In 1513,
Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama, becoming
the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean and founding the first permanent
European settlement in the Americas. Those events continue to resonate five
centuries later as Panama celebrates the landmark anniversary. On his new Mack
Avenue release Panama 500, favorite son Danilo Pérez adds his voice to the
tributes with a stunning portrait of his native land, its storied history, rich
culture and fierce struggles.
Panama
500 is Pérez' most ambitious project to date, the furthest evolution yet of
what the pianist/composer calls "three-dimensional music." His blend
of influences makes him the ideal musical chronicler of his country's history:
already a land bridge between the Americas with a vibrant indigenous culture,
Panama also began to absorb European culture into its own following Balboa's
arrival. Pérez similarly weaves together jazz and Pan-American folkloric
traditions with influences from European classical music.
"I
have been working for years to make music that has an identity very similar to
the role that Panama plays in the world," Pérez says. "It's a place
where a lot of influences from all over the world come together."
Pérez
refers to Balboa's arrival as a "rediscovery," a word that succinctly
encapsulates both the
importance of his accomplishment and the controversy inherent in European
colonization. As he traces Panama's evolution over the 12 tracks on Panama 500,
he gives literal voice to the indigenous Guna Indians of Panama, who provide
intermittent narration to lend their own perspective on that history.
As
Harvard professor Davíd Carrasco writes in his liner notes, "The magical
performances in this album emerge from the encounters of indigenous shamans,
Spanish migrants of desire, the human agony of African slaves, multicultural
love, and transcendent improvisations on agony and love."
To
realize his expansive vision for this music, Pérez pulled together a host of
musicians from his various endeavors. The album features both of his
longest-running rhythm sections-trio mates Ben Street and Adam Cruz; as well as
bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, with whom Pérez works in the
acclaimed Wayne Shorter Quartet. "There's a specific spectrum of language
that I've developed with both trios," Pérez says. "With Ben and Adam,
we use Latin American vocabularies to connect closer with jazz and to expand on
the idea of clave. And with John and Brian, it's that language that we've
developed playing with Wayne over the years that is indescribable. There's a
zero-gravity component to it, where things come out of nowhere."
The
rhythmic density is compounded throughout Panama 500 by percussionists from
three different countries: Roman Díaz from Cuba, Rogério Boccato from Brazil;
and Milagros Blades and Ricaurte Villarreal from Panama. The classical
influence, as well as evidence of Pérez' commitment to education, arrives in
the form of violinist Alex Hargreaves, a former student of the Berklee Global
Jazz Institute, the globally-minded program for which Pérez serves as artistic
director. Additionally, the album features guest cellist Sachi Patitucci on one
track.
"More
than focusing on rediscovery we should focus on celebrating our histories, our
stories, our music, our culture," Pérez concludes. "My vision is to
create music that serves as a cultural passport, hopefully with Panama as the
bridge of the world."
Upcoming
Danilo Pérez Tour Dates:
**
February 6-9 / Jazz Standard / New York, NY
**
February 11-12 / Blues Alley / Washington, DC
**
February 15-16 / Scullers Jazz Club / Boston, MA
** March
9-23 / European Tour / TBA
*** May
9 / Miami International Jazz Festival / Miami, FL
May 22 /
SFJAZZ (special guest w/ Miguel Zenon) / San Francisco, CA
***
August 1 / Deer Isle Jazz Festival / Stonington, ME
August 3
/ Newport Jazz Festival (w/ Ben Street, Adam Cruz & Roman Diaz) / Newport,
RI
** = w/
Ben Street, Adam Cruz, Roman Diaz and Alex Hargreaves / *** = w/
Ben Street & Adam Cruz
No comments:
Post a Comment