What’s new in the idiom of jazz? The next generation of Cuban musicians have arrived. Look no further than what they have brought with them. They have infused the Blues and Jazz with Blues and Jazz of their own. Their music is tempestuous, beguiling and always exciting. Like making that left turn unexpectedly to find something so inviting that the listener is stopped in his or her tracks. This new album by Manuel Valera and the New Cuban Express In Motion is the third release since Mr. Valera formed the band. The new cast of characters includes the terrific bassist, Hans Glawischnig and awesome trumpeter Alex Sipiagin. This incarnation makes them somewhat stronger than they have ever been, their sound has become rounder and fuller with the addition of a trumpet and the more voluptuous acoustic bass. Manuel Valera has taken musical meter and stretched it as far as it possibly can. His writing plays on the innermost ear like a very fast game of hopscotch, swinging, skittering and chasing the stone. Of all of the Cuban pianists playing today Mr. Valera’s pianism is most strongly aligned to classic melodicism. The rhythmic element of his left hand exists in the dance-like structure that holds up the melody like an edifice that is suddenly built before the wonderstruck listener. His statements are elaborate as he expands on the geometry of the melody making wondrous structures in a high-wire act that is breathtaking to behold. Here, on In Motion his music unfolds best in the collaborative effort that he has forged with this ensemble. His ability to arrive in the limelight and withdraw from it is generous. This is evident in most of the music here, but is especially gracious on "Descargando," the profoundly beautiful "Bantu" and the epic "Storyteller," which are just three of the defining tracks on this exquisite album. ~ Extract by Raul Da Gama, LatinJazzNet.com.
Criss Cross Jazz, Criss 1372
CD, 2014
Recorded 29th January, 2014
at Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn, New York
Musicians:
Manuel Valera - Piano, Fender
Rhodes
Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet,
Flugelhorn
Yosvany Terry - Alto &
Soprano Saxophones, Chekeré
Tom Guarna - Guitar
Hans Glawischnig - Bass
Ludwig Alfonso - Drums
Mauricio Herrera - Percussion
Tracks:
1. Descargando {Manuel
Valera} (6:24)
2. Preamble {Manuel Valera}
(8:55)
3. Bantu {Manuel Valera}
(6:48)
4. No Puedo Ser Felix {José
Arturo Méndez} (5:42)
5. Storyteller {Manuel
Valera} (8:45)
6. Mirrors {Manuel Valera}
(7:19)
7. Para Emiliano {Manuel
Valera} (6:23)
8. NYC {Manuel Valera} (6:37)
9. Factors {Manuel Valera}
(6:22)
Total Time: 63:23
Credits:
Producer - Gerry Teekens
Recording & Mixing
Engineer - Michael Marciano
Mastering - Max Ross
Photography - Jimmy Katz
Design - Gerry Teekens/Bloemendaal In Vorm
