Customer Reviews

Taking the Soul for a Walk

5 star:		(4)
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This is Dafnis Prieto's third disc as a leader, after About The Monks and Absolute Quintet, which were released on Zoho Records. Whereas his promise as a songwriter was already clear from those previous discs there was something that did not get me fully involved in those albums. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the intricacy of his compositions made it difficult to relate to it emotionally, perhaps it was due to the uncommon instrumentation of Absolute Quintet (I am not that into violin and cello in jazz music), all I know is that this problem is past with this brilliant recording.

As the title indicates and as mentioned in the liner notes by Dafnis himself, this music has a very emotional meaning and most of it was written as part of a grant by Chamber Music America "New Works" entitled "The Emotion Series" in the year 2006. The music can still be complex, but this time it is emotionally very involving and satisfying, also thanks to the strong melodic foundation of these compositions. This is further aided by the energetic lineup of the Sextet, consisting of Peter Apfelbaum and Yosvany Terry on reeds, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Yunior Terry on bass, Manuel Valera on piano and the incomparable Dafnis on drums. The leader gives a strong forward motion to the music, without sounding too busy, because his incredibly dynamic drumming is always is in service of the music and never a goal in itself to show off. In a way his style can only be compared to Eric Harland, who also uses all possibilities offered by the drumset, although (luckily) the Cuban/latin origin always shines through in Dafnis' playing. Comandante, a tribute to Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, is a brilliant example of his 'holistic' drum approach, but there are many awe inspiring moments throughout this album. More importantly, however, there are quite a few 'shivers-down-the-spine' moments on the album. like in the lovely waltz "Tell Me About Her".

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to see his Sextet (although Yosvany Terry and Avishai Cohen were very competently replaced) live in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, where the music even came out more gloriously than on the album, because the sound on the recording (despite being recorded at the excellent Systems Two recording studio) is sometimes a bit harsh to my taste. Nevertheless, that is only a minor detail and does not prevent this disc from getting a top rating. Contemporary (afro cuban) jazz does not get much better than this and leaves us eagerly awaiting upcoming projects of this highly talented unique drummer and composer.

This is a CD you can listen to again and again without it getting old, because it's just that deep. The talent assembled for this recording is incredible -- piano, trumpet, sax, flute -- it's all just stellar. (I need not mention the astounding percussion, because, well, it's Dafnis Prieto after all.)

The melodies are intricate and moving. I would definitely consider some of these pieces "challenging" in the sense that they do not instantly endear themselves to the listener. But listen to them a few times, understand them, and then you will be humming... Sometimes the theme dissolves into diverse streams, pulling apart, but just when you think it's completely evaporated or you've lost sight of where it's going -- bang -- he brings it back with even greater power and beauty.

The rhythms of course are incredible. Dafnis' music reminds me of the band Rush (and another great drummer) only in the sense that they never like to hang out to long on the same rhythm, the same refrain. In many of Dafnis' works, the rhythm is constantly changing. Just when you think you've got it, he changes it again. It's always Cuban-flavored, but never Cuban-generic. I've just never heard drumming like this before, and the CD does a reasonable job of capturing Dafnis' skill and creativity, if not the shear power that he conveys in a live performance. So, buy the CD, and catch a live performance if you can! I think Dafnis is without a doubt one of the most outstanding musicians of our time.

One might not expect drummers to be writing some of the most interesting compositions in jazz these days, but Dafnis Prieto (as well as Eric Harland) is doing it. This album has some great surprises and sounds like no other. Prieto doesn't strike me as an intent rule breaker as much as someone who never cared much for the rule book. The result is liberating and fun in a cerebral way. I think Mr. Prieto is just getting started.

Dafnis Prieto is the find of this year. He may have been around a lot longer (I'm sure he has) but I have been playing the double bass for 50years and from my experience, this player is a revelation. Not only is the group extremely well rehearsed, but the writing (by Dafnis) is fresh and very clever. The whole album is a joy and how many albums can you say that about? I have now listened about 10 times just to make sure I was hearing right!!!.
The stand out player (if you could say there was one) would have to be Manuel Valera who to my mind at least, is such a great player and supportive musician that everything he does on this album, (and on the subsequent Si O Si Quartet) is nothing short of amazing.
Prieto though, is such an amazing drummer. His phrasing is tight and he propels the band in directions that make the music soar.
I can't recommend this album and the other quartet album enough. This is where Jazz is going. Great!!!!