The follow-up to this trio’s eponymous 2020 debut recording is a double album that’s no less ambitious than its predecessor. The cryptic prefix ST assigned to each track is an abbreviation of “sin título”, Spanish for “no title”.
The music is entirely comprised of collectively improvised pieces and is a world away from guitarist Gabriel Vicéns’ meticulously composed previous three albums including his last The Way We Are Created (Inner Circle Music, 2021). The trio describes its musical philosophy and the recording’s evolution as “the spontaneous creation and development of compositions, right on the spot”.
ST 1 opens with a diffident foray, Vicéns laying down a delicate, reverb-rich motif, the saxophone and drums chasing his patterns. On ST 2 Jonathan Suazo’s meandering saxophone is underpinned by Vicéns’ creaking and scratching guitar. ST 3 begins with drummer Leonard Osuna following the guitarist in a repeated rhythmic pattern that unfolds into a backdrop for Suazo’s tenor saxophone extemporisation which by the middle section has some dynamic repartee between the guitar and sax before concluding with a quieter Suazo cadenza.
Plangent, echoey guitar chords introduce ST 4, reinforced by an ostinato pulse-like drum beat over which Suazo’s dulcet flute realises an ethereal atmosphere. ST 5 offers some slightly feistier conversational interspersions, the 20-minute track culminating in some much more forceful playing dominated by Vicéns’ strident, overdriven guitar.
ST 6 opens with a subtle guitar and drums groove-led feel, shortly augmented by Suazo’s angular, frequently staccato, lines on an EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument). The final track, ST 7, running at nearly 30 minutes, returns the trio to a soundscapey sensibility.
Whilst this album might at times present a challenging listen it is undoubtedly worth the effort as, if nothing else, it illustrates perfectly the improviser’s ability to listen and respond to his fellow musicians.
Discography
ST 1; ST 2; ST 3; ST 4; ST 5; ST 6; ST 7 (104.15)
Vicéns (elg); Jonathan Suazo (as, ts, f, EWI); Leonardo Osuna (d). San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 2021.
Setola di Maiale SM4490
