HIROMI AND EDMAR CASTANEDA - Live In Montreal
TELARC: TEL00026
Hiromi: piano; Edmar Castaneda: harp
Recorded on June 30th 2017 by Michael Bishop at the Festival de Jazz de Montreal in Ludger-Duvernay Concert Hall
Hiromi is one of the most melodic improvisers on today’s jazz scene. What this set also showcases is her marvellous compositional skills, with the four-part ‘Elements’ suite being a highlight of this phenomenal concert. Pairing her piano playing with Colombian Castaneda’s harp playing is a stroke of genius. Indeed, Castaneda’s control of the harp gives him a deep bass lines that alternate with swept, guitar-line chords and pizzicato flourishes that sound more like a zither than a harp; it is as if the one instrument that you don’t hear him play is a ‘harp’ in any sense that is familiar.
The set opens with two of Castaneda’s tunes, ‘A harp in New York’ and ‘For Jaco’. The first tune appeared on his ‘Double Portion’ album (as did the closing number in this set, Piazzolla’s ‘Libertango’). While ‘For Jaco’ has been performed live a few times (with a performance at the North Sea Jazz festival a couple of years ago), I think this is its first recording. All three tracks provoke rapturous applause from the audience in recognition of the quality of the playing and level of enthusiasm of the artists. Even something as hokey as the ‘Cantina Band’ tune from Star Wars turns into cheekily swinging ragtime that has both players effortlessly switching between providing rhythmic support and playing lead lines.
In case I haven’t been clear enough. This is an amazing recording that is going straight into my list of favourite albums of the year.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
TELARC: TEL00026
Hiromi: piano; Edmar Castaneda: harp
Recorded on June 30th 2017 by Michael Bishop at the Festival de Jazz de Montreal in Ludger-Duvernay Concert Hall
Hiromi is one of the most melodic improvisers on today’s jazz scene. What this set also showcases is her marvellous compositional skills, with the four-part ‘Elements’ suite being a highlight of this phenomenal concert. Pairing her piano playing with Colombian Castaneda’s harp playing is a stroke of genius. Indeed, Castaneda’s control of the harp gives him a deep bass lines that alternate with swept, guitar-line chords and pizzicato flourishes that sound more like a zither than a harp; it is as if the one instrument that you don’t hear him play is a ‘harp’ in any sense that is familiar.
The set opens with two of Castaneda’s tunes, ‘A harp in New York’ and ‘For Jaco’. The first tune appeared on his ‘Double Portion’ album (as did the closing number in this set, Piazzolla’s ‘Libertango’). While ‘For Jaco’ has been performed live a few times (with a performance at the North Sea Jazz festival a couple of years ago), I think this is its first recording. All three tracks provoke rapturous applause from the audience in recognition of the quality of the playing and level of enthusiasm of the artists. Even something as hokey as the ‘Cantina Band’ tune from Star Wars turns into cheekily swinging ragtime that has both players effortlessly switching between providing rhythmic support and playing lead lines.
In case I haven’t been clear enough. This is an amazing recording that is going straight into my list of favourite albums of the year.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
