Guitarist Daniel Pinilla is part of the new
generation of jazz musicians born in Colombia, the young artists and jazz education
programs founded in recent years by the main universities in the country are now
coming to fruition. After several years attempting to approach jazz from a local
perspective, in which most of the artists tried to bridge jazz and Colombian
folk music, young musicians are finding now their own pathways.
Intuiciones is Pinilla’s debut album, a nine
track record published by Colombian independent label Festina Lente, one of the
most important initiatives supporting local Jazz and avant-garde music. All
tracks are composed and arranged by Daniel Pinilla, alternating trio and
quartet format. The band is a great sample of the Colombian young talent: Pablo
Muñoz (alto sax), Alejandro Fernández (bass), and Santiago de Mendoza (drums).
We also have as special guests singer/songwriter Laura Otero and tenor
saxophonist Pablo Beltrán on the last song “No más”. All of them are recent
college graduates.
“En cimientos” opens the album with a modest
but expressive sax melody, accompanied by straightforward guitar chords and a
middle pace drumbeat. A sudden harmony and rhythm change surprises announcing
the vigorous improvisations, in which Pinilla, Fernández and Muñoz show their
very different styles in a balanced and respectful fashion. On “Como en la
luna”, a slightly distorted guitar flirts with rock and blues. Then on “Paciencia”
and “Cabrilla” the mood goes down to a mellow atmosphere that reminds the
elegance of cool Jazz guitar trios.
“El cantor” dives into free improvisation, and
“Bajo presión” shows some Colombian-made bebop with a tense phrasing and a
remarkable solo by Muñoz on alto sax. “Intuiciones”, the song that tittles the
album, is a beautiful guitar solo piece in which Pinilla’s composition sensitivity
and technical skills can be fully appreciated. “Quebrada” (creek), takes the band again down through the
stream of improvisation and sound exploration.
Finally on “No más”, tenor saxophonist Pablo
Beltrán and vocalist Laura Otero join the band to perform a song that evokes
the traditional rhythms and chants of the Colombian pacific region, cradle of
the rich African-Colombian folklore.
Though Daniel Pinilla’s work might sound a bit
eclectic, it is quite cohesive. Intuiciones
is an album composed by a Colombian artist that values his roots, and at the
same time seeks within his band fellows an international and authentic sound. Unfortunately
it’s still hard to find Colombian Jazz available for buying online worldwide,
but musicians share tracks for free on social media and personal sites. Shall
this review be an open invitation to explore and discover Colombian Jazz, a young music scene that is flourishing with lots of good things to come.
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