Barriles de Bomba
Puertorican Folkloric Jazz
Jorge D. Rodriguez
Folkloric music and popular styles serve different functions in society so a crossroads between the two musical types can be a precarious spot. Folkloric music preserves traditions and culture while popular styles feed widespread, modern, and commercial tastes. This creates a conflict of interest; age-old ideals prevalent in folklore often don’t feed the commercially driven desires of a popular audience. Artists hoping to combine the two worlds often sacrifice the integrity of one approach, bending established traditions until they are unrecognizable. At that point, the artist moves away from both aesthetics, exploring completely new territories that often loose fans of both folkloric and popular styles. Musicians can find a balance between folklore and popular styles, but it requires in-depth knowledge of both aesthetics and a carefully planned musical approach. Puertorican Folkloric Jazz finds a concrete crossroads between the two worlds on Barriles de Bomba, engaging jazz and improvisation over a variety of folkloric bomba styles.

Mixing The Hoyo Mula With Different Improvisational Approaches
The group combines the hoyo mula rhythm with different styles and improvisational approaches on two tracks. Saxophonist Furito Rios introduces the main theme over a slow hoyo mula on “La Espera,” soon joined by the full rhythm section. After developing the melody fully, Rios takes his time building his improvisation from a spacious idea into a flurry of notes. A band break transitions into a complex piano ostinato and a double time feel which serves as a foundation for free blowing by the wind players. As the group moves back into the original feel, barril player Jerry Ferrao and drum kit player Pirulo Rosado both find space to improvise. A funky piano and bass pattern locks strongly into a seis corrido rhythm while the wind players storm through a ferocious melody on “Nota.” Rios attacks his improvisation with an aggressive intensity, running virtuosic lines over the groove. The band falls into a slow hoyo mula rhythm as a transition, quickly jumping back into the seis corrido feel for an impressive barril solo by Anibal “El Gato” Ayala. Trumpet player Piro Rodriguez, bass player Ricardo Rodriguez, and Rios all get chances to make strong statements before the song comes to a climatic close. The musicians demonstrate their overarching knowledge of bomba by using this lesser known style, and their creative application reveals a broad artistic vision.

Using The Holandes Rhythm To Create Powerful Arrangements
The group enthusiastically incorporates the holandes rhythm, playing upon the style’s syncopated rhythm to create powerful arrangements. Rios and Ricardo Rodriguez expose the funky side of bomba holandes on “Bailador” with an up-tempo groove complemented by a vibraphone montuno from Raúl Rodriguez. The driving melody makes a connection to dance music, broken by a stirring solo from Piro Rodriguez. A series of screaming high notes conclude Rodriguez’s solo as Rios grabs the groove and assertively wraps his ideas around it. The intensive montuno storms towards the song’s conclusion as Ferrao energetically creates a powerful barril statement. As the rhythm section provides a mysterious minor background, Raúl Rodriguez presents an unforgettable melody on “Rio De Janeiro.” An explosive band break leads into Rodriguez’s improvisation, giving him the opportunity to build interesting ideas through rhythmic tension. A piano and bass interlude bridges the drummers from sica to holandes, providing Rios with a new backdrop for his creative statement. The holandes rhythm provides inspirational jazz settings, fueling the band into a variety of energetic performances.

Clever Application of Several More Bomba Styles
The groups rounds out the album with clever applications of a variety of bomba styles from the popular sica to the lesser-known lero. Trumpet player Jose “Cheito” Quiñones carefully shapes a lush melody on “Perdoname” until the rhythm section pushes him into an up-tempo bomba sica. Quiñones improvises over several offset band hits, leading into a finely executed solo from pianist Luis Quevedo. Piro Rodriguez indulges in a long and exciting solo that combines quick runs, interesting rhythms, and some blistering high notes. Rios explores some improvisational possibilities until Quiñones returns with some engaging variations on the melody. A chorus introduces a folkloric melody over a lero rhythm on “Matilde,” complimented by lead vocals from Victor Velez. As the serene setting comes to a close, the band leaps into an up-tempo yuba for an intriguing solo from pianist Yan Carlos Artime, who mixes rhythmic ideas with rich arpeggiated chords. The coro returns for an energetic close as Velez intersperses vocal phrases and barril fills. Vibraphonist Raul Rodriguez and pianist Luis Quevedo play intertwine melodies, giving way to a rich texture behind Piro Rodriguez’s trumpet melody on “Rosa.” Quevedo stretches his ideas in a long improvisation that smartly explores color and texture, until bassist Ricardo Rodriguez presents a statement full of strong melodic development. The drummers explode into a double time sica as Rios twists the melody into several creative variations. The group displays depth and knowledge with its wide use of bomba styles, and these three tracks add another level of variety.

Revealing An Exciting Artistic Space
Puertorican Folkloric Jazz finds a comfortable balance between folkloric music and popular styles on Barriles de Bomba, exploring new territory while maintaining the integrity of both worlds. Their use of several bomba styles, ranging from the common to the rare, shows a deep connection to the genre. Their arrangements play upon traditional Latin Jazz approaches, but they revise rhythmic structures to specifically reflect the bomba foundation. They let the folkloric portion of the music guide the overall concept, giving the tradition weight and maintaining the music’s authentic basis. At the same time, the musicians indulge in jazz harmony and improvisation without regrets. Rios emerges as a particularly fiery soloist, while Piro Rodriguez shows class, style, and a distinctive voice throughout his improvisations. The percussion work shines on every track; the barriles powerfully drive the music at every turn and the soloists deftly mix traditional phrases with their own ideas. Puertorican Folkloric Jazz teaches a valuable lesson on Barriles de Bomba, showing that the crossroads between folklore and popular music doesn’t need to be problematic; with knowledge, respect, and creativity, it exists as an exciting artistic space that we should all visit more frequently.

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