Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet: Live at Jazz Standard NYC

159

Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet: Live at Jazz Standard NYC

By

View read count
Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet: Live at Jazz Standard NYC
Live at Jazz Standard NYC, by the Si o Si Quartet, is drummer/bandleader/composer Dafnis Prieto's fourth album of all-original material, cementing his reputation as a formidable technician and visionary. Returning from his previous release are Peter Apfelbaum (tenor and soprano saxophones, melodica) and Manuel Valera (keyboards), while acoustic and electric bassist Charles Flores is his partner-in-rhythm from the Michel Camilo Trio.

A vibrant set, Live at Jazz Standard NYC shows off Prieto's polyrhythmic prowess: orchestrated across the drum kit, each limb playing independently, his time is dense but uncongested, intense without ostentation. The tunes blend challenging harmonies with elements of Latin music and progressive jazz, many in additive time signatures. As principal soloists, Apfelbaum and Valera have complementary musical personalities—the saxophonist intuitive, offhandedly charismatic, the pianist more deliberate, relentlessly creative.

Apfelbaum plays coolly ecstatic tenor on "Claveteo" then expressively slurred attacks and dynamic mood contrasts on "Just Go"; his soprano is unsentimentally plaintive on "3 Poems 1 Song," more lyrical on "Me Neither." Valera uses punchy figures on "Claveteo" and vociferous 16th-note phrases on "Ilu-Uli," creates contemporary moods for "Just Go" and "Me Neither" with lush but edgy chords then propels "Trio Absolute" with an insistent vamp figure and forceful soloing. "Me Neither" and "Seven by Seven" feature Apfelbaum and Valera's harmonized melodicas, an instrument rarely heard on the scene today, but a distinctive voice in the hands of Apfelbaum. On pieces like "3 Poems 1 Song" and "Thoughts," the quartet demonstrates their ability to perform extremely complex, mercurially shifting music with seemingly effortless aplomb. For "Trio Absolute," Prieto brings his percussive skills to the forefront, keeping three and four parts going simultaneously in uncanny rhythmic counterpoint, never losing his feel or flow.

Track Listing

Si o Si; Claveteo; Seven by Seven; Ilu-Uli; Just Go; 3 Poems 1 Song; Me Neither; Thoughts; Intro Absolute; Trio Absolute.

Personnel

Peter Apfelbaum: tenor & soprano saxophones, bass melodica, percussion; Manuel Valera: piano, keyboard, melodica; Charles Flores: acoustic & electric bass; Dafnis Prieto: drums, vocal, clave.

Album information

Title: Live at Jazz Standard NYC | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Dafnison Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.