David Binney & Edward Simon: Afinidad

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

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Published: August 1, 2001

Alto saxophonist David Binney and pianist Edward Simon share top billing with this new effort, released on the Italy-based “Red Records” jazz label, and while the duo have collaborated in the recent past, Afinidad signifies a tightly integrated celebration of two distinct musical personas.

The soloists pursue multicolored vignettes, featuring highly charged motifs brimming with oscillating countercurrents, majestically stated melodies and steamy opuses, witnessed on pieces such as the opener, “Red” and the Latin-Caribbean tinged, “Pere”. Additionally, Binney and Simon reap fruitful rewards from bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade, who dutifully enhance this session via their sympathetic accompaniment and sinuous rhythmic structures. However, the artists’ temper the often dynamic flows with a series of epigrammatic duet pieces, awash with subtle harmonic developments and idyllic interludes.”

The ensemble closes out the proceedings with an amalgamation of softly stated themes on “Remembrance.” Here, Simon renders softly stated chord progressions to coincide with Binney’s somewhat poignant yet melancholic thematic inventions amid percussionist Adam Cruz’ well placed accents. Therefore, Afinidad offers a glowing perspective of two supreme talents who consistently mold traditional practices into novel and refreshing personal statements. Recommended!

*As of this writing, Afinidad has not been released in the United States. Please contact: Red Records - for additional information.

Track Listing: Red; Civil War; Pere; Aguantando; Vidala; Sadness; Mi Querencia; Simplicity; Reflecting; Red Reprise; Remebrance

Personnel: David Binney; alto saxophone: Edward Simon; piano: Scott Colley; bass: Brian Blade; drums: Adam Cruz; percussion: Lucia Pulido

Record Label: Red Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream