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Martin Iaies featuring Julian Arguelles: New Beginnings

By Chris May
January 6, 2024
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Martin Iaies featuring Julian Arguelles: New Beginnings

Born in Argentina but resident in Graz, Austria since 2019, Martin Iaies' aptly titled New Beginnings is the guitarist's second album, following Rewind & FF (El Club del Disco, 2018). And it is a zinger.

In Graz, Iaies completed formal guitar studies in 2022, and recorded New Beginnings the same year. He leads a quartet of Austrian-based musicians: Serbian bassist

Miloš ?olovi?

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Milo? ?olovi?, drummer

Andreas Reisenhofer

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Andreas Reisenhofer and British saxophonist

Julian Arguelles

saxophone
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Arguelles, the eldest player in the lineup, who teaches at the KUG Jazz Institute in Graz. Arg��elles is one of the several singular artists who emerged from the off-the-wall Loose Tubes big band in London in the 1980s and, while each of the other three musicians on New Beginnings is a serious talent, Arg��elles' inclusion is the icing on the cake.

Iaies writes that he was first inspired to take up the guitar by listening to

Pat Martino

guitar
1944 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Pat Martino and that his idol is

John Scofield

guitar
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">John Scofield, but the first echo of another guitarist on the album is that of

Charlie Hunter

guitar
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Hunter on the opening track. Built on a minor blues, "Pascanas #5" is exactly the sort of tune one would have heard from Hunter circa 2001 and Songs From The Analog Playground (Blue Note). Arg��elles joins on track two, "Castelar," contributing an intense, vocalized soprano saxophone solo that Iaies, in his liner notes, says is one of the album's most powerful moments. He is right. Arg��elles turns in another outstanding soprano solo on track three, "Zamba Para Fio" (see YouTube below), a poignant ballad based on the traditional Argentine dance the zamba (nothing to do with its homophone, samba). The next four tracks, which include a Brazilian samba in "El Mineirazo," feature Arg��elles on tenor.

With all his experience, it is not surprising that Arg��elles is the album's most memorable soloist, but Iaies is no slouch. He also wrote all eight tunes, which have character, and which together span straight-ahead and more experimental jazz along with the Argentine and Brazilian forms. "21/9" wears its debt to Scofield on its sleeve. Closer "PM," was written by Iaies the day he learnt of Martino's passing but is not in any way Martino-esque.

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Track Listing

Pascanas #5; Castelar; Zamba para Fio; Graz; Pascanas #1; El Mineirazo; 21/9; PM.

Personnel

Martin Iaies

guitar, electric

Julian Arguelles

saxophone

Milo? ?olovi?

bass, acoustic

Andreas Reisenhofer

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Julian Arg��elles: soprano saxophone (2,3), tenor saxophone (4,5,6,7).

Album information

Title: New Beginnings | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Ears And Eyes Records

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