Fran Vielma and His Venezuelan Jazz Collective Tendencias

Fran Vielma and His Venezuelan Jazz Collective
Tendencias
Papelon Records

Vielma, is a Venezuelan composer, arranger, educator and a multi-percussionist specializing in Venezuelan rhythms and drums. Vielma also leads the ‘Venezuelan Jazz Orchestra,’ and is a producer/teacher of a biannual jazz seminar at The Andes University in his home country. On this recording he is joined by his Venezuelan Jazz Collective that features some of the most important Venezuelan and Latin American players of NY jazz scene like Luis Perdomo, Michael Rodriguez, Miguel Zenon, and Pablo Bencid.

Fran Vielma says about his music, "As a percussionist, I am drawn to the rhythmic elements of Venezuelan and Caribbean music that are full of African heritage. The nuance and variety of classical and world music styles, as well as the freedom of jazz, have constantly nurtured my performance, making me think as a real-time orchestrator, improviser, and an active seeker of sonic textures. These elements allow me to accompany and interact with other players, and to highlight passages or sections that a piece of music entails."

This opens with the invigorating "Monk En Aragua," one gets impressed by the clean, spicy horn lines as well as the thunderous percussion. There is a terrific bass solo from Roberto Koch as well as superb piano (Either from Luis Perdomo or Cesar Orozco) followed by Miguel Zenon's alto sax and then a percussion solo from Vielma. "Cereal De Bobures" may be a bit mellower as the horns are heard over the Rhodes piano with Michael Rodriguez's trumpet featured on a relaxed, tuneful solo that floats over the rhythm before a vocal chorus takes this performance out. The title track has a brisk tempo as well as featuring Angel Subero's wooly trombone set against a cleaver horn arrangement before a percussion solo set against a repeated piano riff. Jeremy Bosch's vocal is at the center of "Pasaje Del Olvido," while Koch's bass solo opens and sets the table for "Hubbardengue," with its airy Rhodes piano and Rodriguez's melodic trumpet.

The percussive heavy, "A Modo Patanemeño," places the spotlight on pianist Orozco, while the closing "Miel De Cayena," is a duet between Vielma and pianist Perdomo with interesting shifts in tempos and dynamics in this engaging musical conversation. It concludes a superb recording with an excellent band, superior compositions and superb soloing.

I received as a download from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Nlues Report (issue 378). Here is a video of "Monk En Aragu."