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

Ernesto Diaz-Infante: Solus

By Mark Corroto
November 1, 2000
Sign in to view read count

Wandering minds might want to know. Pondering souls can take comfort, as meditation on sound confers solace. As abstract as Ernesto Diaz-Infante’s Solus is, it never displays perplexity, invasion, or ire. The San Francisco based composer plays solo piano on thirteen individually numbered improvisations that eschew swing for an internal rhythm not apparent on first listen. Diaz-Infante’s two-handed approach stops/starts, employs silence, clusters, and the ping-pong plunks of exploration.

Unlike the call-and-response of his recent recording with Jeff Kaiser Pith Balls And Inclined Planes (pfMENTUM), there is little tension apparent here. Besides the acoustic guitar he plays on the Kaiser disc, the sampling and voice make for an almost raucous affair (read Glenn Astarita’s review in the August reviews section).

Releasing oneself from doctrine and time is necessary for this piano exploration. Why is it that the silence after the 47-minutes of the CD ended were just as powerful as the music? I think John Cage could have answered that question, I’ll cue up the disc again.

Personnel

Ernesto Diaz-Infante

guitar

Album information

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

< Previous
Gunther Schuller Turns 75!

Next >
Meet Lynne Arriale

Comments

About Ernesto Diaz-Infante

Instrument: Guitar

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.