Albert Cirera I Kamarilla

Making the most of talent clustered around the Iberian Peninsula, Catalan saxophonist Albert Cirera rounded up a gang of perceptive players to interpret a bristling program of his compositions. The tenor and soprano saxophonist who has recorded with Agustí Fernández, Luís Vicente and many others, has created nine tunes that expand from Free Jazz to brush up against abstract sounds, but thanks to the steadying pulse of electric bassist Martin Leiton and Cirera’s long-time associate, drummer Ramon Prats, never fall out of syncopation. Also featured are saxophonist/clarinetist Marcel.lí Bayer, trombonist Vicent Pérez and Iván González and Pol Padrós, who split the trumpet duties, except on the title track where both play.

Translated as “that thing”, “Aquella Cosa” jumps among contrapuntal affirmations, balancing one trumpeter’s near-static growls with the other’s airy fanfares. Evolving at an irregularly vibrated andante pace, trombone huffs and clarinet trills are featured and finally expose the counter line. Adept at interpreting lower case and more swinging nuances whose horizontal exposition can stretch out with mariachi-like trumpet embellishment, incremental drum patterning and horn peeps, the sextet is most imposing on swifter themes.

This is demonstrated right from “Riff i Rafe”, the first track, where concentrated vamps and riffs suggest the textures of a small big band. Prodded by cunning electric bass fingering and pumped-up drumming, Cirera’s strained split tones and repeated slurs cut through the band harmonies, to join with the others to replicate the head. Elsewhere trumpet grace note and triplet elaborations connected to scooping and fluttering reed work suggest the kinship of tracks such as “Rosso & Cia” to rural village banda groups. As parade march-like pacing is harmonized with warm linear motion, the band confirms it can swing at slow paces as well as frenetically.

That freneticism is demonstrated on other tracks, many of which alternate between theme elaboration and free form fragmentation. The most overt is “On Parra L’Eternitat” where an Aylearian upsurge of a pumping, groaning and yelping horn chase shares space with more mellow polyphony. Eventually though, pitched brass bites and reed squeaks freak-outs are balanced by machine-gun-like rim shots and bass thumps leading to theatrical flourishes. Pérez’s distinctive snorting trombone plunger tones and Bayer’s ability to be equally proficient when expressing wailing saxophone bites and connective mid-range clarinet flutters are also features along with solos from both trumpeters and the rhythm section.

Yet beside his inventive soloing, it’s the arrangements and compositions of Cirera, which properly define the session and make it a standout in many ways.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Riff i Rafe^ 2. Musica Celestial* 3. On Parra L’Eternitat?* 4. Aquella Cosa*^ 5. Bressolar* 6. Rosso & Cia^ 7. Requiem a Ferlandina* 8. Traigo la Cena^ 9. L’Agonia a Lapa – Live at Hot Blues*

Personnel: Iván González*, Pol Padrós^ (trumpet): Vicent Pérez (trombone); Marcel.lí Bayer (alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet); Albert Cirera (tenor, soprano saxophones); Martin Leiton (electric bass) and Ramon Prats (drums)