Fabian Almazan

Jan 27 2020

Best of 2019 #31: Fabian Almazan Trio – “This Land Abounds With Life”

 

When writing about this album for The Bandcamp Daily, I reference both John Zorn’s Alhambra Love Trio and Marcin Wasilewski Trio’s January as two bird-of-a-feather recordings to This Land Abounds With Life.  On his 2019 release, Fabian Almazan crafts a series of immaculate tunes.  Viewed individually, there isn’t a single track on this album that isn’t pure gold was how I originally phrased it in my original write-up, and I see no reason not to include that statement in my year-end wrap-up.  It’s not just the finely crafted melodies or the rhythms that flow out like riveting conversation, but in how the pianist expands on the best qualities of each, making each piece resonate as something larger than it is when viewed in isolation.  And, of even greater import is how this carries over from piece to piece, as if each composition is having an undercurrent of dialog with each other piece throughout the duration of the recording.  It’s the equivalent of an architectural marvel providing a glimpse of the intricate skeleton of infrastructure that lies behind the ornamentation, illustrating how many types of beauty contribute to the beauty of the whole.  Almazan is doing some special stuff with his Biophilia Records label, and it’s so much more than just a vehicle to feature his own music.  Be that as it may, it’s a welcome opportunity to be able to shine the spotlight on one of his own gems on the Best of 2019.

Your album personnel:  Fabian Almazan (piano, percussion, electronics), Linda May Han Oh (acoustic & electric basses), Henry Cole (drums), and guests: Megan Gould (violin), Monica Davis (violin), Karen Waltuch (viola) and Eleanor Norton (cello).

Released on Biophilia Records.

Music from New York City.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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Dec 26 2017

Best of 2017 #18: Fabian Almazan & Rhizome – “Alcanza” (Biophilia Records)

 

There’s a huge presence to the latest from Fabian Almazan and his ensemble Rhizome.  The pianist’s theme of the individual’s connection to the environment plays out across a nine-movement suite, and its diverse mix of influences and instrumentation leads to heavy imagery and a sweeping grandeur.  In particular, the vocal contributions from Camila Meza create a harmonic environment highly conducive to soaring melodies, and a string section that includes site-favorite Tomoko Omura adds a majestic quality to send those melodies even higher.  It would appear from the very start, Alcanza had its sights set of a very high plateau.  It’s not really a question of whether it was achieved, because the true joy of this album is experienced by the way it takes flight.  That journey leads to a wealth of thrilling moments.

Music from NYC.

Read more on Bird is the Worm.

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