Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Juan Pablo Carletti/Tony Malaby/Christopher Hoffman: Niño/Brujo

8

Juan Pablo Carletti/Tony Malaby/Christopher Hoffman: Niño/Brujo

By

Sign in to view read count
Juan Pablo Carletti/Tony Malaby/Christopher Hoffman: Niño/Brujo
A funny thing happened on the way to a free jazz trio session. What's funny is that leader Juan Pablo Carletti brought seven unique compositions for his trio to perform. The Argentinian-born, New York-based drummer recruited tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and cellist Christopher Hoffman for this recording. An inconspicuous drummer-led session.

Carletti's last decade in New York has found him in ensembles led by Malaby, Rob Brown, Andrew Lamb, and cellist Daniel Levin (with whom he will release a duo recording). His approach is understated and euphonic. Like a great food recipe, his drum kit set up is minimal, keeping his music making to just the essentials. He flavors each piece with piquant gestures and peppers his partners with a sympathetic sound.

The limited edition of 300 LPs (also available as a download) opens with "Miranda," a gentle melody with Malaby's sweet-tempered horn playing over the plucked cello and tick-tick of Carletti's drums. The piece picks up momentum, and, at it's pinnacle, finds over-blown horn and muscular drums that have no desire to disintegrate into the chaos of noise. Perhaps that is why Carletti favors Malaby, who has that organizing genus. One that can be heard in his trio Tamarindo (with William Parker and Nasheet Waits), Paloma Recio, his octet Novela, and TubaCello with Christopher Hoffman. Hoffman can be heard in Henry Threadgill's Zooid.

Carletti's compositions give his partners plenty of space. After Malaby's vocalizing on "Ballerina," Hoffman plucks, then bows a graceful terminus to the piece. Cello and whispered saxophone open "Folkus," an exploratory investigation into a sort of controlled detonation. "Orange," the freest piece here, plays with a constant return to theme even within its outwardness. "Lateral Thinking," the longest composition here at 13-minutes, opens with roiling drums, then fragments written passages that feature Carletti on glockenspiel and melodica (influenced by John Hollenbeck?) and an almost punk-rock ending. A brilliant recording.

Track Listing

Miranda; Ballerina; Orange; José; Folkus; Lateral Thinking (for Edward DeBono); El Brujo.

Personnel

Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone; Christopher Hoffman: cello; Juan Pablo Carletti: drums, glockenspiel, melodica, compositions.

Album information

Title: Niño/Brujo | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.