Dafnis Prieto Big Band (L to R). Front row: Roberto Quintero, Josh Deutsch, Román Filiú, Dafnis Prieto, Peter Apfelbaum, Ricky Rodríguez. Middle row: Michael Thomas, Tim Albright, Jeff Nelson, Manuel Valera, Mike Rodríguez, Alex Sipiagin. Back row: Nathan Eklund, Alan Ferber, Chris Cheek, Joel Frahm, Jacob Garchik.
Since his arrival in New York from Cuba in 1999, drummer/composer/bandleader Dafnis Prieto has proven himself an adventurous musician in a variety of settings—trio, quartet, sextet—with a healthy disregard for genre. His latest release, Back to the Sunset,* is his most ambitious to date.
Prieto will bring his Sí o Sí Quartet, with Peter Apfelbaum on saxophones, Alex Brown on piano, and Ricky Rodriguez on bass, to the Outpost this Sunday, April 29. Go here for details.
Dafnis Prieto Big Band
Back to the Sunset (Dafnison Music)
A review
Conceived as a tribute to several mentors who have influenced him, Back to the Sunset features nine original Latin jazz compositions, written and arranged by Prieto for a 17-piece big band that features some of New York’s finest (see below for a complete list). Three guests artists—trumpeter Brian Lynch, saxophonist Henry Threadgill, and saxophonist Steve Coleman—join the band for a track each.
It is the soloists that make this record shine. Brian Lynch will make all the hair on your body go erect on the opener, “Una Vez Más.” On the title track, Henry Threadgill delivers a concise and expressive solo that makes you appreciate how he stretches consonance beyond where you might expect to find it. Altoist Román Filiú reeds between the lines on “The Sooner the Better.” Trombonists Alan Ferber and Jacob Garchik engage in a galvanizing conversation at the end of “Out of the Bone,” which has a lovely sense of pageantry embedded in the horn section. There are many more—Peter Apfelbaum on melodica (“Danzonish Potpourri”), Joel Frahm on soprano (“Prelude para Rosa”), Manuel Valera on piano (“Two for One”), Roberto Quintero on congas (“Song for Chico”), and of course, Prieto himself on several tracks.
The compositions themselves provide a solid foundation for the soloists but suffer from a tendency to overwork the material. Prieto seems to have felt obligated to use every instrument all the time. As a result, there is a jumble of activity but often not much movement. The music feels corseted—it can’t breathe freely. There are exceptions, including the uncorseted “Song for Chico,” with its strong cross-rhythms; the lively “Two for One,” which flows nicely downstream; and the muscular “Out of the Bone.”
Nevertheless, there is much to recommend Back to the Sunset, most especially the disciplined and exuberant performance of the band and the blazing soloists.
Mike Rodríguez, trumpet, flugelhorn
Nathan Eklund, trumpet, flugelhorn
Alex Sipiagin, trumpet, flugelhorn
Josh Deutsch, trumpet, flugelhorn
Román Filiú, alto sax, soprano sax, flute, clarinet
Michael Thomas, alto sax, soprano sax, flute, piccolo
Peter Apfelbaum, tenor sax, soprano sax, melodica
Joel Frahm, tenor sax, soprano sax
Chris Cheek, bari sax
Tim Albright, trombone
Alan Ferber, trombone
Jacob Garchik, trombone
Jeff Nelson, bass trombone
Manuel Valera, piano
Ricky Rodríguez, acoustic and electric bass
Roberto Quintero, congas, bongos, percussion
Dafnis Prieto, drums and music director
* Click on any title’s link to go to the Amazon page where you can purchase it. If you click through and make the purchase there, Musically Speaking will receive a small percentage of the sale. Thank you for your support.
© 2018 Mel Minter