Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lucas Pino's No Net Nonet: That's a Computer

3

Lucas Pino's No Net Nonet: That's a Computer

By

View read count
Lucas Pino's No Net Nonet: That's a Computer
Saxophonist Lucas Pino's adventurous New York-based No Net Nonet is on record for the third time with That's a Computer (yes, there's a story behind that but it's too lengthy to recount here), which underscores Pino's usual flair for anomalous compositions and arrangements. Except for drummer Jimmy Macbride, who came on board in 2017, every member of Pino's group has been there from the start, eight years earlier, and that's a nice harbor from which to set sail, as everyone is clearly on the same page and of one mind when it comes to a musical point of view.

The program consists of seven original compositions, five by Pino and one each by alto saxophonist Alex LoRe ("Antiquity") and guitarist Rafal Sarnecki ("Sueno de Gatos"). Guest vocalist Camila Meza makes it a tentet on "Gatos" and Pino's doleful "Frustrations" (on which he briefly discards the tenor to offer an ardent solo on bass clarinet). There is considerable light and occasional heat elsewhere, especially on the brief finale, "Baseball Simulator 1000," inspired by a vintage Nintendo game and the closest thing to a computer on the otherwise earthy album. "Antiquity," which opens the session, has a dreamlike quality that suits well Pino's amorous tenor, as it does LoRe's expressive alto.

"Horse of a Different Color," which follows, is an up-tempo blues named for the shade-shifting horse in the film The Wizard of Oz and written by Pino with the Nonet in mind. Before writing, he asked members of the group to name their favorite keys over which to solo, and obliged them by blending their choices into the mix. The soloists are LoRe, Sarnecki, trombonist Nick Finzer, trumpeter Mat Jodrell, pianist Glenn Zaleski and baritone saxophonist Andrew Gutauskas with the ensemble's astute rhythm section working hard behind them. The mood darkens on "Film at 11," which, according to Pino, traces the progress of a first date, from nervous anticipation to the thrill of a new-found romance. The harmonic colors are strong and seductive, as is Pino's impassioned solo.

Pino's last composition, "Look into My Eyes," is not a love song but a plea from the Arizona-born composer to his fellow New Yorkers to abandon for a moment their ubiquitous smart phones and newspapers and make eye contact with a fellow human. Topic aside, it's a pleasant mid-tempo excursion on which Pino again solos with assurance. That leads to "Frustrations" and "Sueno de Gatos," a rhythmic tour de force on which Pino and Meza shine. Aside from its modest forty-six-minute playing time, a splendid third go-round by the ever-daring No Net Nonet.

Track Listing

Antiquity; Horse of a Different Color; Film at 11; Look into My Eyes; Frustrations; Sueno de Gatos; Baseball Simulator 1000.

Personnel

Lucas Pino
saxophone, tenor
Mat Jodrell
trumpet
Alex LoRe
saxophone, alto
Andrew Gutauskas
saxophone, baritone
Nick Finzer
trombone
Camila Meza
vocals

Album information

Title: That's a Computer | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Outside In Music

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Lucas Pino Concerts


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

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

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.