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."

Hans Glawischnig's Panoramic Jazz

New York based bassist Hans Glawischnig has certainly come along way from his Graz, Austria beginnings. He has attended Berklee, the Manhattan School of Music and in 1995 took the bass seat in Bobby Watson’s Urban Renewal followed by a stint with Maynard Ferguson, before he was invited to join Ray Barretto’s New World Spirit Ensemble Jazz followed by engagements with Pacquito D’Riviera, David Samuels and Bobby Sanabria along with performances with Billy Harper, Richie Beirach, Billy Hart, Joe Locke, Steffon Harris, Claudio Roditi, Brian Lynch, Phil Woods and Claudia Acuna to name a few. and his first album as a leader was Common Ground for Fresh Sounds/New Talent in 2003.

Now Sunnyside has just issued his latest release as a leader, Panorama. On his nine compositions he is joined by such well known artists as pianists Chick Corea, and Luis Perdomo; drummers Johnathan Blake, Antonio Sanchez, and Marcus Gilmore; saxophonists David Binney, Miguel Zenon and Rich Perry; and guitarist Ben Monder. Zenon (in whose band Glawischnig) is present on four of the performances which have a pretty wide cast. Zenon’s sax dominates the opening Line Drive, with his clean tone and marvelous invention followed by the impressive Perdomo’s piano while the leader’s bass anchors the proceedings and drummer Blake imaginatively keeps pushing the tune along while adding his own accents.

The title track features Corea in a very thoughtful, lyrical vein, while Glawischnig also gets to solo, while Zenon returns on The Orchids, a performance that evokes some of the flavor of Keith Jarrett’s European Quartet recordings. Gypsy Tales, is a quintet track with guitarist Monder, saxophonist Binney and drummer Antonio Sanchez with a spacey feel, with Binney taking a probing tenor solo while Monder’s guitar is in the post McLaughlin and Abercombie approach. Set to Sea is a lovely ballad featuring the tenor of Rich Perry, while Corea returns for Oceanography, derived From How Deep Is The Ocean. Barretto’s Way, opens with nice bowed bass playing before a bit of flamenco is evoked by his bass (suggestive of David Holland here).

The rest of the album features fresh material, thoughtful and inventive playing and marvelous group interplay making Panorama a superior jazz release. Here is a youtube of Hans playing with Miguel Zenon's group with Luis Perdomo on piano.

This review originally appeared in the October 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 309). I believe I received my review copy from the publication.