SOUNDTRACK: HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA-Tiny Desk Concert #812 (December 14, 2018).
This was the final Tiny Desk Concert of the year and it featured a pretty traditional jazz trio (piano, bass, drums) from Cuba. There have been a number of Cuban musicians on Tiny Desk, but I always defer to the blurb:
Cuba is known as much for their pianists as their percussionists — you’ll see why with this performance.
They play three songs. The first is “Elegua” which opens
with some help from a recording of famed Afro-Cuban folkloric singer Lázaro Ros. Ros is both a musical and spiritual guide for this performance; the trio dug deep into the ritual music of santeria for inspiration with “Eleguá,” a tribute to one of the Afro-Cuban deities.
After about two minutes, Harold plays a nifty staccato riff on the piano while the bass plays a cool related melody. The song runs about six minutes and mid way through Ros returns to recite over the music.
When the song is over, Harold introduces his “brothers.” His literal brother Ruy on drums and his brother from an other mother and father Gastón on bass.
(Special mention should be made of Harold’s brother, Ruy López-Nussa, on drums, and bassist Gastón Joya, who both fill the spaces between the beats while elegantly leaving breathing room within the performances.)
Joya is a treat to watch as he has a contented smile on his face for much of the set. But it’s Ruy who is the most fun. With his suit and bow tie and the unconventional way he holds the sticks he is fascinating to watch. He looks like he is trying to be funny, the way he is playing. Maybe he is just having fun but his playing is spectacular.
“Preludio (to José Juan)” is shorter–quiet and pretty. It opens with a lovely melody on the piano. There’s brushes on the drums and a quiet, subtle bass solo on the middle. The song is much shorter and the closing minute is just beautiful.
“Hialeah” has the recognizable piano riffs — called guajeos — that we can recognize as originating with Cuban dance music, but the trio deftly melds that rhythm to a complex jazz exploration, without compromising its dance able pulse.
The melodies are recognizable, and yet he is basically riffing with them. The piece opens with frenetic finger work on the piano with some complex drumming. The rhythm is playing a dancey melody with some wild soloing on his right hand. By around 14 minute into the set, he is an amazing blur pf speed and melody. After a brief one second pause they come back with a phenomenal little drum display.
[READ: January 11, 2019] “All Rivers”
I have really come to enjoy Amos Oz’s stories–they are never about what I think they will be about.
This one was surprising for the way it was constructed as well.
The narrator, Eliezer is fondly remembering a woman ,Tova, who has a profound impact on his life. He says the name Tova was simple and popular and, he felt, didn’t suit her, a young poetess. He doesn’t remember the color of her eyes, although he does remember the color of her trousers–dark blue/gray and tattered coarse material.
As he is describing her he interrupts himself. He explains that he wants to be systematic and do things in order, but that he keeps getting ahead of himself Every time he thinks about her, everything rushes to be first. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 