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Jazz Articles about Aruán Ortiz
Spaceways 2024
by Giuseppe Segala
Spaceways 2024 Mart, Auditorium Melotti Rovereto 17-18.5.2024 La rassegna Spaceways, giunta quest'anno alla seconda edizione, viaggia su una proposta allargata, tra jazz, elettronica, pop sofisticato, sound art, danza, performance e dj set. Il jazz ha ricevuto ampio spazio in uno dei due fine settimana della programmazione, con scelte significative che attingono a tutto campo nella vasta ramificazione della scena contemporanea. Punto culminante in questo frangente è stato a nostro avviso il solo di ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz: Pastor's Paradox
by Alberto Bazzurro
Eccellenti i brani solo strumentali, a tratti un po' verbosi, zavorrati (come accade spesso, del resto) quelli con l'aggiunta di Mtume Gant alla “dizione": si potrebbe sintetizzare così questo album del pianista cubano (ma da oltre vent'anni di stanza negli USA) Aruán Ortiz, ma sarebbe ovviamente eccessivamente semplicistico. Allora diciamo che anche gli episodi con voce aggiunta (tra i quali deve rientrare pure il conclusivo “No Justice, No Peace, Legacy!," dove lo slogan del titolo viene proferito ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz: Pastor's Paradox
by Karl Ackermann
When clarinetist and saxophonist Don Byron and pianist Aruán Ortiz teamed up for the recording of Random Dances And (A)Tonalities (Intakt Records, 2018) they brought an unprecedented wealth of stylistic experiences to the studio. The result was an unconventional duo sound that blurred the distinctions between their collective comfort zones. Byron and Ortiz return on the gorgeous Pastor's Paradox, sounding joined at the hip and untethered, simultaneously. In this (mostly) quartet setting, Byron and Ortiz are joined by ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman / Arun Ortiz / Lester St. Louis: Prophecy
by Mike Jurkovic
Movies run through our heads all the time and Prophecy, the latest excursion into the unruly unknown by tenor saxophonist and tireless creator Ivo Perelman and his two latest partners-in-crime, pianist Aruan Ortiz and cellist Lester St. Louis is just the soundtrack for them. Boisterous, disconcerting, consoling. Musically obtuse yet oddly accessible for the love scenes and elegies. Music restless for the reveal. Hypnotic themes for the terse encounters between lead characters or the silent parsing of the ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz, Ferg Quill, Simon Lucaciu, Papanosh & More New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
Organ grooves, a take on the Jackson Five opened by the merciless beat of an Ornette Coleman alumnus, a few compelling debut albums, the ongoing collaboration between Aruán Ortiz and James Brandon Lewis, the return of Joshua Abrams' meditations for large ensemble and more make this week's playlist worth your attention... Happy listening! PlaylistBen Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" Mondo Jazz Theme 0:00 Ari Joshua, Skerik feat. Delvon Lamarr, Grant Schroff ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz Trio: Serranias: Sketchbook For Piano Trio
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Aruan Ortiz hails from Santiago de Cuba, but he has resided in the United States for two decades. Musically he is a first cousin to pianist Matthew Shipp with his approachable and often intense and avant-garde keyboard style; and he seems a stylistic grandson to Thelonious Monk with his joyful angularities and off-kilter interludes. But he is the son of Cuba, his music mixing in a cubist way the island nation's toques, rumbas, son and conga, tinted at times ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis Quartet: Molecular Systemic Music Live
by Dan McClenaghan
With Molecular Systemic Music Live, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and his quartet present the compositions of his 2020 album Molecular. The difference is that things are a good deal more stretched out. The music has gone from a single CD to a two CD package. With the extended tunes, the musicians—especially pianist Aruan Ortiz—get more opportunity to explore the permutations of the compositions, and the compositions have more fire, more searing energy. The music is freer. Opening with ...
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