Catalan
guitarist, composer and bandleader Oscar Peñas´ fourth album and second release
in the United States, Music of Departures and Returns, includes a Brazilian
choro and a tribute to flamenco master Paco de Lucia; a jazz standard and a
classic from the Cuban Nueva Trova songbook; and music by the great Catalonian
composer Frederic Mompou. Yet this is neither a music sampler nor a showcase of
Peñas´ talents in different settings and styles.
"This
is more or less who I am. I'm not trying to push boundaries, prove anything or
show off in any way,"
explains Peñas. "It's a collection of pieces, some mine, some by other
composers that I have always admired, that I felt had a common mood, a certain
sound that reflects my personality and where I come from."
Music of
Departures and Returns features his quartet, comprised of his long-standing
rhythm section featuring six-string electric bassist Moto Fukushima, drummer
Richie Barshay, and violinist Sara Caswell. The band is augmented by special
guests such as bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding, reedman Paquito D'Rivera
and pianist, producer and arranger Gil Goldstein who appears on accordion.
Born in
Barcelona, Peñas began his career in music studying classical guitar as a
child. He graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music and later earned
a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory before
settling Brooklyn. He arrived at his musical discoveries step by step.
"I
started to explore jazz a bit out of boredom. As a teenager (and still is the
case) it was more appealing to me to pick up my own melodies within a style and
interact with other musicians than spend hours of solitude trying to perfect a
technical dexterity and devote my youth to learn a repertoire by others.
Discoveries and interests come sometimes erratically... listening to Pat
Metheny's Letter from Home or Wayne Shorter's Native Dancer you end up coming
across Toninho Horta, Gismonti or Milton [Nascimento] and their music opens
doors to a sea of possibilities, that's how I
learned about choro.
"I
didn't study choro, but listened to a lot of them and love Pixinguinha and
Guinga. If you ask a purist, maybe he won't approve of the form or the
harmonies of 'Paquito's Choro,' but this
is my unpretentious take on it." As for
incorporating all these influences, "there was never a grand plan,"
he says. "I've been finding music and what I liked, I researched it and
add it to my music. I was not born here and I did not grow up here. I like
these different styles as much or more than bebop. Settling in NYC was a kind
of wake-up call as I realized that in order to break through in the most
vibrant scene on the planet I had to be honest and that meant digging into my
own culture to find a personal voice."
Upcoming
Oscar Peñas Tour Dates:
April 18
/ BAMcafé / Brooklyn, NY
November
7 / Strathmore / Bethesda, MD
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