?

I was so surprised about that because I was in the Japanese Embassy to get a visa to play in Japan and I came out and I had 50 text messages saying ‘Congratulations!’. And then I went on Twitter and it was saying  ‘Michael Janisch, with Esperanza Spalding, Jacob Collier, etc’ and I was just thinking ‘Wow, that is completely random… thank you so much’. And I went to the award ceremony with my wife and we were on the red carpet, and it was hilarious. I knew I wouldn’t win but it was great to be nominated. 

What was very weird yet interesting was the mixed reaction I received from some sectors of the music industry, from musicians and also industry folk alike. While there was a lot of lovely messages of support, I was pretty taken back with how some promoters snarkily commented that I was a «commercial artist» now because this is seen as a huge industry award, almost making the accusation I was some kind of sell out that wasn’t part of the grass roots scene anymore.  Some musicians seemed angry because the award stands for ‘Music Of Black Origin’ and they felt that I shouldn’t get it because I am white (I even got some emails from anonymous people saying I didn’t’ deserve it for that reason), and it all seemed so weird to me because I have always performed and revered music that had its origins from Black Americans first and foremost, nearly all my musical heroes are Black, and this award is specifically to celebrate all music that comes from Black origin, but any person from anywhere or any race can be nominated.

How would you describe your last album

I think as I’ve always done I am influenced by many types of music and I am always trying to bring these influences together in my own way. – this inspires me. So with this album I celebrate these «world’s colliding» at present, this is how I am going to continue to compose and conceive with all these elements combined, be it influences from electronic music; afrobeat, swing, free improv, song forms, punk, rock– everything and anything is okay.

 

Well, that’s’ all we have time for, you better get on stage! Thank you very much. 

Check Michael out here:  www.michaeljanisch.com and his label is: www.whirlwindrecordings.com

Escrito por Begoña Villalobos

09 de Noviembre de 2020

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