The thing that’s most attractive about Cuban-born Aruán Ortiz is not that his jazz is informed by the culturally-rich music of his homeland; it’s that he uses his background as a springboard for pushing jazz to its limits. His compositions and piano reach toward freedom, ending up in a place that is an abstraction of what inspires them, while also writing a new chapter to the book of Afro-Cuban jazz.
Inside Rhythmic Falls is a direct acknowledgement that the music originating from the Cuban Oriente province of his birthplace is driven heavily by its rhythms. That’s why for this project, Ortiz is supported only by rhythmists: percussionist Mauricio Herrera and the great icon of progressive drums, Andrew Cyrille. This certainly isn’t a trio in the normal sense of the word, and often, it isn’t even a trio performing; all combinations of the three are used throughout the album. And Ortiz means business when he stated his intention of this album to be about the rhythm, as the opener “Lucero Mundo” is Cyrille and Herrera only.
“Conversation With The Oaks” is where Ortiz’s piano is actually introduced and after a fitful start, Ortiz blurts out chords in a random fashion but Cyrille confidently finds the right pulse for it. After a while it becomes clear that the pianist’s free playing has a rhythmic purpose to it that’s even stronger than the harmonic one.
The full trio finally comes together, for “Marimbula’s Mood.” Herrera plays a marimbula, which is akin to bigger version of an African kalimba, and it’s lower resonance almost occupies the bass area of the performance, though the notes don’t necessarily correspond to Ortiz’s piano. Instead, it serves as an anchor to the roaming around done by Ortiz and Cyrille.
“Golden Voice (Changüi)” is a flirtatious give-and-take between Ortiz and Cyrille, who taps on his toms with the dexterity of a highly-skilled pianist (like, say, Ortiz). Ortiz continues his mastery of the space between the notes with “De Cantos y Ñáñigos,” those spaces being filled up amply by Cyrille’s brushes. Cyrille and Herrera combine for a trance-like barrage of percussion for “Inside rhythmic falls. Part I (Sacred Codes).”
“Argelier’s Disciple” is Ortiz leaving behind impressionist blotches that Cyrille and Herrera dance around. He ruminates over a small cluster of notes for “Inside rhythmic falls. Part II (Echoes)” that evolves into insistent, rhythmic patterns around which Cyrille exploits.
The album concludes with a pair of brief sketches, the parched piano/percussion interlude “El Ashé de la palabra” and another Ortiz/Herrera collaboration, “Para ti nengón,” where they sing this traditional Cuban song over the impulsive improv they are playing. That two-minute moment seems to encapsulate the message of Inside Rhythmic Falls, using the time-worn beats and sounds of Cuba to inform something that seems of another world and another century.
Aruán Ortiz’s bold new conception for Afro-Cuban jazz continues by delving deeper into the rhythmic patterns and turning them inside-out much as he has previously done with the harmonics of the music.
Inside Rhythmic Falls is now available, from Intakt Records.
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