Diego Rivera - tenor sax
Alex Sipiagin - trumpet
Art Hirahara - piano
Boris Kozlov - bass
Rudy Royston - drums, percussion
With a stunning mixture of grace and power, tenor saxophonist Diego
Rivera transcends cultural boundaries to deliver an emphatic message of
intelligence and inclusivity on his latest release "Mestizo." Critical listeners
may appreciate these performances as a series of engaged discussions
employing the repartee of context and contrast between the leading voices
of the horns and the affectionate support and retort from their immaculate
rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and
drummer Rudy Royston. This assemblage of bright moments is also admirably
enhanced by the presence of trumpet phenomenon Alex Sipiagin,
who joins Rivera as his front line aide-de-cam, providing musical offerings
of incisive intensity that steadily serve to escalate the entire proceeding
unto another level. Nonetheless, if we overly focus on the interplay of
elements, then we risk missing out on the point of the dialogue and mistake
the medium for the message. Rivera's unmistakable talent as a
songwriter is the real story, as he deftly transforms this dynamic quintet
into a unified instrument and unleashes a powerful combination of swinging
blasts juxtaposed with forays into the emotional parlance of subtle
conversation. From the opening salvo to the last hurrah, the melodic message
of "Mestizo" moves effortlessly straightforward and affirms that
Rivera is a shining star of unlimited brilliance to keep an eye on for many
years to come.
|
Mestizo - PR8227