Alex Sino / Terry Heimat / Richard Bravo: Alma Libre

Some albums carry the signature of a single artist. Alma Libre, which translates to "Free Soul," takes a different path, shaped by a team of Grammy-winning producers, arrangers and musicians who thrive on collaboration. Producers Alex Sino and Richard Bravo, along with conductor and arranger Terry Heimat (Taras Kutsenko), steer the album's direction; the performers include Cuban trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval, saxophonist Ed Calle, pianist Milton Salcedo, guitarist Francis Goya Milton Salcedo, trumpeters Terry Heimat and Julio Ariel Diaz, pianists Milton Sesenton, violinist Kostia Lucky and bassists Rafael Valencia, Issah Contractor and Jerry Bravo. Each track brings together different combinations of these voices, blending jazz, Latin, classical and funk influences.

"Tema De Maria," the first track, is an Astor Piazzolla composition arranged by Andrei Pushkarev. It sets the tone for the record, opening with a rubato guitar intro, before Sandoval enters with clean, lyrical trumpet lines. He takes his time building wonderfully connected patient eighth-note phrases, full of shape and direction. The piano solo that follows is a standout, equally matched in vocabulary and intent, interspersed with sixteenth-note runs and crisp articulation and flashes of blues vocabulary. The bass takes over with a melodic, straight-ahead solo, grounded, clear and right up front in the mix. Then comes a riff-led drum special, with the bass and piano joining in tight unison—a classic setup that leads right back to the head. Its evolution from a classical form to a straight-ahead jazz form (theme, solos, special, theme) is a framework that characterises this album.

"I Will Always Be With You" is one of the most beautifully layered productions on the album. It opens with a bossa-like guitar passage that shifts into banjo-like arpeggios neatly layered under the band. This song is the kind that does not need a heavy arrangement because everything is already so dynamically placed; it beautifully highlights the depth and intent of the album's production. The saxophone takes the theme and refuses to let go. Calle holds the melody with full commitment—lyrical, patient and completely centered. When Sandoval enters, it is muted and subtle, staying close to the melody rather than stepping away from it. Milton Salcedo responds beautifully to both soloists throughout his accompaniment, with a mix of fast-paced, diminished-flavored flourishes and bluesy runs. What follows is less a traditional solo section and more of a duet—a real conversation between saxophone and trumpet. The space, the pacing and the restraint are what make it powerful, and it is one of the record's most emotive tunes.

"Crossing Borders shows off the depth of the collaboration. Ennio Morricone's theme from the 1988 feature film is already iconic, but the way Terry Heimat, Milton Salcedo and Alex Sino arrange it gives it a whole new shape. It starts sparse, trumpet and piano playing off each other, then the strings and harpsichord enter, leading into the arrangement's shift the energy, moving from something that feels like a film score into this tight, locked-in jazz band, and ends in a sharp, punchy Latin-style close.

Other tracks reveal the group's range. "Maria Cervantes" features Kostia Lucky's violin in a breezy bossa nova, with the trumpet stepping aside to let the strings sing. "Last Tango in Paris" leans into a slap bass groove and fusion-funk feel, with Calle and Salcedo trading solos over a vamp. "Rise" and "Just a Day" both explore groove-driven territory, blending smooth jazz-funk textures with modal jazz touches.

Alex Sino's experience as a two-time Latin Grammy winner, along with Richard Bravo, brings polish and stylistic range to the project. Heimat's classical background shapes the arrangements with clarity and structure. Alma Libre unfolds as a record built on attentive musicianship and shared purpose. Crisp engineering and open mixes give the album a modern, spacious sound. Solos sit front and center, yet the ensemble always feels cohesive. The project moves easily between genres and moods, creating a collection that rewards close listening and reveals new details with each spin.

Comments