Swing Para Una Nota Swing For A Single Note

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
REVIEW
"At first glance, the 5th Element would seem to be a young Latin jazz band, but in fact they are a seasoned group with previous recordings not available in the U.S. until this one. They are steeped in the straight-ahead post-bop tradition. This quintet from Mexico City, founded in 1999, is much more beholden to the precepts of Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers than Tito Puente, with only a hint of Brazilian music heard on this set of mainstream jazz originals that swings. Trumpeter Gabriel Solares and saxophonist/flutist Jose Angel Ramos will not persuade hard bop lovers that they are the second coming of Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, but they're both quite competent, lyrical, and even charming. Pianist Felipe Gordillo is the focal point as a performer, but more so as composer of half of the tracks. The title track shows Gordillo's fondess for Thelonious Monk, mixing angular melodies with an effortless swing, as does the similar "Smiling." Blakey's style is well represen ted during the out-and-out hard bopper "Con 2 Frases" penned by Solares, and especially by "Elementos," where a softer focus still brings a shining melody to the forefront as the prime Jazz Messengers preferred. There's also a nice cover of Pat Metheny's "Hermitage," and some light samba or bossa nova on the tail end of the program, only hinting at the Latin heritage of this fine ensemble. It seems they are only scratching the surface of their vast potential, but Swing Para una Nota will introduce them to the public worldwide in fine fashion." -Michael G. Nastos -- www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fnfqxzwsldfe

First of all, the translation (this CD is printed up entirely in Spanish text) is Swing for a Single Note by The 5th Element, though I'm pretty sure you'd already guessed that. However, in case the 'swing' label might mislead you a bit, there's a plenitude of inside and outside playing pervading the disc, as well as balmy balladry in cuts like Alone. Pianist, arranger, director, and lead man Felipe Gordillo possesses a rare soft bop approach to the keys striking for its preservation of the elder mode while plainly incorporating elements of Evans and others. Puzzling, though, is the fact that Swing Para Una Nota was recorded in 2005 and only recently released. The disc is a superb meld of jazz from the genre's 50s paramount statements to this very minute and should've seen immediate documentation and disbursal. Ah well, the economy's not been sound anywhere for quite some time, alas.

Then there's the intro to the very angular La Giralda incorporating Ives, Herb Alpert, Cage, and Bartok in a way that resolves into a melodic complement of all four, followed by the hot improv soloing of Smiling (and you, too, will be--smiling, that is, not improv'ing--if you like Mingus era materials), evincing the certainty that all five of these young cats have been hitting the books at the conservatory while sidelining to catch Corea, Jarrett, Dolphy, and a wide brace of heavy duty modernists. The engineering, as well, is unusual, very spacious, sounding very much as though a one-take affair all the way through, which may very well explain the vitality of the recording.

Thankfully, no matter whatever may have accounted for the hold-up on this release, the group is closing in on finishing a successor disc, and the mouth can only water at the prospect of where these cats are now, five years deeper into their immaculate chops and compositional acumen. Thus, dig into this feast posthaste and try to restrain yourself from clamoring for the next one. Go ahead, just try! -- Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, Mark S. Tucker, May 2010

Number of Discs: 1

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