Las instancias: Las Instancias

The collaborative Argentinian trio, Las Instancias, demonstrate inventiveness and creative maturity on its eponymous debut. Nominally under bassist Fermin Suarez's leadership, the group performs in a truly democratic fashion. The individual musicians maintain their own voices while becoming an integral part of the collective. The music is mainly spontaneous and free and sometimes flirts with delightful dissonance, yet it remains sublimely lyrical. 

For instance, the up-tempo, swinging "Pegao" opens with Suárez bowing out the intro with elegance and panache. Then clarinetist Shantala Ferreyra and drummer Gonzalo Goicoechea join in for seamless ensemble exchanges. The group members then take turns with intriguing, intelligent solos that emerge naturally from the main theme, embellish it with dynamic originality, and gracefully fade back into its fabric.

Both Ferreyra and Goicoechea are graduates of the Buenos Aires Manuel de Falla Conservatory, while Suárez, from Rosario, Argentina, is a truly genre-defying artist. His work has blended and crossed over into Western classical, tango, folk, jazz, and punk idioms.

Some of this is heard, for example, on "Mucho Ahora Mismo." Suárez's contemplative notes start the track, setting a dramatic ambiance. Ferreyra's melancholic clarinet reverberates hauntingly against her bandmates' sparse refrains. Goicoechea contributes carefully placed beats and rustles that enhance the tension. What starts as a pensive, three-way chamber piece gradually transforms into an unfettered group improvisation. Ferreyra's fiery phrases shimmer within Suárez's suave, angular bass lines and the thunderous, dual percussion of guest multi-instrumentalist Andrés Viteri and Goicoechea.

"Lámpara Nueva" meanwhile, has an infectious cadence with tangoesque motifs. Ferreyra showcases her prowess on her instrument as she lets loose a mellifluous extemporization with abandon. Her bittersweet tones bounce off Goicoechea's restless, riotous rhythms, while Suárez contributes a dynamic, dance-like solo that is refreshingly novel and stays within the spirit of the tune.

Ferreyra's unaccompanied poetic "En Mayo" dovetails into "Ok/Off," a composition somewhat reminiscent of pianist Thelonious Monk's work.  Within the cinematic atmosphere, Suárez performs a soulful, captivating con-arco passage. Ferreyra then plays a graceful and warm melody while Goicoechea's drum kit percolates in the background with sophisticated exuberance.

Las Instancias is an intriguing, intelligent album with plenty of heart. It is accessible without being humdrum and quite provocative yet not at all abstruse. It is also a high point in the band members' careers.