RODRIGO ALMONTE - Distancia
Odradek ODRCD517
Rodrigo Almonte (guitar); Daniel Juárez (tenor saxophone); Lorenzo Vitolo (piano); Rafael Abdalla (double bass); Roberto Pistolesi (drums); Rogerio Boccato (percussion); Michael Moore (alto sax)
Recorded Wedgeview Studios, The Netherlands, 16-17 September 2020
Guitarist Rodrigo Almonte is truly a global citizen. Born in Peru, his musical studies have taken him to Brazil, Ireland, New York and The Netherlands – where this album was recorded. He now lives in Dublin, and says that each piece of music on the album: “Is an honest representation of a pilgrimage of different distances I had to walk musically and geographically speaking, in order to find inspiration and create a representation of myself and my experience as a musical nomad” Each song title includes the distance (in kilometres) from his home. The international nature of the project can also be discerned by the CD booklet text, which is in English, Spanish and French.
The album concept was inspired by photographer Kel Portman’s Walking the Land, a project started twenty years ago, which aims to link art, people and landscape. The musical influences on this record are diverse and include classical, contemporary jazz, Peruvian and Brazilian, as well as artists such as Wayne Shorter, Maria Schneider and Pat Metheny. With such a rich blend of influences, you could end up with an aural mess or a sublime distillation of musical genres and inspirations – Distancia most definitely belongs in the latter category.
‘Toribo’ is a joyful slice of Andean music, which begins with a slow bass pulse, tumbling piano chords and crashing cymbals, before Almonte joins in, with some delicate picking. The piece morphs into an exuberant, uptempo number, and you could imagine a group of smiling people dancing in a circle and clapping their hands in time to the music. “OCD” is one my favourites, with an opening waltz-like theme played by guitar and sax. Roberto Pistolesi’s s drumming is excellent, navigating various time signatures and delivering blistering fills over a one-chord vamp. There are good solos from Daniel Juárez on tenor sax and Lorenzo Vitolo’s on piano, and Almonte plays a mellifluous guitar solo. ‘Crown Heights,’ inspired by the birth of Almonte’s niece is a tender piece, dominated by Juárez, and featuring a solid bass solo by Rafael Abdalla.
‘Shorter Steps’ is inspired by the music of Wayne Shorter, and in addition to Daniel Juárez on tenor sax, features a second saxophonist, Michael Moore on alto sax. The ballad has a dramatic, out-of-tempo opening, with both saxophonists harmonizing on the dream-like theme. The two saxophonists fit together perfectly, like two hands entwining, and Moore plays a short, stirring solo at the conclusion – it’s a gorgeous piece. ’Utjawi’ (Aymara dialect for ‘home’) starts with a catchy, delicate piano vamp, before a dramatic switch in mood with pounding piano chords and a blasting sax. Almonte ably demonstrates his touch and fluidity on this piece, with a solo that has many twists and turns.
‘The Journey Of The Long Cloud’ is the album’s longest tune at almost twelve minutes in length. It’s a neat summary of Almonte’s musical voyage, with various influences from around the world weaved within its rich basket of harmonies and melodies. It’s a solid band performance, with everyone stepping forward at various points along the way, including Almonte, who plays a long solo, that has echoes of Pat Metheny.
The closer, ‘In The Depth of Winter’ is a ballad dedicated to Almonte’s wife, whose warm love has helped to make a cold Irish winter feel like home. Almonte’s guitar emits a stream of fluttering notes, as if shivering in the cold, and then Vitolo plays a haunting figure on piano. It’s a very pretty piece and as comforting as a crackling fire in the middle of a harsh winter. Rodrigo Almonte is a talented guitarist and a fine composer, and Distancia is a musical journey that is well worth the ticket.
Reviewed by George Cole
Odradek ODRCD517
Rodrigo Almonte (guitar); Daniel Juárez (tenor saxophone); Lorenzo Vitolo (piano); Rafael Abdalla (double bass); Roberto Pistolesi (drums); Rogerio Boccato (percussion); Michael Moore (alto sax)
Recorded Wedgeview Studios, The Netherlands, 16-17 September 2020
Guitarist Rodrigo Almonte is truly a global citizen. Born in Peru, his musical studies have taken him to Brazil, Ireland, New York and The Netherlands – where this album was recorded. He now lives in Dublin, and says that each piece of music on the album: “Is an honest representation of a pilgrimage of different distances I had to walk musically and geographically speaking, in order to find inspiration and create a representation of myself and my experience as a musical nomad” Each song title includes the distance (in kilometres) from his home. The international nature of the project can also be discerned by the CD booklet text, which is in English, Spanish and French.
The album concept was inspired by photographer Kel Portman’s Walking the Land, a project started twenty years ago, which aims to link art, people and landscape. The musical influences on this record are diverse and include classical, contemporary jazz, Peruvian and Brazilian, as well as artists such as Wayne Shorter, Maria Schneider and Pat Metheny. With such a rich blend of influences, you could end up with an aural mess or a sublime distillation of musical genres and inspirations – Distancia most definitely belongs in the latter category.
‘Toribo’ is a joyful slice of Andean music, which begins with a slow bass pulse, tumbling piano chords and crashing cymbals, before Almonte joins in, with some delicate picking. The piece morphs into an exuberant, uptempo number, and you could imagine a group of smiling people dancing in a circle and clapping their hands in time to the music. “OCD” is one my favourites, with an opening waltz-like theme played by guitar and sax. Roberto Pistolesi’s s drumming is excellent, navigating various time signatures and delivering blistering fills over a one-chord vamp. There are good solos from Daniel Juárez on tenor sax and Lorenzo Vitolo’s on piano, and Almonte plays a mellifluous guitar solo. ‘Crown Heights,’ inspired by the birth of Almonte’s niece is a tender piece, dominated by Juárez, and featuring a solid bass solo by Rafael Abdalla.
‘Shorter Steps’ is inspired by the music of Wayne Shorter, and in addition to Daniel Juárez on tenor sax, features a second saxophonist, Michael Moore on alto sax. The ballad has a dramatic, out-of-tempo opening, with both saxophonists harmonizing on the dream-like theme. The two saxophonists fit together perfectly, like two hands entwining, and Moore plays a short, stirring solo at the conclusion – it’s a gorgeous piece. ’Utjawi’ (Aymara dialect for ‘home’) starts with a catchy, delicate piano vamp, before a dramatic switch in mood with pounding piano chords and a blasting sax. Almonte ably demonstrates his touch and fluidity on this piece, with a solo that has many twists and turns.
‘The Journey Of The Long Cloud’ is the album’s longest tune at almost twelve minutes in length. It’s a neat summary of Almonte’s musical voyage, with various influences from around the world weaved within its rich basket of harmonies and melodies. It’s a solid band performance, with everyone stepping forward at various points along the way, including Almonte, who plays a long solo, that has echoes of Pat Metheny.
The closer, ‘In The Depth of Winter’ is a ballad dedicated to Almonte’s wife, whose warm love has helped to make a cold Irish winter feel like home. Almonte’s guitar emits a stream of fluttering notes, as if shivering in the cold, and then Vitolo plays a haunting figure on piano. It’s a very pretty piece and as comforting as a crackling fire in the middle of a harsh winter. Rodrigo Almonte is a talented guitarist and a fine composer, and Distancia is a musical journey that is well worth the ticket.
Reviewed by George Cole
