así lo síento yo
Adam del Monte
I had not heard of Adam del Monte until about a month ago when Roland Dyens told me about him. I am so glad that he did then so that I had the opportunity to hear his outstanding new CD fresh off the press.
Having visited adamdelmonte.com I knew that he was both a wonderful classical guitarist and a fiery flamenco artist. I was expecting a solo CD with a mix of these two genres, and was thrilled to find that I was completely wrong. Adam del Monte is far too talented and versatile to limit himself to the obvious. On así lo síento yo he plays with a wide variety of ensembles as well as solo, and in an eclectic mix of styles that include oud-inspired Arab melodies, gypsy sounds from the Balkans, African rhythms, 1940's American bebop, Sephardic liturgies, and Brazilian jazz. All of these influences are filtered through Mr. del Monte's impressive musical understanding resulting in a sound that is at once very personal and yet welcoming to all.
Adam del Monte is one of those rare solo artists who can also play impeccably in an ensemble. Both aspecs of his playing are highlighted in Puntáo (rumba), which like all of the pieces on the CD was written by Mr. del Monte. This first track begins with solo guitar in a meditative mood, but soon bass an percussion enter and the song really takes off. The ensemble playing is magnificent, and the players navigate through some sophisticated rhythmic nuances as if they were simple straight time. All of the players are excellent but I was especially taken by Asaf Kofler's incredible bass playing, which is consistently superb throughout the CD.
Sambule (bulería) begins with yet more terrific ensemble playing. While flamenco is a dominant influence in the mix, there are elements of jazz and more exotic flavors which are emphasized by the inclusion of soprano sax, piano and other keyboards to the guitar, bass and percussion. Everyone gets a chance to shine here, with fine solos on both sax and piano. Of special note is the bass player on this track: Carles Benavent is widely known as the creator of "flamenco bass," a role he performs for that icon of flamenco Paco de Lucia.
Ecos Ladinos (gradína) is extraordinary. It begins with solo guitar playing the most passionate music yet. Adam is soon joined by the incredible flamenco singer Guadiana (Antonio Suárez Salazar). After a single verse with this electrifying voice, the song flows into a cello solo, beautifully performed by Shaul del Monte. Guadiana then returns with more heart-wrenching emotion. Here the guitar punctuates the melody rather than accompanying, and it is clear that Guadiana is more than capable of singing the whole song solo. A tour de force performance! My only disappointment is that the lyrics for this wonderful song were not printed on the sleeve. Speaking of the sleeve, Mr. del Monte deserves additional credit for using only carboard so that the shrinkwrap is the only plastic packaging used.
Guadiana gives another spine-tingling performance on the title track Así lo síento yo. This is an up-tempo mover that begins with the guitar racing over top of some fine percussion work, taking all sorts of sudden stops and changes of direction. Flamenco certainly meets jazz here, along with many other influences that fly past. We are a full 2-1/2 minutes into the song before Gudiana's unmistakable voice pierces the texture. This seems to set the guitar off into more and more adventurous territory before that wonderful voice returns to lead the entire ensemble into a subtly new direction. Guitarists will either love or envy Adam del Monte's finesse with rasqueados in this song, and this is certainly some of the finest flamenco playing you are ever likely to hear.
Luz verde (alegría) begins with a more laid-back jazzy feel before it breaks out into some great scalar passages. The interplay of the guitar and bass (once again played by Asaf Kofler) is just a joy to hear. A lovely addition is the violin of Enosh del Monte who manages to blend while maintaining another unique voice in the group. Both jazz and flamenco lovers will consider this a favorite track.
Sombras del paradiso (minéra) finally brings us Adam del Monte playing solo. And what playing it is! This exquisitely shaped piece begins with an eloquent restraint that sometimes gives way to a passionate outburst, only to be brought under control again. The middle section glides through areas of fleeting melody, lightning-fast runs, cascading arpeggios, two-part counterpoint, and smooth tremolando before it almost reluctantly returns to the opening tempo. The guitar gradually fades away, but never gives up playing defiantly blazing runs, right up to the end.
From the opening scales, ending on subtly bent notes, we realize that Dáhab (jaléo) will be a more exotic offering. This is confirmed by the sax, the keyboard textures, use of echo and reverb, and the shifting scales that make up the ever-malleable melodic material. Much of the second half is a dialogue of sorts between the guitar and sax, with a reminiscence of the opening recurring to bring the piece to a close. One particularly nice touch is the mandola solo played by Carles Benavent.
Colegas (rumba) begins with some precise unison playing between guitar, sax, and bass. The ensemble is particularly tight as these three share the melody in between solo sections. Once more Asaf Kofler provides excellent bass playing, especially in his brilliant solo.
Chaláco begins with more precise unison between the bass and guitar. Schlomo Cohen produces some incredibly exotic sounds that will have you wondering if he is really playing a soprano sax (he is). This leads to a much more subdued and introspective guitar solo in the middle of the piece that only gradually builds to blaze of notes that are still under strict control, leading into more unison between guitar and bass, guitar and sax, and finally all three. We return to the opening material, and unless my ears deceive me there is a sample of a middle eastern double reed inserted here. This leads us to a spirited restatement of the first theme, which then reduces to bass, drums and percussion, and finally to just an echo of the amazingly creative music we have heard.
I cannot end this review without noting the fantastic percussion on every one of the songs using it. This CD would not have been so powerful without the contributions of Benji Habichuela (cajón, percussion, palmas, calabáza. bongos), Luis Amador (cajón, palmas, udu, percussion), Jaco Abél (percussion, palmas), and Eran Asias (drums, percussion).
Also, if you began to get the impression that this is a family project from some of the names, you may be more correct than you think. Enos and Shaul del Monte are Adam's sons, and Asaf Kofler is his brother. What a musical family!
You can buy this superb album from Amazon in two formats:
Audio CD
