Dafnis Prieto Big Band Back to the Sunset

Dafnis Prieto Big Band
Back to the Sunset
Dafnison Music

Cuban-born drummer, composer, bandleader, and 2011 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Dafnis Prieto leads the Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s (DPBB) for their debut album. This was recorded after the DPBB debuted for three nights at the Jazz Standard. Immediately after this engagement, the DPBB recorded in Brooklyn August 28-29, 2017, joined by special guests Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, and Brian Lynch. The 17-piece DPBB showcases some of the world’s best Latin jazz musicians, many of whom have previously played Prieto’s music in his other bands.

The ensemble features three horn sections (saxophones, trumpets, and trombones) and a rhythm section of piano, bass, congas, and Prieto on drums. The personnel are: Trumpet and Flugelhorn - Mike Rodríguez, Nathan Eklund, Alex Sipiagin, and Josh Deutsch; Reeds - Román Filiú, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Michael Thomas, Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute, Piccolo, Peter Apfelbaum, Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Melodica, Joel Frahm, Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, and Chris Cheek, Bari Sax; Trombones- Tim Albright, Alan Ferber, Jacob Garchik, and Jeff Nelson; Manuel Valera, Piano; Ricky Rodríguez, Acoustic & Electric Bass; Roberto Quintero, Congas, Bongos, Percussion; and Prieto, Drums & Music Director

This is Prieto’s seventh recording as a leader, and is a deeply personal, handcrafted statement, as well as an acknowledgment of the musical figures that shaped his development. For it, he composed and arranged nine works, showcasing his compositional talents while honoring his musical heroes and mentors including Eddie Palmieri, Chico O'Farrill, Bebo Valdés, Jane Bunnett, and Michel Camilo (in addition to Threadgill, Coleman, and Lynch, among others). Prieto collaborated with GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Eric Oberstein, heralded for his work producing large ensemble recordings, on this.

All the performances are dedicated to influences and masters. The disc opens with the volcanic Afro-Cuban "Una Vez Más" which is (dedicated to Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch), with Lynch contributing the searing trumpet. Cheek's' unaccompanied baritone sax opens "Out Of The Bone" (dedicated to Steve Coleman & Michel Camilo) which has unusual twists and voicing while Coleman is featured with his alto sax on "Song For Chico" (dedicated to Chico O’Farrill, Arturo O’Farrill & Mario Bauzá), with the musical fires smoldering behind him (pianist Valera is outstanding in driving the rhythm).

The variety of influences can be seen on "Back to the Sunset" (dedicated to Henry Threadgill and Andrew Hill), which features Threadgill's acerbic, angular alto sax set against Pietro's orchestration and a languid tempo. The lengthiest performance is, "Danzonish Potpourri" (dedicated to Bebo Valdés, Art Blakey & Jane Bunnett), with the Big band easily navigating tempo shifts. A spirited soprano sax solo set against the stormy orchestration stands out as does Apfelbaum's melodica that closes this out.The closing "The Triumphant Journey," (dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie & Chano Pozo), has a memorable melodic line along with a number of excellent solos.

The other performances are of a comparable level with this Big Band delivering first-rate performances of the varied and challenging compositions that are heard on this exceptional Latin Big Band recording.

I received a download to review from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378). Here is the opening track, "Una Vez Más."

Musical Notes from the Internet.

Here are a couple of interesting recent blogs that merit sharing.

A fascinating chat with Henry Threadgill

An intriguing interview with Henry Threadgill on the web blog New Music Box. http://tinyurl.com/Henry-Threadgill-interview. I find it interesting he does not own a computer. Here is a quote from Frank J. Oliveri about him, “If you’re not paying careful enough attention, Henry Threadgill might seem like he’s full of contradictions. While he is an avatar of musical progress, he disdains a great deal of technology. He prefers LPs to CDs. And forget about mp3s; Threadgill proudly refuses to own a computer and to this day there’s no henrythreadgill.com. In fact, he’s most comfortable chatting while drinking a coffee at DiRobertis Caffe, an old Italian bakery and café that has been a fixture of his East Village neighborhood since 1904. So that’s where we spoke.”

There is plenty of discussion on music in general, AACM, founding of Air, being a multi-instrumentalist, writing for an orchestra, and inventing an instrument. Here is just a brief excerpt as Threadgill discussed the hubcaphone.

FJO: What is the hubcaphone? I have some ideas after hearing recordings of it, but I'd love for you explain it.

HT: It's a set of pitched and unpitched hubcaps. They're eight hubcaps strung and hung and played in a percussion style. Almost like a large set of vibes or marimba. They lay flat, and they're all classic hubcaps because that's the only material that has any kind of a good quality sound. Because you know everything from the '60s on is basically trash. In the '60s they were still making things in America that were of quality, but by the end of the '60s, America was on its way downhill in terms of making anything of quality. Radios. Hubcaps. I don't care what it is.

FJO: Except for music.
HT: Yeah. True.

It is interesting that Mosaic has just issued a box set of Threadgill’s recordings with Air, Novus and other labels now under Sony’s ownership. There is also a wonderful box of the recordings of the Black Saint albums including Air, New Air and more recent recordings.


CTI reissues.

Creed Taylor’s CTI label was a pioneering label as far as its recording and presentation of jazz. In some respects, CTI was sort of a precursor to smooth jazz, but that certainly understates the range of the music produced on the label. Taylor’s productions of Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery for Verve certainly were a glimpse of what was ahead, but Taylor produced much music that stands up today such as Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay and Stanley Turrentine’s Sugar.

Marc Myers on his Jazz Wax blog (jazzwax.com) ran a couple of blog entries discussing the new releases of CTI material to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the release of the first CTI releases. On September 30, he posted his first entry, A Tale of Two CTI's (Part 1), which discussed Sony’s ambitious reissue plays that includes a 4CD box set and many reissues. But, he says “the box set's recordings simply don't sound as vibrant or as distinctive as they should—despite claims in promotional materials that the label remastered the original two-track analog CTI masters.

I’m sure that Sony remastered the material. The problem is the label for some strange reason didn't do as good a job as it has done recently for other jazz artists who were part of the Columbia fold. I know this because I just spent the past week listening to 20 different CTI releases from King Records in Japan and have compared them with Sony's set. The King's CDs are far and away superior in detail and warmth.”

Interesting how the Japanese record company does a better job or remastering that the US based Sony reissues. What did Henry Threadgill say about the quality of US made goods? You can Marc’s blog as well as his discussion of specific King Records CTI reissues which was presented on October 1 in A Tale of Two CTIs (Part 2) and mentions the availability. Be aware that the Japanese imports are not cheap, costing over $40 per CD and I am not sure if the differences can be detected by those of use who listen through our computer or ipod and through headphones. Marc Myers explains his audio set-up but i would think listening to these through a decent set of headphones would show differences. His discussion of audio issues is well worth considering.

I have received a sampler from the 4CD box from the publicist for the release and the music certainly has travelled the decades well. But I do not know what I am not hearing that i could be.