Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ernesto Diaz-Infante: Solus

147

Ernesto Diaz-Infante: Solus

Ernesto Diaz-Infante: Solus
Some might ask, what California based pianist-guitarist-composer Ernesto Diaz-Infante will do next? Whether utilizing the prepared acoustic guitar witnessed on the outlandish Left & Right featuring electric guitarist Chris Forsyth or open-ended/minimalist style solo acoustic piano performances on Ucross Journal, Infante at times parallels 20th Century composers such as John Cage and Morton Feldman.

On Solus, Infante turns in 13 pieces performed solely on acoustic piano that represent quite a contrast to the simply stated and somewhat hypnotic themes he produced on Ucross Journal. Infante – moderately - terrorizes his instrument in some sort of Cecil Taylor- lite fashion as the series of pieces presented here are entirely improvised. Not quite as explosive or all encompassing as Taylor or pianists of that ilk, Infante lays down jagged themes amid circuitous paths and brief flurries while merely implying meter and any notions of austere thematic construction. Essentially, Infante fabricates various motifs than willfully tears them apart as ideas abound throughout this thoroughly interesting affair. The artist’s portrayal of flow and symmetry is more of an illusion or in the magician’s world, sleight of hand as this recording emits a sense of compactness and well-being without appearing self indulgent or taking on the auspices of a marathon “chops” session.

Overall, Ernesto Diaz-Infante displays insurmountable wit and a willingness to explore in true artistic fashion. While not a magnum opus or masterpiece for the ages, Solus represents just one side of this multidimensional musician who continues to discover new ways and means of expressing himself while capturing our minds and ears along the way. Needless to state, we eagerly anticipate his next move! - * * * ½

Ernesto Diaz-Infante; Solo Piano

Contact via email: [email protected]

See recent/archived reviews of the artist’s recordings on All About Jazz.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Solus | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Tzadik

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.

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.