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Ese Momento

Daniel Pardo

Label: Self-Release
Released: 2024
Views: 562

Tracks

Como Fue; Novia Mia; Volver; Ese Momento; Cuando Te Beso; Sabor a Mi; Bebo; La Gloria Eres Tu; Tres Palabras; Bésame Mucho; No Se Tu; Vida Loca;

Personnel

Miguel Fernandez 'El Cheyenne'

percussion

Additional Personnel / Information

Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Album Description

Ese Momento is the fruit of Pardo’s friendship and collaboration with the Spanish pianist and arranger Sergio Pamies, which dates back more than a decade. The two met while students at the University of North Texas and soon found themselves working together on projects for other artists – Pardo on the production side, Pamies as an arranger. While the two hailed from separate continents, they bonded over a number of shared experiences and influences – boleros among them. “I was studying classical music and Sergio was there for jazz; he's from Spain and I'm from Colombia,” Pardo says. “But we both grew up with our parents listening to this kind of music. Latin America’s greats of the time were artists like Armando Manzanero, José José and Juan Gabriel.” The musicians that the pair assembled for Ese Momento reunite them with a number of classmates from their UNT days who have gone on to similar successes and now range around the world. In addition to the core recordings at Dallas’ Luminous Sound, contributions to the music were captured in Miami, Granada, Madrid, Gran Canaria and Prague. The album begins with an example of bolero at its most lush and elegant, a beautifully orchestrated version of “Como Fué,” written by Ernesto Duarte and made famous by the iconic Cuban singer and bandleader Benny Moré. The track is one of four on the album that melds Pardo’s ensemble with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. The result is entrancing but deceptively simple – while it sounds airy and sweet, the arrangement is intricate and layered. It begins with a flute quartet built up by Pardo playing all the parts: concert flute, two alto flutes and bass flute. The production gets even denser for the well-known “Bésame Mucho,” which has been recorded by everyone from João Gilberto to Frank Sinatra to The Beatles to Kenny G. For their radical reinterpretation, Pardo and Pamies craft a thick, sultry haze weaving together fourteen flute parts and mesmerizing percussion by Shangó Dely. For José Antonio Méndez’s “Novia Mia,” by contrast, they decided to keep things simple, paring the band down to an intimate Latin jazz quintet with Pardo, Pamies, bassist Young Heo, drummer Lupe Barrera and percussionist Luis Ávila. Inspired by Spanish singer Estrella Morente’s Flamenco twist on Carlos Gardel’s classic tango “Volver" took an offbeat approach, giving the piece a Brazilian flavor but in 5/4 time rather than the more traditional 4/4. The title tune, “Ese Momento,” one of two contributions by the Mexican romantic composer Armando Manzanero, weaves a tapestry of guitar from Mauricio Silva, Michael Hodge, and Rubén Campos, with Flamenco percussion and palmas by Miguel Fernández “El Cheyenne.” For Pardo, this breathtaking and diverse recording should make Ese Momento not only that moment, but his moment. “This album allowed me to showcase everything that I do, which goes beyond traditional classical flute playing,” he says. “The title song is about that moment when magic and love occur. For me, this is the moment to finally export my artistry to the world.”

Album uploaded by Daniel Pardo