Diego Rivera: Ofrenda

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera has amassed an impressive track record on the Posi-Tone imprint as a leader, sideman, and other projects curated by producer Marc Free. Ofrenda, a ten-movement suite, is a vehicle for Rivera's impressions of aspects of altars corresponding with the traditional Mexican holiday Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In essence, an ofrenda is usually created by and placed in the home of the family of a person who has passed away.

Essential to Rivera's aim of representing the "rich tradition of honoring the lives and souls of lost loved ones" is a band that readily adapts to the varying emotional character of the suite's movements. An alert rhythm section comprised of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston has previously worked with Rivera and fueled many other Posi-Tone sides. Terell Stafford holds down the trumpet chair in a manner that makes plain a deep understanding of the material and a willingness to speak his mind.

A few memorable examples of the rhythm section's contributions include Hirahara's ability to instantly lean into every nuance of Stafford's solo on "Volver," a straight-eight groover. Royston's combination of stinging accents and gritty press rolls animate the New Orleans second line feel of the head of "Pan De Muerto." On the same track, throughout the solos that follow, Kozlov's stalwart bass lines set the tone for a brisk, straight-ahead swing that doesn't try too hard to make an impact.

Rivera's ability to fashion melodious, memorable themes that do not make gratuitous demands on the listener is evident throughout the recording. The wistful, even-tempered "Fotografías," "Cempasúchil," an elegant waltz, and the lilting "Papel Picado," a line that practically invites bodily movement, feel just right. Furthermore, these tracks and the somber, dignified "Cruz" and "Velas" are not tarnished by excessive length or superfluous complexity.

Equally rewarding is the symmetry between the material and solos that never stray from the essence of each song. Rivera, Stafford, and Hirahara all thrive in a limited amount of space and manage to keep one eye on the leader's designs; unlike many of their contemporaries who tend to be long-winded, brevity becomes them. Each of them delivers performances that transcend genre. Rivera's turn on "Pan De Muerto" is going places yet makes each phrase and utterance count. Stafford's "Cempasúchil" improvisation is an inspired piece of melodically minded invention. On "Papel Picado," Hirahara waxes persistent, busy even, yet there's a genuine flow to his lines, and he leaves enough room for Royston's sharp commentary.

Though the swing generated by the band on "Cosas" and "La Calavera" is, to say the least, invigorating, the rhythmically charged fervor of "Esqueleto," the record's final track, possesses a thrust that is in a class by itself. The movement is "heavily influenced by 'Son Jarocho,' a style of traditional Mexican music from Veracruz." The players constantly hound one another while evincing a loose, joyous stability. Rivera, Stafford, and Hirahara contribute solos that stand tall amid the jubilant clamor. The first twenty-four seconds find Royston at his inventive, dazzlingly virtuosic best: among other things, magnifying Rivera's melody with the high/low combination of rim knocks and bass drum before adding tom-tom and snare. It is a feat that demands a replay.

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