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Gustavo Cortinas: Kind Regards
"When I Leave You" has an effervescent cadence. Vocalist and pianist Meghan Stagl endows the lyrics with nostalgia while her keys chime with melancholy. Trumpeter Emily Kuhn expresses the tune's emotive core with a warmth that perfectly complements Stagl's singing.
Kuhn, whose own Sky Stories (BACE, 2020) is an underappreciated gem, plays the melody of the "Libertad" with vibrant elegance. Stagl switches to Spanish on this moving piece. The folkish refrains buoy Kuhn's meandering phrases and Stagl's urgent vocals, while the ensemble performance crackles with excitement
In addition to Stagl and Cortinas, the rhythm section includes bassist Katie Ernst and guitarist Erik Skov. Skov takes an eloquent solo on the achingly beautiful "Wednesday Can't Come Fast Enough." His simmering spontaneous chords bisect the track and enhance the poetry of its words.
Even though Kuhn and Stagl get the most time in the spotlight it is Ernst's subtle yet lithe virtuosity that gives the music its charming lyricism. Cortinas, meanwhile, is not only conceptually the album's life giver but his complex and vibrant beats are the work's pulsating heart. Take, for instance, "Madrugada Nebulosa" that opens with Cortinas' dramatic percussion. The band takes off with a languid tempo as Cortinas drums with a laidback swagger and Ernst's reverberating strings brim with a darkly shimmering fervor. Stagl contributes cascading melodic fragments that mirror Stov's and together frame Kuhn's burnished horn.
Kind Regards (Saludos Afectuosos) showcases a different, more personal, aspect of Cortinas' creativity. Being a multifaceted artist the young drummer maintains a remarkable uniformity of musical excellence while exploring different forms of expression with each release.
Track Listing
I Hope You Have a Good Phone Call Today; Emigraste; Walkin; Libertad; If I Learned Today; Anamnesis; When I Leave You; Madrugada Nebulosa; Wednesday Can’t Come Fast Enough; Amanece.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Meghan Stagl: piano.
Album information
Title: Kind Regards | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced
About Gustavo Cortiñas
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