Valera, Manuel / Seasons, The
| Album: | Seasons, The | Collection: | Jazz | |
| Artist: | Valera, Manuel | Added: | Jun 2017 | |
| Label: | Mavo Records | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2017-06-21 | Pull Date: | 2017-08-23 | Charts: | Jazz |
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| Week Ending: | Aug 20 | Aug 13 | Aug 6 | Jul 30 | Jul 23 | Jul 16 | Jul 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Aug 25, 2017: | Rebop
In The Eye Of The Beholder |
4. | Aug 11, 2017: | Rebop
Hallelujah |
|
| 2. | Aug 24, 2017: | Clean Copper Radio Talk & Hot Topics
Opening, Hallelujah, What Is This Thing Called Love |
5. | Aug 04, 2017: | Rebop
Opening |
|
| 3. | Aug 18, 2017: | Rebop
The Seasons: Movement I "Spring" |
6. | Aug 03, 2017: | No Cover, No Minimum
In The Eye Of The Beholder |
Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2017-06-07
Reviewed 2017-06-07
JAZZ PIANO TRIO
Havana born pianist/composer Manuel Valera leads a piano-bass-drums trio through a set of straight-forward, contemporary jazz (not especially Latin except here and there). Seven of eleven tracks are original compositions. Four tracks comprise a “Four Seasons” suite.
All instrumental. No FCC issues.
1 ** Very fast. Propulsive, forceful, very rhythmic. Especially good drumming. (5:10)
2 ** Very fast. Bright, expressive, high energy. Strong bass and drums. (6:37)
3 Slow. Impressionistic piano fantasy. Lovely melody; gentle rhythm section. (5:58)
4 * Mid-fast. Stirring, uplifting piano. Long bass solo. (6:24)
5 Slow. Improvisation on a Beatles tune. Pretty melody, but not much to it. (6:08)
Suite: “The Seasons”. (First three movements have similar tempo, texture, style.)
6 * Mid-tempo to fast. Expressive, powerful playing. Suggestive of a rain shower? (5:54)
7 Mid-tempo to fast. Some passages light-hearted; others are heavy, pounding. (8:24)
8 Mid-tempo. A bit more abstract, perhaps improvised. (5:52)
9 ** Mid-slow. Gentler. Expressive & lyrical. Some Latin percussion. Fade out. (3:36)
10 Mid-fast. Cole Porter song is deconstructed, abstracted, spun around, remade. (6:58)
11 * Slow. Theme & variations on Leonhard Cohen’s hymn. Deep & moving. (5:18)
Havana born pianist/composer Manuel Valera leads a piano-bass-drums trio through a set of straight-forward, contemporary jazz (not especially Latin except here and there). Seven of eleven tracks are original compositions. Four tracks comprise a “Four Seasons” suite.
All instrumental. No FCC issues.
1 ** Very fast. Propulsive, forceful, very rhythmic. Especially good drumming. (5:10)
2 ** Very fast. Bright, expressive, high energy. Strong bass and drums. (6:37)
3 Slow. Impressionistic piano fantasy. Lovely melody; gentle rhythm section. (5:58)
4 * Mid-fast. Stirring, uplifting piano. Long bass solo. (6:24)
5 Slow. Improvisation on a Beatles tune. Pretty melody, but not much to it. (6:08)
Suite: “The Seasons”. (First three movements have similar tempo, texture, style.)
6 * Mid-tempo to fast. Expressive, powerful playing. Suggestive of a rain shower? (5:54)
7 Mid-tempo to fast. Some passages light-hearted; others are heavy, pounding. (8:24)
8 Mid-tempo. A bit more abstract, perhaps improvised. (5:52)
9 ** Mid-slow. Gentler. Expressive & lyrical. Some Latin percussion. Fade out. (3:36)
10 Mid-fast. Cole Porter song is deconstructed, abstracted, spun around, remade. (6:58)
11 * Slow. Theme & variations on Leonhard Cohen’s hymn. Deep & moving. (5:18)
Track Listing