Editorial Review:Product Description:This CD is, in my opinion, the best group effort ever achieved by Guachos.
That quote by the incredibly talented, Argentina-born, Barcelona-based pianist/composer/bandleader Guillermo Klein about his new Sunnyside release, Filtros, featuring his long-standing large ensemble Los Guachos, is quite a statement, considering their previous groundbreaking releases. Indeed, since their emergence on the New York scene in the mid-nineties, Klein and company have redefined and expanded the harmonic, stylistic, and compositional possibilities of big band jazz.
Filtros finds Klein at the helm of a smaller version of Los Guachos that includes alto saxophonist/flutist Miguel Zenon, soprano/tenor/baritone saxophonist Chris Cheek, trumpeter Taylor Haskins, trombonist Sandro Tomasi, percussionist Richard Nant, drummer Jeff Ballard, and Sunnyside labelmates tenor/soprano saxophonist Bill McHenry, trumpeter/valve trombonist Diego Urcola, bassist Fernando Huergo, and guitarist Ben Monder.
The CD s ten tracks all penned by Klein with the exception of Vaca, Haskins s Memes, and Olivier Messiaen s, Louange a la L Eternite de Jesus showcases Klein s spare piano and affecting vocals. A powerhouse of unlimited musicianship, Klein and his crew fine-tuned most of the material on this CD during an electrifying engagement at the Village Vanguard. The two weeks run at the Vanguard was a great thing to have the music very well digested, Klein says. The sound and mix is awesome, the art is great and the solos are very inspired. Knowing that I had to play for two weeks in a row I wanted to provide songs that were good vehicles for soloing. For example, Va Roman or Miula, the songs [are very simple] but the content is very strong. The only song we didn't perform live is Vaca, which is a mix of a traditional Argentine song, and a piece called Hungarian Rock, written by Ligeti. Songs like Yeso or Louange a l' Eternite de Jesus are a great way for the group itself to gel and bond.
Klein and Los Guachos have blended and bonded, producing a seamless marriage of North American jazz, European contrapuntal structures, and Argentine milonga, zamba and chacarera folk rhythms. On Luz de Liz (Filtros) and Miula we use this device called filtros: it gives the sensation of going slower and faster, but the beat stays the same, says Klein. It is achieved through metric equivalences, and the challenge for me was to keep the beat the same so it doesn't lose any dancing quality becoming bi- dimensional. On Amor Profundo (with guest vocalist Carmen Canela) and Yeso, I use this clave I came up with on Fugue X, (from Los Guachos III), which is not a Cuban one, it is a 7-7-7-3 inside two bars of three quarters time, and the form of those pieces are roughly based on Bach's Fugue X of The Well Tempered Clavier; a piece I studied extensively. All these devices I use are ultimately at the service of beauty.
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Related Items:
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Related Items:
Disc 1:- Va Roman
- Miula
- Manuel
- Yeso
- Amor Profundo
- Memes
- Volante
- Luz De Liz (Filtros)
- Vaca
- Louange A L'Eternite De Jesus
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Refreshing approach
There is a reason musicians are lining up for the opportunity to play with Los Guachos and Guillermo Klein in particular. Crisp, refreshing like a cold summer wheat beer on a hot day.
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A (Patho)logical progression
* The Amazon review capsule with words from Don Guillermo are quite well spoken, so I will make address to those who are familiar w/ Señor Klein and his Grupo, as well the uninitiated.
A long way grupo Los Guachos has come from the 1st release, El Minotauro\", and the crazylouco composer/musician/vocalist Guillermo Klein has constructed his unique sound , which is mixing argentino/brasileiro popular and folcloric musics with lush voiced chords, and a vocal style that resembles João Gilberto after a particular successful night with the bottle! (like the famous song, 'O Bêbado E O Equilibrista', as the musics/compositions are 'well balanced', yet drunk, haha) , with sharp ensemble passages, the solo efforts, excelente mesmo! Jazz, so called, never sounded more unique.
The influence of legend Hugo Fattoruso (from uruguai by brasil) is noticable in Los Guachos sound, intentional or coincidence, you have to ask to Sinhô Klein! But any who have heard Hugo in any incarnation, especially Airto Moreira's \"Fingers\" grupo will see connections!
Much of this recording is with \"odd time signatures\" , as they say..
Miguel Zenon, the boricua tenor , and some interstellar post jazz fusion guitarra from Ben Monder add the excitement.
Always one to honor great composers who have gone before us, This cd offers a \"decomposition\" of a work , the great classical composer Messian.
(Previous recordings have featured musics from O Bruxo, Hermeto Pascoal).
For those who do not like to mix their \"jazz\" with other influences, this NOT the recording for you.
For the open minded and adventurous ears, this is sent from heaven.
10000000000 estrelas no ceu!
viva grupo Los Guachos! (USA annexed version, many músicos from the states contributed this effort) ...
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Fresh and Exciting!
Guillermo Klein and Los Guachos' "Filtros" is the most original and exciting jazz-related large ensemble music I've heard in quite some time. I say "jazz-related" because calling this just "jazz" would be limiting.
Klein has come up with a sound world all his own. He has a great band full of strong and individual improvisers and players, but utilizes their soloing talents sparingly and only when it makes sense in the context of a particular piece. Several soloists, most notably Miguel Zenon on alto saxophone, get their chance to shine in selected spots. All of the musicians' own voices can be heard featured in Klein's melodies and voicings...he really writes for this particular group of individuals.
In this release, Klein's gift for strong, memorable melodies has really come into focus much more so than in past releases of his.... check out "Yeso" and "Volante" in particular.
He also has a way with catchy Latin and funk derived grooves in complex meters... check out "Miula" and "Snake" (also catch a memorable Bill McHenry tenor sax solo on the latter).
Klein has come up with a unique method to make it occasionally sound like the time is "stretching". Check this out on the transition sections of "Miula" and throughout most of "Luz de Luz" (Although "Luz" could use a little editing in spots....this is really the only slight mis-fire (imho) on a great cd. There is a beautiful unaccompanied piano/guitar duet towards the end of this track that sounds to me like bossa nova meets Steve Reich, however)
Klein and Los Guachos have melded the sonorities of Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter, contemporary classical music, Argentinian music and much more into a unique, unforgettable, unified and beautiful voice. Get this music now!
