Guitarist / Composer Toni Mora's New Album 'Space Folklore' Available Now

When Toni Mora produced his first quartet album, “Beyond words..." JAZZ’N’MORE magazine stated. “An exciting future for the young guitarist with agile hands, a warm sound and a flair for daring introductions, and virtuosic solos.”

His new album Space Folklore represents Mora well. Insatiable curiosity and seemingly infinite virtuosity. Exploring new horizons and offering a hybrid and diverse album drawing on the major influences of his younger years (Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg) but also on rock, bossa and Andine music that filled his recent travels to Brazil and Argentina.

Years as a sideman with many greats (John Abercrombie, Pepa Niebla, Jean-Paul Estiévenart, Dick Oatts) have conferred Mora the understanding and authority to make his writing a strong and accurate vessel for very diverse emotions, from wild, frantic determination ("UFO Dreams") to sweet soft sadness ("Near Dampoort") and the lighthearted joy of the title track. Space Folklore is a confirmation of Toni Mora’s outstanding talent as both a guitarist and a composer, heralding good things to come for the Belgian and international scenes.

With eight subtly arranged original compositions, this album signed by Toni Mora, mixes modern jazz with raw energetic and gritty accents of rock and the smooth flavour of bossa and Andine music. The Madrid native uses these traditions to fuel his writing, his search for sound and his leadership of this distinguished quartet, bringing us a kaleidoscopic look into the multiple facets of his artistry as an accomplished, inquisitive and sensitive jazz musician. His luxuriant and hybridized musical universe is channeled energetically and subtly by this high flying line up and their ability to relate powerful emotions: sweet melancholy ("Near Dampoort"), raw untamed energy ("UFO Dreams"), languid weightlessness ("Space Folklore"), unconcerned hedonism ("Life Doesn’t Care").

The striking voices of the melodic section, (Toni Mora, Jean-Paul Estiévenart, Pepa Niebla) are supported by the powerful sound of the excellent Jasen Weaver (double bass) and the galvanizing finesse of the versatile Noam Israeli (drums).

A masterpiece, to be perused without moderation.