Gathering in Blue

Información

• Fecha de Lanzamiento:1 Junio 2004
• Disquera: ZumbaoArt Production

Canciones

1. Horizonte (Duque)
   
2. Feel & Perceive (for Sofia Duque)
   
3. F# Pillow Song (Weisman)
4. Counterpoint Cafe (Duque)
   
5. Gathering in Blue (Duque)
   
6. Where the Heart Is (Duque)
   
7. Azucar Pa'l Alma (Duque)
   

Créditos

Todas las composiciones son de Jose R. Duque (ZumbaoArt), excepto donde esté indicado. Musicos: Jeff Auger, piano; Chel Illingworth, saxo tenor; Jesse Stern, bajo; Jose R. Duque, percusion y tambores. Grabado en The Eclectic Cave, Portsmouth, NH; Materizado en Decato Sound.

Críticas

The recording has a nice, warm , live-in-the-studio vibe that is often missing from studio recordings these days. The tunes evoke a variety of moods and, overall, they’re very tight. Tunes like “horizonte’ and “counterpoint café” have a nice Pat Metheny-influenced sound, while the title cut, “gathering in Blue” sounds like it’s straight out of the book of Bill Bruford’s Earthworks band, with its use of odd meters before settling into a burning Songo or Afro-Cuban groove. Yet these influences are more implied than derivative. “Where the heart is” a beautiful ballad on the Spanish Tango Flamenco(not to be confused with the Argentinean Tango) features some of the deepest and most meaningful writing on the CD. The recording closes with a burning samna, “azucar pa’l alma”. Overall this is a fine debut from an equally fine group of musicians. And it serves as a notice that the future of the local jazz scene is in assured and capable hands-those of musicians like Jose Duque and his ZumbaTres. Alan Chase, The Wire, Portsmouth NH

Jose Duque's drums and compositions (he wrote six of the songs in the album) managed to seamlessly blend a host of musical styles and influences in his 'Gathering in Blue', with the aid of some great musicians. The sound of Chris Weisman's guitar reminisces of Pat Metheny as much as it brings other great guitarists to mind, such as Bill Frisell and Ry Cooder. The sax of Chel Illingworth doesn't lag behind, putting the stamp of great jazz music to Jose's production. Jeff Auger's delivers chords that range from outright latin-flavored (with the aid of percussion) to straight up jazz, fusing with Jesse Stern's impeccable bass work and Chel's horn in a way that brought to mind some of King Crimson's flirting with jazz during their 'Islands' period, or Bill Bruford's "Earthworks".All in all, the album, with a very acoustic flavor all throughout its seven solid tracks, leaves you with a feel of completeness and knowing you've heard some music that not only breaks style boundaries in a succesful fashion, but also brings Venezuelan Jose Duque's to the front of the jazz territory. My favorites, hands down: the opening theme, "Where The Heart Is" and the contagious last song. Manny Hernandez - AMAZON