Marcos Pin Factor E-Reset: Barbanza

Spanish guitarist, composer and arranger {[Marcus Pin}}'s debut as a leader of a large ensemble follows the legacy and the aesthetics of mainstream American jazz with great love and owes little to the rich musical cultures of the Iberian peninsula. Pin focuses Barbanza on his strengths as an arranger who is well-versed in the vocabulary of cool jazz and early be-bop.

The six original compositions of Pin and the cover of John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" are structured and arranged in a traditional manner: head, several solos that are divided equally among the ensemble members, unison part of the horn section and return to head, including a patient building of the tension and its release. The well-crafted, lush arrangements feature an able ensemble which enjoys coloring these compositions in a leisured and reserved pace.

There are impressive solos— Tony Crisos on the vibes on "Bagueera's Dilemma," pianist Manolo Gutiérrez on the breezy "Bico de Mar," Pin on "San Finx"— but these solos do not ignite the ensemble to a more urgent interplay. Even the careful, reverent arrangement of "Moment's Notice" is shy from pushing the solos of the sax players towards more personal interpretations of Coltrane's charismatic original playing.

"Where Are They?" and "Escarabote's Blues," performed before by Pin's trio on Directions (Free code Jazz Records, 2007), are the most impressive ones. The first one leans on a strong melodic theme, expanded beautifully by Pin and trumpeter Javier Pereiro while the latter offers a playful, open-ended interplay with more room for "out" solos, mainly by trumpeter Javier Pereiro and Gutiérrez that begin to explore the potential of this ensemble.

Factor E-Reset may benefit with more compositions that will follow in the vein of the seasoned compositions "Where Are They?" and "Escarabote's Blues."