Darryl Yokley: Un Mundo en Soledad

Composer/saxophonist Darryl Yokley's Sound Reformation recordings have always revealed a keen compositional sense for sound, mood-setting melodies that tell a story. One could easily describe his writing and playing style as lyrical, creating a narrative of sound without actual vocal or spoken word participation. Imagine then, a suite of tunes written lyrically in terms of melody, adding spoken word art inspired from one of the classic novels in literary history. Imagine even further, those words leaping from the pages of the Nobel-winning masterpiece from the late Colombian author Gabriel García Marquez, "Cien Años de Soledad," or One Hundred Years of Solitude. You would then have a grasp of what Yokley is taking on in his deep dive into his third release, Un Mundo en Soledad

Yokley, like many fascinated with Garica-Marquez' work, and in this case, his portrayal of the near paradise of Macondo, had well prepared himself for the venture, having consumed the novel five times over his life journey that began in his formative years and spilled into adulthood and his life as a professional musician. The one inevitable fact retrieved from the first reading is discovered in the closing pages of the masterpiece, when the reader is made aware that the narrator of this story that traverses generations of the Buendía family is, in fact, the main character, Melquíades, the central figure of the story who is a gypsy who visits Macondo and befriends its founder, Jose Arcadio Buendía. He is a mysterious, wise and solitary character. With Yokley's decision to utilize narration directly from the novel into his music, he inevitably raises the specter of the vision of Melquadíes. Each segment of the album's twelve pieces is adorned by narrative phrases from him or another central character of Garcia-Marquez' masterpiece, Remedios La Bella. Melquíades is performed by Alfonso Cayón, and Remedios by Sumire Yokley.

The music swings stylistically like a pendulum and is performed by a talented band that includes Grammy-nominated pianist Zaccai Curtis and bassist Luques Curtis, a versatile player with serious immersion into Latin Jazz through his work with the master, Eddie Palmieri. Through the labyrinth of dense harmony and complex Latin rhythms, Yokley lends his finest recorded playing to date on tenor and soprano saxophones. Drummer Wayne Smith Jr., and Latin percussionist Little Johnny Rivero provide the percussive undercurrent of the record, whether creating the vibe of a gentle Caribbean breeze or a torrential hurricane, adding nuance and a visual presence to the music and its connection with the pages of this widely interpreted gift to the literary world.

The title track creates an image of Macondo, an ancient crossroads where seemingly anything can happen. the very foundation of Garcia-Marquez' literary style, realismo mágico, or magic realism. It opens up the possibility of the supernatural being on equal standing within the natural world. The opening four tracks in essence, take the listener through Macondo, and into the history of the Buendía family and the prophecy that follows them for generations—namely that the last of the Buendía family would be born with a pig's tail, and his death will bring about the winds of destruction. Yokley's spontaneous improvisation on soprano and tenor saxophones are melodic siblings to the actual written melodies that set the vibe and provide the overall audio experience that spills over into the visual. One must ponder how Yokley envisions a listener not accustomed to the novel would perceive the generational complexities and details of a literary masterpiece that is widely interpreted in a myriad of ways. Yokley's music could serve as a portal for those previously uninitiated to the magic of Garcia-Marquez' extensive collection of works.

"Melquíades, Los Gitanos y La Profecía" lays out the Buendía family tree in a sense, with the narrative exclaiming, "Dicen que nunca sucedió. Dicen que solo lo imaginamos"—They say it never happened. They say that we imagined it all." Yokley tells the story of the prophecy and the legend of Macondo on both tenor and soprano, engaging in long, spontaneous choruses as is the case throughout the album. The leader certainly takes the ball and runs with it, taking full advantage of the dynamic talent that surrounds him. Cayón brings to life the author's magical narrative, taking the tune in and out with his haunting interpretation. With or without a narrative in relation to a literary classic, the music stands on its own.

"Después de la Guerra" is a haunting melody that floats behind Curtis' bass groove, with Yokley offering up the melody on bass flute, before transitioning to tenor. In a jazz sense, the band is fully exposed on this piece, with Yokley's solo weaving its way through Curtis' sparse but harmonically strident comping. Yokley's playing is rich in tone and imaginative melodically. His sound and approach are spiritually satisfying and positive in vibe, seldom displaying loudly dynamic, technique-focused runs. That approach lends itself well to music intended to be lyrical and colorfully visual.

"La Profecía Revelada" is the opus of what amounts to Yokley's twelve-part suite, his homage not only to "Cien Años de Soledad, but to what the master Garcia-Marquez revealed to him personally at crucial times of personal growth. Those who have read the book may be drawn to this music for this reason. Favoring a flamenco inflection in its narrative, the tune twists and turns as it is played inside and out by Yokley on tenor. Zaccai Curtis' performance on this piece, and throughout the recording, is foundational and simply magnificent.

Conceptually, this project is wonderfully put together and is created with a keen understanding narrative-wise. The bandleader certainly assembled a stellar cast and gave the music every chance to succeed in doing so. In a way, for aficionados of the novel, a soundtrack has been created for one's next retreat to the pages of this masterpiece, one that is neither defining nor intrusive.

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