Author Archives: Mel Minter

Engine: Looking for the Light

Engine: Robin Gentien, Pierre Lauth-Karson, Alejandro Tomás Rodriguez. Photo by Trevor Meier.

Back in 2017, when the trio Engine was invited to perform at Tricklock Company’s 17th Annual Revolutions International Theatre Festival and at ¡Globalquerque!, likely no one suspected that it was the beginning of a love affair between the band and New Mexico. Two years later, however, thanks to the Theater Department at UNM and Neal Copperman at AMP Concerts, the Franco-Argentine trio—Alejandro Tomás Rodriguez (vocals, acoustic guitar), Robin Gentien (vocals, electric guitar, cascas), and Pierre Lauth-Karson (vocals, harmonica, shaker)—has established a North American home base in Albuquerque. Last spring, their Encuentros Íntimos (Intimate Encounters) concert series here quickly developed a devoted (and SRO) audience and produced a live recording, Encuentros Íntimos: Unplugged in Albuquerque, and the band also recorded a studio album, Si viene la muerte, before taking off on a four-month European tour. This week, the band—now a sextet for its New Mexico appearances, with the addition of Terry Bluhm (bass), Jefferson Voorhees (drums), and Caro Acuña (percussion)—is launching another set of Encuentros Íntimos. This year’s edition includes four appearances in Santa Fe and four in Albuquerque. Anyone interested in an ecstatic musical experience should mark their calendars accordingly.

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Joe Lovano Brings Trio Tapestry and ‘Peaceful, Beautiful Attitude’ to the Outpost

Joe Lovano. Photo by Craig Lovell.

On Trio Tapestry, his first recording on ECM as a leader, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano called on pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Carmen Castaldi—and his own long history with the likes of Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Gunther Schuller, and Hank Jones, among others—to create an album of expressive and intimate beauty. The trio will bring their atmospheric grace to the stage at the Outpost on March 12.

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Choose Silly or Serious (Both Are Ear Worthy)

Albuquerque singer/songwriters continue to release original work that deserves wider attention. Here are two completely different takes on reality: the sublimely ridiculous Get It Up from Sage and Jared’s Happy Gland Band, and the earnestly searching Stubborn Heart from Kevin Herig.

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Get Healed with Isaac Aragon’s New Single

Isaac Aragon

Singer/songwriter Isaac Aragon has two pieces of good news for music listeners: First, he is releasing his new single, “Love Bless America,” on February 19 via the familiar online outlets. Second, he has recently made the decision to flip his work schedule, going from full- to part-time at his physical therapy gig (he’s got a doctorate in that discipline) and from part- to full-time in his music career. That means you’ll be seeing the Peñasco native/Los Lunas resident playing out a much more often than in the past, and you’ll be hearing a lot of new music from him this year. If the rest is anything like “Love Bless America”—oh, baby.

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Cats Who Swing (updated)

Bobcats Trio: John Griffin, Bob Gusch, Dan Dowling

You can’t swing a comatose cat here in the Albuquerque–Santa Fe corridor without hitting a fine musician. They’re everywhere, as I’ve discovered in my coverage of the local music scene over the last 15 years or so for Albuquerque The Magazine and other publications. Three of these fine musical artists, known collectively as the Bobcats Trio, have released their debut album, Music for the Sole, and it’s a welcome addition.

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