Mas is a pianist from Catalonia who has also published poems. He’s now in his mid-40s and this is his first collection of piano solos.
Mas says of the work: “This is maybe an album with less swing sense. The compositions are really focused on connections between me and the landscapes here in Catalonia, the connections between generations and composers (contemporary Catalan composers, the French impressionistic tradition and the influence that the 1900s had on Duke Ellington, Gershwin, Jobim and others in harmonic aspects) … but obviously I am a jazz musician and there is a lot of improvisation (open or closed forms) on the album”.
Segles Lligats means “linked centuries” and could well be an acknowledgement of Debussy whose music spanned the 19th and 20th centuries and whose spirit seems clear in this elegant, melodic music from a century later. There’s a distinct pastoral flavour confirmed by the rural landscapes on the booklet.
The jazz background is evident in the steady rhythms and some improvisation but there’s no hint here of blues asperity or rhythmic displacement and it’s hard to see any reason for jazz enthusiasts to investigate further unless they have a particular interest in this artist.
Discography
Canco Per L’aine; Creenca; Teixits; Mediona; Anem; Pasqua Florida; Griet; Trinitat; Punt Cardinal; Mestratge; Harmonia De Las Esferes; El Jardi De Maria Elena; Segles Lligats; Escola Magna; Epiqueia (65.29)
Mas (p). Girona, 20 January 2017.
Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT 562
