| Jazz |
I’ve been hearing about this pianist and composer for quite some time, and with the speed at which jazz albums are being released these days, it’s hard to keep up with everyone. It took this album release on the German label ACT for me to really listen to and appreciate his work. Everything starts here with a very slightly Spanish-influenced and understated piano/guitar, and then by the second track, it’s an outpouring of different rhythms and sound colors, with multiple inspirations where the Spanish heritage is mainly rhythmic. For the rest, Daniel Garcia takes us into his universe, which can only be understood by looking at his background. It’s one of the most in-demand and solid trios in European jazz. With special guests such as the Lebanese trumpet star Ibrahim Maalouf, Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen, and flamenco guitar master Gerardo Núñez, “Vía de la Plata” represents a milestone in Spanish jazz, while dozens of rave reviews worldwide have made this album a word-of-mouth phenomenon.
This extraordinary trio is composed of Daniel Garcia on piano and vocals, Reineier “El Negron” on double bass, and Michael Olivera; these musicians form a particularly cohesive trio, working in an extremely well-defined way that aligns with Daniel Garcia’s inner universe. He states, “I find it difficult to categorize my music,” says García. “It’s like trying to put the sea in a box—it just overflows! I love classical music, I love Middle Eastern music, I love rock, I love singer-songwriters! Inspiration can come from anywhere. The introduction of ‘The Gathering,’ for example, was inspired by a melody I heard on the streets of Salamanca.” Two remarkable voices complete the album: the singer Verónica Ferreiro, born in La Coruña and based in Madrid, and the Catalan singer Lau Noah, who is based in New York. In “You and Me,” she sings, “Take my hands/ Now, come and dance/ It’s time to forget the wounds/ All the scars, the pain.” An invitation to forget the pain in the dance—and for Daniel, a way to make the world better, if only for a moment. He says, “There are so many tragedies unfolding around us. There’s little we can do, apart from believing in ourselves and being kind to others.”
I particularly love the rhythmic work on this album—thoughtful, deep, intense. In imagery, one could speak of “vibrance,” that incredible melodic and rhythmic sense that I had only known from a great artist like Juan Carmona. Even though they don’t practice the same musical genre, there is this multicultural sense where the Arab-Muslim culture is never far away, just like the Andalusian culture. The jazz form here is the harmonious form, where the composer’s personality shines through. If you hear this trio just once, you’ll be marked. Although a very intense rhythm is present, this drummer works more like a percussionist in his approach to rhythms, adding to the musicality.
This album takes us on a journey, also incorporating a part of Africanity, and the particularly well-chosen guests, in search of beauty and art. The track “You and Me,” wonderfully interpreted by Lau Noah, is undoubtedly the one that best brings out the Spanish culture—not particularly visible at first glance; everything is in the subtext of the performance. You have to wait until the 11th track to experience a masterful interpretation by Verónica Ferreiro, who emphasizes a very current form of Spanish culture. This trio is undoubtedly becoming one of the most important European jazz trios. It’s impossible to overlook, impossible not to talk about, just as it’s impossible not to place this album in our “Essentials” category.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 14th 2024
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To buy this album https://www.actmusic.com/en/wonderland/ACT-9996-2