Alfredo Naranjo
Y El Guajeo
Cacao Música

Pulling jazz and salsa into a unique mixture requires a balance between freedom and structure. Salsa recordings benefit from songs with tightly arranged forms. At times musicians follow commercially dictated norms while other settings allow for more unconventional approaches - yet the performance still follows a roadmap with little variation. Jazz thrives upon variation and the liberty to explore new directions spontaneously. Structure still exists, but musicians prioritize personal expression over pre-conceived plans. Vibraphonist Alfredo Naranjo and his musicians find an aesthetic balance between freedom and structure on Y El Guajeo, exploring a repertoire that moves between instrumental Latin Jazz and danceable salsa.

Delving Into Latin Jazz With An Instrumental Focus
Several tracks maintain an instrumental focus, creating arranged platforms for improvisation. Pianist Luz Mabel Medina opens “Guajeando” with a dramatic rubato solo, which sets a serious tone for the piece. She soon establishes a rhythmic ostinato over a son montuno rhythm, moving into a carefully arranged duet with Naranjo. She creates a rhythmic background behind Naranjo’s solo before she closes the piece with another unaccompanied statement. A child’s chorus calls out to Tito Puente on the tribute piece “Master Tito,” which quickly moves into a highly chromatic and syncopated melody over an up-tempo son montuno. A series of breaks transitions into a half time cha cha cha that serves as a basis for solos from Naranjo, trumpeter Gerald Chacón, flautist Luis Julio Toro, and trombonist Jimmy Bosch. A coro separates individual solos until all the individuals follow each other through intertwining improvisations. Medina and bassist David Peña create an intensive groove over a trio of bata drums on the short but poignant “Introducción.” Naranjo overdubs both vibes and xylophone playing a virtuosic melodic that borders on improvisatory. The group’s wind players storm through a rapid melody full of tricky melodic twists on “Mi socio,” accompanied by a carefully constructed rhythm section part that emphasizes the melody with intricate hits. Naranjo leads the horns through a subdued mambo, built upon chromatic runs, finding their way into a new level of propulsion. Bosch demands attention with a solo built upon his growling tone, until saxophonist Pablo Gil presents a series of rhythmically creative statements. Each arrangement allows the musicians to professionally explore creative avenues without imposing on their improvisatory space.

Descargas Balancing Vocals and Instrumetal Improvisations
Other songs build form around a vocal performance, while keeping improvisation on an equal balance. Naranjo and his group build “Guajeo y su rumbatá” upon an interesting rumba guaguanco complimented by a full batá section. Naranjo and the coro move through an arranged composition, but the free flowing improvisatory conversation between percussionists Jhony Rudas, Kenny Quintana, and Miguel Urbina garner the attention. As the bass and piano move into an intensive montuno vocalist Edgar Quijada improvises several pregónes, bringing the song to a close. Naranjo embellishes a bombastic introduction with timpani hits on “Los Caballos,” before the coro presents the main melody. Pianist José Torres and bassist Gerardo Chacón play a polyrhythmic series of chordal hits as a background behind quick solos from Urbina, Marquez, and bongocero Cheo Navarro. Quijada energetically improvises through a series of pregónes before the percussionists are once again featured, this time more extensively. A strong coro moves into a rhythmic mambo to open “Mueve” before moving into the vocal melody from Quijada. A long break transitions into Quijada’s vocal improvisation, delivered over a lively rhythm section. The band breaks down into a more spacious feel for violinist Alí Bello’s extended solo, full of traditional lines. A long chromatic fall resolves into a quotation of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Salt Peanuts” and a short solo from Naranjo to open the high energy “Caramelo.” Quijada and the coro present the body of the song before the rhythm section engages in a call and response of intricate lines and coro. A clever mambo that includes a variation upon the melody of Gillespie’s “Manteca” breaks Quijada’s consistently strong prégones. Trumpeter Javier Vivas brings the song to a close with a strong statement over a foundation once again built upon “Manteca.” Each song fully integrates the vocalist, creating an energetic connection that includes the improvisatory nature of jazz and the appeal of dance music.

Intoxicating Salsa With An Underlying Jazz Aesthetic
Some pieces move into a purely salsa category, but maintain the looseness of a descarga, giving them an intoxicating dance vibe. Gil’s soprano sax introduces “Baila” with a smooth sound, moving into a subdued rhythm section behind the main song. A breakdown behind the coro helps build into an intensive sound for the vocal feature. The band creates an interesting interlude with short solos from Vivas, Gil, and Naranjo, and then a mambo based upon a staggering montuno. Quijada sings a call and response with the coro over rumba clave to introduce “Ella.” As he sings the main song, the band interacts with smart melodic writing, complex rhythm section accents, and brief feel changes. The band breaks down behind the coro, building back into a strong forward motion behind Quijada’s improvisation. A standard mambo opens “Cómprame mi disco,” giving way to a coro and eventually Quijada. The lyrics present a dry wit that asks the listener to buy the CD instead of finding a pirated copy, which gives Quijada plenty of fuel for vocal improvisations. The band silences the dynamic behind Naranjo’s solo, exposing a bluesy melodicism that reveals traditional jazz influences. Quijada briefly scats over the introduction to “Payaso,” backed by clever rhythm section writing. After the main song, the wind players present a series of hits for each percussionist to play a short solo before Quijada sings strong prégones. Each of these pieces bring a strong dance feel to the album, but their extensive inclusion of improvisation maintains a close connection to jazz.

Balancing Feedom and Arrangements
Naranjo moves between jazz and dance aesthetics fluidly on Y El Guajeo, developing tight arrangements driven by improvisatory performances. The compositions reflect a unique voice comfortable both in the jazz and salsa worlds. The album harmonically moves between simple dance chord changes and quick infusions of jazz harmony. The melodies contain both standard coros and extensive chromatic writing in the winds. The arrangements connect this broad stylistic palette with a smart and intensive rhythmic approach. Although each song contains carefully arranged parts, they never overwhelm the improvisatory aesthetic. The rhythm section provides continuous momentum, interacting with arrangements through intricately connected breaks while charging their performance with improvised embellishments. The musicians perform each song enthusiastically, infusing the album with a distinct personality. In the end, Naranjo finds the best of both the jazz and dance worlds, creating an exciting blend that brings together freedom and arrangement into an irresistible recording.

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