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It’s always a thrill to purchase an album and hear new ground being broken. It’s
even a greater thrill to hear new ground being broken each time you listen
to that album. Such is the case with LP artist Paoli Mejias’ current release Mi Tambor. Indeed, there is no safe ground; he’s
tearing it up all over the place. And this is good.
To offer, perhaps, the most extreme example on the CD, let’s thrust ahead to track four, “Oye Como Va”, the Tito Puente classic that was given new life by Santana. We’re expecting a familiar melody set against a cha cha. We’re in for a shake up, from the double-time intro to the little teasing suggestions of the melody that never seem to resolve. Paoli Mejias is frantic on his timbale solo, performed against a backdrop of an ascending piano/bass ensemble figure. Drummer Antonio Escapa is shadowing and prodding him all the way. It’s exciting as exciting gets! A hip tenor sax (or is it alto—more about this later) reintroduces snippets of the head.
On to the next track, “Hello Nany”, we find sparse instrumentation consisting simply of piano and bongos (Paoli)—with handclaps joining them to demark the clave. And that’s all the song requires to bounce along!
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s go back to the start of the CD. “Cuidado con la Percusion” is distinguished by Jerry Medina’s rich vocals. High points include Mariano Morales violin solo, and the tight band ensemble figures that follow it. Listen to the way Hector Matos intersperses delightful rhythmic fragments on the drumkit, somehow rendering his lines faithful to clave and leaving us cliffhanging simultaneously.
In “Revelation”, we encounter a tricky arrangement that crisscrosses between an up tempo salsa in four to an African 6/8, with nary a seam showing. Full band stops are tight, the groove is solid despite the tempo, and we’re reminded that while the phrase “Latin jazz” is used somewhat gratuitously, here it applies in full force, with all its connotations: risk taking, free flying improvisation.
“Evidence” is a Thelonius Monk cover. Paoli Mejias’ LP congas are so rich toned and tuneful, you’d swear they were singing to you (Actually, one of his fortes seems to be tuning his congas to the respective melodies). Bassist Hans Glawischnig shines, as does the quirky drummers’ drummer Antonio Sanchez, who is supporting each band figure without fail. A high moment occurs when saxophonists Zenon, Sanchez, and Encarnacion trade fours, constructing meaningful statements and conversations, ever upping the excitement level.
A military-tight drum/percussion display marks the intro of “Dance Step”, a song penned by Zenon, spiked with a descending line articulated between piano and bass that spells further excitement, if that were possible. A word about Zenon’s tone: The alto saxophone is a small instrument, frequently delivering a nasal tone. Zenon’s alto, however, is full bodied irrespective of the register in which he is playing. Pianist Yan Carlos Artime’s solo is a gem.
One word about the next tune, “Lo Que Dice el Tambor”, a sort of folkloric rumba in what appears to be an Afro-triplet time signature—inventive. Ordinarily such a genre would not include drumset, but this one does and kit player Hector Matos knows exactly how to blend with the others. At around the five minute mark, the piano and horns enter to take this one out powerfully.
“What Did You Say?” indeed! Here we have a brilliant juxtaposition of the Indian phonetic/tabla (courtesy Naren Budhakar) genre joined by thrilling Latin and African percussion—conga, cajon, tambor, and an udu glissando. After establishing a hypnotic spell, this one segues, following a brief silence, into the solo section of “Oye Como Va”. Here Paoli Mejias shines on timbales. On the liner notes, it’s termed a bonus track but it’s a highlight in a CD full of highlights, and one meriting listen after listen.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE POLI MEJIAS CD
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