Albert Cirera & Tres Tambors

Confirming the versatility of Iberian Jazz and improvised music is Catalan tenor/soprano saxophonist Albert Cirera on his third collaboration with the Tres Tambors. Mixing instances of free, fusion and fundamentals the four move through a multi-faceted program. Accomplished in many situations, Cirera is known for his work with Agustí Fernández among many others. Fellow Spaniards keyboardist Marco Mezquida has worked with the likes of Lee Konitz and Tom Chant and drummer Òscar Domènech works with Marc Cuevas and others. Bassist Marko Lohikari is a Swede who has lived in Spain for almost two decades, playing with stylists such as Baptiste Trotignon and Jorge Rossy.

A constant presence throughout, Mezquida varies his contributions among comping, cadencing and crunching melodic and metrical impressions on acoustic piano plus drones, shimmers and borne-down thumps from the electric instrument. The subsequent “Patarrel” and “Jante Law” are instances of his turnaround. Doubling keyboard cascades with multiple feints and echoes meet mid-range saxophone breaths and flutters on “Patarrel”. Meanwhile this blowsy semi-ballad is based around linear double bass movements. The following tune features popping and ringing Rhodes dabs and washes as the drum backbeat, soprano saxophone sputters and some verbal Spanish (?) rapping (?) suggest more worldly improv hop-hop.

Equivalent double bass expansions illuminate “Suor Freda” and “Nordik Premier” with the former blending Lohikari’s upfront string strumming and pacing with Cirera’s stop-time snarling and squeaking sax strategies. Probably the most irregularly formed track, “Nordik Premier” additionally fills in its musica canvas as the bassist makes his way slowly up the scale. However his improvisations are framed by an initial investigation of plucked inner piano string timbres that culminate in full keyboard glissandi and low-pitched tenor saxophone tones that end with pinpointed shrills and tongue stops.

With Domènech keeping the tempos balanced with press rolls, ruffs and pops at all times, the practiced interchange among the four is obvious on the dozen tracks. This entente also gives Cirera enough scope to play whatever role is needed  to exemplify his compositions. These can range from foreground multiphonic growls and reflux to toughen the speedy dynamics on “Nicotine” along with dynamic clipping and splatters from Mezquida’s accelerated keyboard comping; to the relaxation projected on “Easier Kit” where swing is defined by scooped sax breathes, bowed bass pushes and single note plinks from the acoustic piano. There’s even some unselfconscious jollity projected on “Les Coses del Cap” with a theme advanced by Rhodes jiggles and tinkles, mid-range soprano sax slides and drum thumps.

In short, Orangina is an instance of polished contemporary Jazz from Span that can measure up to the same from anywhere.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. L’última 2. Criteri 3. Suor Freda 4. Orangina 5. Nicotine  6. Patarrel 7. Jante Law 8. The Loneliness of the Melody 9. Les Coses del Cap 10. Easier Kit  11. Nordik Premier 12. Va Vine

Personnel: Albert Cirera (tenor and soprano saxophones); Marco Mezquida (piano and  Rhodes); Marko Lohikari (bass) and Oscar Domènech (drums)