Customer Reviews

Inner Voyage

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Rubalcaba's most mature work. It's deeply introspective and lacks the bravura and pyrotechnics of earlier recordings. As a result, it's much more satisfying.

Rubalcaba's selections for this CD are also distinct from other Cuban pianists: there is little that is inherently Cuban about them. In this sense, he is not an exponent of Cuban jazz, but of jazz without the usual national labels. In addition, his classical formation gives the music an interesting formality that pokes through here and there.

A very pleasant, very thoughtful, and joyous collection.

I saw the Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio at the '99 SF Jazz festival. They were incredible live. To my relief, this trio translates very well to CD. Inner Voyage is a great recording. The recording is technically wonderful, it'll make any audiophile happy. There's a wonderful, but difficult to describe energy in this trio's style. The latin influence is a strong theme through out the CD, and it makes for a flavor of jazz that any jazz enthusiast would love to taste. The trio's drummer is a master of delivering rythmic wit. Just as you think you follow him, he throws in a colorful spash of latin beat. This albumn has convinced me to look into the other recordings that these guys have done.

This is the most personal production of gonzalo that I hear; he created introspective lines who describe in beatiful notes his impressions about his childrens personality, his own concept about the importance of the elegance in every human action and the sence of melancholy ("Here's that rainy day"). But there isn't abstract music("Flying Colors" ). Like the "Mi gran Pasión" disc, he add a perfect harmony bring of the bass and a hard rhytm expression of the drum (Ignacio Berroa), especially in caravan's "tumbao". It's very good.

I attended the same concert the gentleman previous referred to (and he didn't exaggerate as to the quality of that evening) and this is a wonderful document of that band. The group deserves to be recorded live but until that happens (or rather, if) 'Inner Voyage' will do nicely . This is an astonishing band and this is a wonderful cd. Music making at a very high level. The inclusion of Michael Brecker on a couple of tunes is a bit puzzling and adds little to the mix. I have other recordings featuring Rubalcaba but this one is by far the best I've heard. Get it.

As the title of this album implies, this is introspective, thoughtful music, reflecting a high degree of musical maturity. Its textures and moods are varied, and the trio locks in together beautifully. Check out "Caravan" and the originals dedicated to Gonzalo Rubalcaba's children.

His playing on this album reminds me of that of Bill Evans. I am glad to see on reading all the reviews that someone else had that exact thought. Comparison to Bill Evans is the best compliment I know how to give.

If you have a chance to see Gonzalo on tour with this trio (Ignacio Berroa, drums; Jeff Chambers, bass) you must do so. It was the most stunning musical event I have ever attended (10/14/99 in Seattle). The trio surged from a whisper to a frenzied intensity many times during the evening, each time bringing the audience to ecstatic bliss.

Gonzalo's technique is far ahead of all other jazz pianists, especially in the incredibly precise use of the pedals to modulate tone, and the overall sound he achieves from his touch. For example, with the pedal Rubalcaba can brush the felts over a string or strings gently to produce subtle harmonics. This is not easy. Such a unique, distinctive sound/touch begs comparisons with Bill Evans, though I have to say that Rubalcaba even gets the nod here.

This studio album is considerably more "cold and calculated" than the live performances, as Rubalcaba notes in the liner notes.

Also, although I think Michael Brecker is a great player, I thought that the addition of his somewhat more commercial sound on two of the tracks (The Hard One and Blues Lundvall) detracted from those tracks.

I wish there were more recordings of this trio, especially perhaps a live one.

2 1/2

With few exceptions, this slow paced night jazz is too meanderingly mellow, while fiery flights of latin-tinged fancy can feel familiar as well.

I tend to agree with the reviewer who mentioned that most of the compositions meandered somewhat.

It seemed as though Gonzalo was thinking more along the lines of color than content.

And will someone PLEASE tell Michael Brecker enough with the Coltrane imitation!...Get back to playing your sax!

"Inner Voyage" is a great listen if you need to unwind.

This cd really deserves three stars...I'm giving it two to bring down the average. I hate to condemn any kind of music, and that certainly isn't my goal in writing this review, I'm simply trying to express my opinion. Gonzalo Rubalcaba is inarguably a masterful technician and a creative and wonderful musician. I found some of the compositions featured on this disc very beautiful. Yet on almost every track the music lacks energy and excitement; perhaps this difficult music was exciting for the performers to record, but it is very boring to listen to. Yolanda Anas has a beautiful melody, yet all throughout the performance the players seems to be meandering. Caravan has a very exciting beginning, but seems to drag on forever without direction. The two tracks with Brecker are interesting, jarring and dissonant, but largely unpleasant.
As a whole I think that this music would work much better in performance than on record. I think that for a trio piano recording, the music needs to somehow grab and hold the listener's attention. Whenever I listen to this my mind can't help but go elsewhere.
On the other hand, this is virtuosic playing, and the group is obviously well rehearsed and tight. Furthermore, the sound is in many ways original (although strong influences shine through at some parts, like Bill Evans). Nevertheless, this is one of my least favorite cds. If you'd like an example of what I consider an amazing piano trio album, try Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas or Ahmad Jamal's Live at the Pershing. Those are my favorites.