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Michael Eckroth Group: Plena
ByEssentially working with two different groups, and adding a highly distinguished guest here or there, Eckroth serves up one winner after another. Opening on "And So It Goes," the pianist puts saxophonist Peter Brainin's tenor in contact with the core companybassist Alex "Apolo" Ayala, drummer Joel Mateo and conguero Mauricio Herrera. Heavenly heat comes out of that combination, as the quintet cooks from the get-go. Then the syncopation and sizzle from the opener give way to the glistening flow of "Summer Of Love and Discontent," a piano trio performance where Eckroth and Ayala demonstrate keen interplay before Mateo takes center stage to solo out over a vamp. Percussionist Carlos Maldonado joins the crew to finish out the first half of the album with a peppy yet paranoid "Superspreader," featuring Brainin's serpentine soprano lines and Eckroth's probing piano work, and the elegant title track, eyeing Afro-Puerto Rican customs while possessing its own broad color scheme and rhythmic language.
In kicking off the second segment of Plena with the rhythmically-charged "Invernadero," Eckroth introduces and leads another ensemble by bringing bassist Edward Perez, drummer Juan Felipe Mayorga and conguero Samuel Torres into play. That same band returns for the relatively measured "Rain Song" at album's end, but the combo that first kicked things off carries the material between those points with some help from two notable brass men: trombonist John Fedchock, who harmonizes with Brainin and steps out on his own during the aptly titled "Soul Cha," and trumpeter Brian Lynch, who makes his presence felt on the intriguingly accented "Exotic Particles."
Variety in personnel proves to be a real virtue for this album, but the comings and goings of various individuals and outfits never threatens to overshadow the leading light. Eckroth's consistently impressive handiwork and creative dynamism remain the driving forces in this music.
Track Listing
And So It Goes; Summer Of Love and Discontent; Superspreader; Plena; Invernadero; Soul Cha; Exotic Particles; Rain Song.
Personnel
Michael Eckroth
pianoAlex "Apolo" Ayala
bass, acousticJoel Mateo
drumsMauricio Herrera
percussionPeter Brainin
saxophoneCarlos Maldonado
percussionEdward Perez
bass, acousticJuan Felipe Mayorga
drumsSamuel Torres
percussionJohn Fedchock
tromboneBrian Lynch
trumpetAlbum information
Title: Plena | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Truth Revolution Records
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Michael Eckroth Group
Album Review
Dan Bilawsky
Lydia Liebman Promotions
Plena w
Truth Revolution Records
Michael Eckroth
Peter Brainin
Alex "Apolo" Ayala
Joel Mateo
Mauricio Herrera
Carlos Maldonado
Edward Perez
Juan Felipe Mayorga
Samuel Torres
John Fedchock
Brian Lynch