Arturo Stable – Notes on Canvas – Origen Records

by | Oct 11, 2008 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Arturo Stable – Notes on Canvas – Origen Records (no number), 54:09 ****1/2:

(Arturo Stable – congas, bongo, djembe, flamenco box, cymbals, toys, bombo legüero, cajon, spoken word; Aruan Ortiz – piano; Peter Slavov – bass; Francisco Mela – drums; plus 13 additional musicians)

The informing idea here is a disc based on the leader’s musical interpretations of some of the world’s greatest paintings—a sort of jazz alternative to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.  A lot of thought went into Notes on Canvas, and a session this carefully planned rarely sounds so spontaneous.  That may in part be due the contributions of the world famous musicians who lend their talents to Stable’s sophomore effort: Paquito D’Rivera, David Sanchez, Dafnis Prieto, Charles Flores, John Lockwood, Fernando Huergo, Esperanza Spalding, and George Garzone.  But major credit also goes to the multitalented Stable, who shines in each of his capacities: composer, arranger, percussionist, and bandleader.  

As a composer, Stable draws as much from a wide-ranging and firmly rooted jazz heritage (including several degrees from international jazz schools, including Berklee, and a long resume of noted jazzers he’s played with) as from his native Cuban song forms.  What sets him apart is the way he combines the ingredients—an almost magical coming together of folkloric and jazz elements with each firmly upholding its end of the bargain.  His arrangements always seem to find the exact combination of musicians, instruments, and timbres to bring out the high drama of the paintings themselves.  Taste, coloration, careful volume control, and space characterize his approach to percussion, which foregoes the high-energy style that typifies many Latin percussionists.  As bandleader, he’s assembled a smokin’ basic unit, and he gets the most out of his star-studded guests.

Notes on Canvas signals the arrival of a distinctive and compelling new voice on the world jazz scene, one we’re sure to hear a whole lot more of, and one who looks destined for stardom. [The label is the musician’s own – not to be confused with Origin Records. Try his web site…Ed.]

TrackList:
La Jungla
Guernica
Impression/Sunrise
Frida’s Self-Portrait
Gioconda
Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait
La Ventana Magica
Composition #8
Clock Explosion

– Jan P. Dennis

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