Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud, Marcos Cavaleiro: Estrellero

Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud, Marcos Cavaleiro: Estrellero

By John Ephland
July 22, 2023
View read count

Leo Genovese

keyboards
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Leo Genovese's piano can sound like an orchestra. It does as much amidst his voluminous solo work on bassist

" data-original-title="" title="">Demian Cabaud's "Arbol Negro," his thick chords, the density of his playing full and ripe.

From their new trio recording, Estrellero, which also features the light, sympathetic stylings of

Marcos Cavaleiro

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcos Cavaleiro on drums, are five original compositions split between pianist and bassist. The contrast emerges in Genovese's own voice as he marks time with Cabaud's more plodding, abstract pen. "Arbol Negro" is a good example, where the medium-tempo pace drives the reliance on a modal pulse which gives Genovese room to linger with lots of floating chords, akin to the kind of playing

McCoy Tyner

piano
1938 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">McCoy Tyner would dash off in support of his boss

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane, the three in this trio in a kind of trance-like rumination.

The set opens with Cabaud's angular, somewhat frenetic "Qom," giving the impression that an

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman flavor might rule the day, Genovese's piano is full of alternate sprinklings which tend to veer off with no harmonic sense while Cabaud's poking basslines keep things grounded. Not so with "Stone Believer," the pianist's melodic sense holding sway on his more sweetly portrayed rendering of the piano jazz trio. Cabaud's "Aquel Lugar" picks up where the opening track seemed to have left off—more scurrying, dancing between the three members, with the bassist's passing pulse and the pianist's slurring chords and scampering single notes remaining bright but once again abstracted. Then there is Cabaud's "Un Rio." In contrast, the vibe is more reflective, the indeterminate pulse like a slow dance where bebop lives but is more undertow, where Genovese seems to be reaching to break free and turn this occasional waltz into a love song. By song's end, he's succeeded.

It is telling that this untypical trio (if there is such a thing as a typical piano trio) is so partly because the soloing is more pronounced through Genovese alone, with the trio, in a sense, soloing as one unit. When there is soloing elsewhere, it is in passing, as with the intro to Genovese's "La Cueva Del Viento," the song's lickety-split pace needing to move on to the whole group's response as the pianist's modus operandi is now full-tilt, get there quick! Right hand and left hand are busy yet still, alternating single notes with busy chords (which may be one of his strengths as a player). The title track features another aspect to this trio's wild spirit as Genovese plays an ancient pump organ.

It all ends with Cabaud's "Dia De La Madre," the bassist's mournful arco intro introducing a somber, yearning conclusion to all that has transpired. More ruminations on an album, as Genovese says: "Estrella" means "star" in Spanish. On the other hand, in Argentina Estrellero refers to a horse that can't be trained completely; "something," he says, "of the animal's wild nature remains... as though trying to break free of human domination. When they look up, they look at the stars... searching for answers, chasing madness."

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Qom; Stone Believer; Always; Arbol Negro; Estrellero; Aquel Lugar; Un Rio; La Cueva Del Viento; Dia Se La Madre.

Personnel

Leo Genovese

keyboards

Demian Cabaud

bass, acoustic

Marcos Cavaleiro

drums

Album information

Title: Estrellero | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Peter Kruder, Roberto Di Gioia, and ...
< Previous

Tribute recordings for Mahavishu Orc...
Next >

Leo Genovese Concerts

Sep 21 Sun

The Jamie Baum Quartet

LunÀtico
Brooklyn, NY

Sep 24 Wed

Dan Blake

Smalls Jazz Club
New York, NY

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.