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Aruán Ortiz: Négritude in the 21st Century
by David Bixler
Créole Renaissance is the latest offering from pianist Aruán Ortiz on Intakt Records. This solo piano record draws its inspiration from the Négritude movement that originated in Paris in the early part of the 20th century that was established to counteract the anti-colonialism attitudes that many black artists in Paris faced as they worked in their various disciplines. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Aruán describes the inspiration that he was able to draw from this movement and reflects on ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz: Créole Renaissance
by Jack Kenny
Cuban Cubism is central to Aruán Ortiz's musical identity--but in this album, his vision extends far beyond. While the 1930s Negritude movement was a literary endeavor, Ortiz seeks to embody that movement not through words but through music. His compositions channel their spirit with abstraction, tension, and a deep sense of diasporic reflection. Ortiz, born in Santiago de Cuba--the island's second-largest city--is shaped by its distinctive sonic culture. His influences stretch widely, encompassing American and European 20th-century composers ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis Quartet with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor: Abstraction Is Deliverance
by Mark Corroto
John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and David S. Ware cast long shadows over Abstraction Is Deliverance, the fifth release from the James Brandon Lewis Quartet. These tenor saxophone titans have influenced Lewis since his breakout major-label debut Divine Travels (Okeh, 2014). Yet while their legacy is acknowledged, it never overshadows the bold, present-tense expression of Lewis's own voice. He does not merely walk in their footsteps--he charts new terrain using the foundation they helped lay. Lewis is a rare ...
Continue ReadingBarbara Bruckmüller Jazz Orchestra, feat. Aruán Ortiz: A Chain of Moments
by Artur Moral
Julio Cortázar's Rayuela (1963), Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (2000) and Chris Ware's Building Stories (2012) are novels--both written and graphic--that stand out, not just for their literary merit, but also for the various ways readers can engage with them. A similar phenomenon occurs on the listening level with A Chain Of Moments: Suite in Five Movements, the ambitious project by Vienna-born pianist, composer and bandleader Barbara Bruckmüller. This was likely not her original intention when, years ...
Continue ReadingAruan Ortiz al Pinocchio Jazz, Firenze
by Neri Pollastri
Aruán Ortiz Pinocchio Live Jazz Firenze 22 marzo 2025 Tra i non molti ospiti stranieri di un programma che anche quest'anno ha comunque regalato tantissimi momenti di grande musica, si è esibito sul palco del Pinocchio Live Jazz, per un recital in solitudine, il pianista cubano da anni residente a New York Aruán Ortiz. Per l'artista si trattava di un ritorno, avendo suonato tre anni fa nello stesso luogo in duo con il clarinettista e ...
Continue ReadingAruan Ortiz, Satoko Fujii, and George Cables Plus New Music from Ludovica Burtone
by Hobart Taylor
Music from Pianists Aruan Ortiz, Satoko Fujii, and George Cables as well as new music from Branford Marsalis and Jeong Lim Yang.Playlist Aruan Ortiz Like a Changui (Montuno)" from Serranius Sketchbook for Piano Trio (Intakt) 0:00 Satoko Fujii Aruku" from Dream a Dream (Libra) 6:00 George Cables" Journey to Agartha" from I Hear Echoes (HighNote) 16:37 Janel Leppin Oh Johnny Dear" from Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March is to Love (Cuneiform) 23:50 Fred Hersch Rondi Charleston Fever ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman / Aruán Ortiz / Ramón López: Ephemeral Shapes
by Hrayr Attarian
For over three decades innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman has been a stalwart of the creative music scene. Each addition to his impressive, and uniformly superb, discography is a unique expression of spontaneity that bears his indelible stylistic mark. One of the reasons for Perelman's success is his uncanny ability to find like-minded collaborators. The introspective Ephemeral Shapes is no exception in all of the above. An eight-part improvised suite finds Perelman in the company of two equally ingenious musicians: the ...
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