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Gustavo Cortinas: Live in Chicago

By Hrayr Attarian
April 30, 2024
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Chicago composer and drummer Gustavo Cortinas is a musician with a message, one of social justice. He delivers it in a style that fuses the melodic sensibilities of his ancestral Mexico with the complex syncopations of jazz. The exciting Live in Chicago documents an unedited, two-set concert that was recorded at Constellation Chicago on December 15, 2022. The quintet interprets ten Cortinas originals, some of which appeared on his magnum opus, the multifaceted and provocative Desaf��o Candente (Woolgathering, 2021).

The cinematic "Arete" is the embodiment of this Mexican and American cultural mix. It opens with trumpeter

Drew Hanson

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Drew Hanson , unaccompanied, before the band states the main theme. Trombonist

Matthew Davis

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Davis takes center stage with warm phrases that rise above the rhythm trio's swaying cadence, one with the sensuality of a jarabe tapat��o. This is echoed in pianist

Joaquin Garcia

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Joaquin Garcia's lithe improvisation. Cortinas closes with a colorful and thunderous solo that is simultaneously sophisticated and packing a visceral punch.

Bassist

Kitt Lyles

bass
b.1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Kitt Lyles starts off the intimate "The Man of Flesh and Bone" with a contemplative and angular extemporization. The group joins Lyle with languid, undulating refrains. The longing frontline notes over Cortinas' soft rustle and Garcia's chiming block-chords give the piece the feel of a funeral march. Hanson and Davis take turns with lyrical embellishments to the melancholic piece.

"La Ruta de Regreso a Guinea est�� en el Arcoiris," dedicated to the resilience of African culture, has a tense rhythmic backdrop and passionate horn exchanges. Tenor saxophonist

Artie Black

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Artie Black blows muscular and bluesy lines and engages Davis in a fiery conversation. The ensemble concludes the track with an ebullient performance.

Live in Chicago, more than any other Cortinas release, captures the exuberance of the drummer's work. True, the studio sessions highlight the nuanced hues of Cortinas' sublime compositions; but it is when Cortinas is on stage that all the emotion and unbridled energy of his music becomes apparent. This album is another superb addition to his superlative discography.

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Track Listing

Disc 1: Overture; Hanaki; Wish I Could Be There Now; La Balada del Le��n; Arete. Disc 2: Dialectics of Freedom; Timing Is Everything; The Man of Flesh and Bone; La Ruta de Regreso a Guinea est�� en el Arcoiris; Pax Britannica.

Personnel

Gustavo Corti?as

drums

Drew Hanson

trumpet

Artie Black

woodwinds

Matthew Davis

trombone

Joaquin Garcia

piano

Kitt Lyles

bass

Additional Instrumentation

Matthew Davis: trombone; Artie Black: tenor saxophone

Album information

Title: Live in Chicago | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Desafio Candente Records

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