A deceptively simple masterwork
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 10/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nuance, that's what we've got here. And of the highest order.
Take the first cut, for example. It starts out as a rather unadorned, straightforward reading of a Cuban folk classic. Yes, there's an uncommon rhythmic and percussive liveliness--even a little jaunty sauciness--in the leader's initial unaccompanied piano figures, but still not outside the scope of the unexpected. Then, Boom! What's that slight electronic tremor subtly washing over everything and signaling a beatifically legato piano passage? And what's with the faux-funk e-bass? And the killer hand-drum figures? You can't make such wildly disparate elements work in one number, can you? And what's with the mouth harp? And the sax picking up on the legato vibe while the piano becomes downright declamatorily insistent? And then the ever-so-slight unraveling and coming back together at the end?
I'll tell you what it is: a long acknowledged piano prodigy finally coming into his own.
Big time.
It took me a while to get on board with this project because it shattered all my expectations. But jazz--at least the best jazz--is like that. The monster players come out of nowhere. Who could've predicted Thelonius Monk? Or Ornette Coleman blowing out of Texas? Or the (20 year long) overnight emergence of Frank Kimbrough?
Who knew that Gonzalo Rubalcaba would create a disc of such absolute distinction, given his checkered past (some pretty good stuff, some of it pretty awful)? Who knew that he'd incorporate some of the canniest electronics (14 different keyboards, sequencers, and samplers employed) into a brilliantly retooled soundscape that fully employs the studio as an instrument? Who knew that he'd manage to get certainly the finest performance on record--one we've all been waiting for--out of drummer Ingacio Berroa, while discovering and showcasing unknown sax monster Luis Felipe Lamoglia? Who knew that he'd manage to cover the world jazz waterfront with such beguiling, such enticing renderings of everything from folkloric materials ("El Guerrillero," "Los Buyes") to dreamy, post-Romantic Impressionism ("Sea Change," "Santo Canto," where the electronic effects and atmospherics fully kick in) to burning post-bop ("Bottoms Up," "Meanwhile" with their staccato/fluid piano figures) to languid/edgy tropicalisms ("Paseo con Fula") to Chick Corea-ish futurisms ("Quasar," again utilizing the latest in electronics in a very savvy way, as well as trotting out the full arsenal of, esp., Lamoglia and Berroa, who takes a couple killer percussion choruses magically undergirt by Jose Armando Gola's impossibly bubbly e-bass)?
I didn't.
But it's all here, just waiting for the jaded jazz fanatic to lap up like a longed-for oasis in a desert of third-rate jazz offerings. A casual listen may get you thinking that this stuff's easy to pull off. Well, it ain't--least not at this level. This represents years--decades--of laboring in the trenches, thousands of hours on the bandstand and out back woodshedding, plus an inherent genius few players are blessed with.
But, as I say, it's all here, just waiting for you to pick up on.
Top jazz disc of the year.
Hands down.
Don't miss it."
Shed your shackles, and swing, Gonzalo!
Triniman | Winnipeg, MB | 11/26/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Gonazlo Rubalcaba and New Cuban Quartet - Paseo. 2/5
Forty-one year-old Cuban-born Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba has released his 23th recording with Paseo this year.
On the opening track the Latin-flavoured El Guerrillero (The Soldier), the drums beg to turn on a dime a few times, but they simply stamp out at the same pace. The instrumentation is fine but the track doesn't stand out.
What's most striking about this CD is that Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a master technician of diverse styles. Witness his sublime balladry on Sea Change. This is a style he displayed when I saw Charlie Haden perform in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2002.
The major fault with this disc, though, is that it doesn't sound improvised enough. There's too much structure and the compositions aren't terribly interesting. They do have the sheen of modernity, but when you listen below that layer, there's little that qualifies as being memorable. There's not enough tension and interplay between the otherwise capable musicians. At times, some of the tracks sound "busy" without having an engaging groove to them.
As an interpreter of jazz, Rubalcaba is as good as anyone. He knows how to cut loose and deftly swing. On Paseo, regardless of the inspiration behind the compositions, he's holding back, in fact, the music gives me a stifling sensation. If you read a lot of the reviews of his albums, they often say similar things: great chops, masterful technician, not so memorable composer.
If you really want to hear Rubalcaba doing some mind-blowing piano playing, you owe it to yourself to check out Discovery - Live At Montreau from 1991. Listen to the fantastic first track, Monk's "Well, You Needn't" and be prepared to be bowled over by its virtuosity and electricity. It's widely regarded as one of the best major label debuts, with drumer Paul Motian and Charlie Haden on the bass.
If Gonzalo Rubalcaba were returning to my town, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy tickets and I would recommed him to jazz fans. I would only hope, though, that he would shed his shackles and do some serious swinging.
"
Gonzalo embraces fusion?
E. Minkovitch | Montreal, Quebec | 11/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Probably the best fusion album I've heard in the last 20 years. Not that there are many to choose from, in these last two decades of smooth and lounge jazz, but this is a genuine article, friends.
The album opens with a folk tune, and takes a while to get going, but man, does it ever! Some of the most fiery, complex, fusion, played with passion and wit by Gonzalo, who expanded his keyboard arsenal by an electric piano and a few synths that provides warm waves of sound in key strategic places, and really put movement into the songs. The band is top notch, with the sax player sometimes following the piano note-for-note and other times extending into free-jazz, and the drummer laying on impossibly metered grooves. I am glad to say that the bassist uses mostly electric bass on this recording, without the annoying slapping and buzzing that modern players like. There are mostly long pieces, three being epic-length, which to me are the best things on this album, but also a couple of mellow pieces that provide an atmospheric break from the often frantic pace. The songs alternate from very sparse to very busy, which makes for an interesting contrast. The music is tightly composed for the most part, showcasing Mr. Rubalcaba considerable talents as a composer who is not afraid to take chances and veer off the beaten path.
In short, an excellent fusion album, 75 minutes of great music. Recommended for fusion fans."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
