Aldo Salvent: Ancestros

One of the rising young talents in the jazz world in 2020 is Cuban-born, Miami-based tenor saxophonist Aldo Salvent, who issues his second solo album entitled Ancestros, melding elements of the jazz sound with rhythms of the world, as he pays tribute to the multi-cultural background from which he hails in a musical shout out to the ancestors of our past.

An educator at Florida International University and band member of the Grammy-nominated group PALO!, The Waldo Madera Group, The Alfredo Chacon Quartet and The Spheres of Influence band led by Grammy Award winning trumpeter Brian Lynch, Salvent draws upon several world-class players from the Miami area, for this effort forming a dynamite sextet that includes bassist Jamie Ousley, pianist extraordinaire Jim Gasior and vibraphonist/percussionist Alfredo Chacon among others.

On tap are ten original compositions, many exhibiting a slight Latin flair but all falling neatly within the traditional jazz landscape. Laying the foundation for the theme of the album is the exciting opener "Frost and Grips" containing a strong percussive bent with drummer Hilario Bell and percussionist Dayron Gallardo weighing in heavily here. The second tune "Limon," continues the Latin side followed by "Cimarron," one of the keepers of the set. Salvent remembers his homeland on the soft balladic styled "Habana," which finds the leader on soprano laying down a slow tempo tone perhaps recalling romantic nights in Havana, Cuba. The title track however, moves to a faster tempo and showcases the talents of Gasior, Chacon and others on another keeper of a track.

The propulsive "La Giganta," another soprano-induced tune from the leader, turns out to be a vibrant and moving highlight that warrants repeated spins, a dicey splendid piece of music. The tone turns a bit somber on the lengthy "Camino Con Tumbao" but shifts dramatically on the perky "Tatu" and ends on the delicious finale "Canto Necio."

Salvent out does himself here demonstrating his extraordinary gifts as a performer as well as his talents as a composer. Ancestros is a remarkable album and only a glimpse of what is to come from this young man.