Schadowrider Records

From the liner notes:

The music of Latin America has long appealed to audiences worldwide. With roots in Spanish, African,
and Indigenous peoples and cultures, Latin music is known for its soulful lyricism; propulsive, syncopated
dance-rhythms; and a deep connection to history, nostalgia, and tradition. Composers such as Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, White, and Ramirez have inspired me to arrange the music on this disc for our trio of guitar, bassoon, and flute.

Starting in 1996 I began writing pieces to perform with classically trained friends and colleagues at
festivals in Ecuador, Peru, and Europe, and to reconnect with my Caribbean roots. Cuban Sketches was the first effort in this vein — really a notated improvisation exploring Cuban folkloric styles.

Guaracha Nevada was written during a major New England snowstorm, Una Ventana is a romantic bolero in the style of a trio sonata, and Miami Merengue came to light while crawling through that city’s famous traffic and listening to Dominican radio stations! Sonatina Tropical, of which Paul and I play two movements, uses a jazzier harmonic language but stays true to its Cuban-American roots. Homage to Takemitsu is a tribute to the Japanse composer’s film music.

“Diarios” (2007), a work inspired by my travels and musical enthusiasms, was commissioned through a
grant from the New York State Music Fund, and dedicated to the members of the Rochester Folk Art Guild — especially to my wonderful colleagues, Matthew Shubin and Paul Schliffer. The opener, “A los Rumberos
de RFAG,” is built on the rumba, music from the Cuban city streets that features rich cross-rhythms and
syncopations. “Andean Fiestas” recalls my fieldwork in Ecuador and Peru. The quoted folksong, “Ojos Azules”
is played on flute, accompanied by simple harmonies on guitar and interjections from bassoon. A minimalist
middle section evokes competing bands and snatches of melody typical of ritual Andean music — Reich meets
Ives at an Andean festival! “A Tourist in Central Park” opens with a tender theme on guitar in a Bill Evans vein, and the finale, “¡Brasilierando!”, laced with the double-bell pattern of Afro-Brazilian drumming, pays homage to the samba. A slow episode quotes “Berceuse Campesina” by the Cuban composer Alejandro Caturla (used nostalgically in Andy Garcia’s beautiful film “The Lost City”) before being rudely interrupted by the samba tune which drives relentlessly to the end.

— José Manuel Lezcano

From the liner notes:

* * * * * * *

Where can listening lead us when we are free of the written page?

What quality of listening is needed to improvise freely with others?

What do we need to keep and what do we need to let go as we abandon ourselves to the unknown?

Our project began with a wish to find ways to practice more sensitive listening and explore the essentials of music-making: tone, pitch, rhythm, tempo, etc. in our ensemble. A grant from the New York State Music Fund
made possible a concert series, which we called “Legacies,” plus several recording sessions. In the pieces that emerged, little or nothing was decided ahead—at most a pitch center, mode, or combination of instruments.

There is not a single phrase here that we previously played, nor one which we subsequently repeated. In a way, it was like meeting each other for a conversation, with no pre-decided topic, and talking and listening at
the same time. We found that in many cases it took awhile for the improvisation to unfold, but more often than not, some small miracle would appear and surprise us all.

Listen carefully!

—Matthew, Michael & Paul