Italuba II
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez
Cacao Música
Bringing different genres together into an album greatly effects an audience’s perception of an artist. The styles that a musician brings into their artistic statement reflect their influences. By including multiple genres, the musician shares a greater piece of their background with the audience. They also command a higher respect by demonstrating their mastery of multiple musical approaches. At the same time, too many genres on an individual album confuse an audience and obscure the musician’s identity. The artist’s overall concept becomes questionable, and they run the risk of whitewashing the integrity of any one style. Drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez brings together a wide group of genres into Italuba II creating a diverse and at times overwhelming mix of styles.

A Command Over Latin Jazz
Several songs reflect Hernandez’s Cuban heritage by falling into the realm of Latin Jazz. Hernandez begins “Last Minute” with an unaccompanied drum solo before a series of band hits leads the group into melody driven by rumba clave. Trumpet player Amik Guerra Lig Long transitions directly into a solo full of syncopations that inspire energetic reactions from Hernandez. After an arranged interlude, pianist Iván Bridón Náploes builds from a spacious texture into a fiery improvisation that climaxes back into the melody. Daniel Martínez Izquierdo’s fretless bass exchanges smooth lines with Guerra on the introduction to “Te Prima.” A major melody floats over a funky pan-Caribbean feel, leading into a subdued solo from Nápoles. Martínez establishes a solid tumbao behind the improvisations, but even when Nápoles intersperses montunos behind Guerra’s improvisation, the clave remains obscure. An upbeat melody full of closely arranged rhythm section hits opens “Meridien,” a composition dedicated to Cuban saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera. Nápoles follows with a powerful statement that alternates between impressive bouts of virtuosity and engaging rhythmic ideas. Guerra emphasizes syncopated rhythms in his solo, developing his idea into a fluent and engaging statement. The rhythm section quickly moves between open chords, Cuban montunos, swing, and strong band hits behind a repetitive melody on “A Notice.” The band jumps into a funky interlude with vague exchanges, continuing a thread of somewhat disconnected ideas. They quiet for a solo from Nápoles that grows into Guerra’s improvisation. The band displays an overall knowledge and command over Latin Jazz, but their attempts to integrate other ideas into the style confuse their concept.

Contemporary Jazz With Open Songwriting Approaches
Some pieces bring elements of contemporary jazz into the forefront. A lilting swing waltz moves into a delicate melody, carefully interpreted by Guerra on “Afternoon at the Boulevard.” Nápoles utilizes a quiet yet firm approach in his improvisation, focusing on melodic development. Guerra’s flugelhorn softens his introspective solo, which unfortunately gets overpowered by busy rhythm section playing. Guerra’s upbeat attacks imply a reggae feel until he moves into an over extended melody on “Pati Metal.” A composed piano melody floats over long trumpet notes for a little too long, before Nápoles explores the open texture. Guerra returns to the melody, which continues to wander. The band opens “Deseo” with an intense feel which transitions into a smooth melody over a bossa nova filled with synthesizer patches. Guerra spins melodic lines over the bossa nova, leaning towards a Metheny influenced sound, until the band makes a quick turn into a strong Cuban feel. Nápoles continues with contemporary ideas and bluesy tinges, taking hold of the short salsa section with powerful syncopations. The band again shows a broad control over contemporary jazz styles, but open songwriting approaches and smooth leanings obscure their full potential.

Overwhelming Pop Influences
Other songs explore pop music influences, coming dangerously close to smooth jazz territory. Martínez’s slap bass playing dominates the funk feel on “Sentimiento en re-sol.” The band breaks the static harmony and loud rhythmic approach with a move into an Afro-Cuban 6/8 rhythm, which gives way to Guerra’s blues inflected solo over funk. Nápoles infuses his solo with angular melodic lines, leading back into the 6/8 rhythm and a series of band hits for Hernandez’s solo. An aggressive marimba line in 6/8 opens “Mr.” leading into an open section spotlighting Martínez’s fretless bass. While Martínez provides a lush melody, thick synthesizer sounds fill the background, creating a Yellowjackets inspired texture. The band moves back into 6/8, making way for honest and involved solos, before reintroducing the smooth approach. Hernandez uses brushes to create a funky drumbeat on “Distancia” while Nápoles provides a restrained keyboard foundation. Guerra jumps directly into a melodic improvisation, which meanders through most of the track. The rhythm section remains funky, but mostly in the background until Guerra enters the composed melody near the song’s end. The popular music influence overpowers these songs at most points, diluting jazz connections and sacrificing stylistic integrity.

Blinding Potential Blurred by Lack of Focus
Hernandez demonstrates an impressive mastery of multiple styles on Italuba II, but his genre jumping often blurs his overall concept. At times, so many elements from different styles are imposed upon each other that the band looses the initial reference points. Uneven songwriting contributes to this issue as well; wandering forms and melodies leave the band cold. The band’s performance holds the album together, with continuous displays of technical strength and solid musicianship. In a focused context, each of these musicians would shine as skilled artists with a powerful set of musical tools. A handful of the Latin Jazz tracks prove this issue; with a solid concept, these musicians can create exciting music. Hernandez’s credentials cannot be argued; he has proved himself an outstanding drummer in a variety of contexts over countless albums as a sideman. A focus upon a single musical approach would have resulted in a stronger album conceptually and helped balance the songwriting, showcasing the blinding potential inherent in this group.

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