The Spotlight Series highlights upcoming Latin Jazz musicians that have yet to reach national recognition. Many of these musicians thrive in local scenes and some tour in support of releases. All these musicians contribute greatly to the overall Latin Jazz scene, and they deserve our “spotlighted” attention.

We often offer basic explanations to describe Latin Jazz, but in reality, most of them don’t really do the music justice - the style’s diverse background simply escapes definition. The music’s Latin influences incorporate a variety of genres from all across the Caribbean and South America, touching upon far too many cultural traditions to fit upon a quick list. Jazz performance approaches can range from the quick complex chord changes of bebop to the hard-edged rock sound of fusion or the wandering explorations of free jazz. Many performers need to simplify their vision of the style in order to develop a focused sound, placing their emphasis around one Latin style or a single jazz performance aesthetic. The resultant sound becomes easily identifiable and quickly accessible, making a connection with an audience and group of musicians. Other musicians look beyond the comfort zone of an individual approach and freely explore the relationships between different traditions, engaging in a challenging stylistic interplay. They travel through risky artistic territory here, taking a chance upon a broad reaching musical concept that could potentially end in a nonsensical and confusing musical mess. These musicians rely upon a deep knowledge of the given styles, a keenly insightful, thorough, and complete compositional style, as well as a skillful and diverse group of performers. When all these factors are not intact, the project sounds sloppy; yet an artist that pulls these elements together develops an outstanding artistic voice with a broad worldview. Drummer and composer Mark Holen and his group Zambomba successfully bring several influences together on Three Gold Coins, presenting a musical concept that walks between a number of Latin styles while integrating several aspects of jazz performance.

Mixing Cuban Influences With Other Traditions
Holen uses Cuban influences as a starting point on several pieces, cleverly creating diverse improvisational structures by infusing his compositions with rhythms from Columbia and Mexico. Holen and percussionist Rex Benincasa travel through a long and complex unison break with short dips into a son monutno groove on “Swing’n With Some BBQ” before the wind players jump into a contagious melody over a cumbia groove. Saxophonist Andy Drelles riffs around the cumbia’s addictive rhythmic momentum before spinning long jazz influenced lines across the changes. The rhythm section makes an abrupt switch into a son montuno rhythm behind Tom Murray’s flute solo, pushing him into a sharp statement, full of quick bits of emphasis. Holen leans a Cuban danzon rhythm more towards Mexican performance aesthetic with a deep snare drum, claves and a thickly orchestrated dramatic melodic reading on “Por los Aires de Veracruz.” A subtle percussion break leads Murray into an energetic alto saxophone solo over a driving son montuno rhythm until he cleverly navigates over the group back into a danzon foundation. The rich tone of vibraphonist Mike Freeman’s instrument adds an engaging element to his finely constructed solo which transitions into a flute solo from Drelles, brimming with bits of tension. Murray, Drelles, and Freeman wind through intertwining lines as Holen and Benincasa supply a ferocious mozabique groove on “Flute’n the Mozambique,” creating a potent contrast with a detour into bolero. Murray stands out against the groove with long pure tones before moving into a more active part over the bolero until he cuts loose on the band’s return to Mozambique. Freeman breaks away from a moving montuno, jumping into a smartly constructed improvisation that makes the most of the form before Drelles tears through a thoroughly engaging improvisation. These pieces make a connection to the greater Latin Jazz world by integrating Cuban rhythms, but the inclusion of additional rhythmic styles provide an interesting twist.

Stepping Into A Broad View Of Latin Jazz
Holen continues his broad view of the Latin Jazz world with the addition of more Latin genres, most notably leaning towards the music of Spain. Holen and Benincasa establish a sparse groove over flamenco style handclaps, setting up a short but creative drum improvisation on “Los Contertulios” which leads into a dramatic melody that once again recalls flamenco. Bassist John Loehrke leaps into a brief improvisation over the drummers, until the band crashes into a full texture behind Drelles’ flute, eventually falling into a swing rhythm. After a short interlude, Loehrke returns with an improvisation over the drummers before Murray leaps into his solo with a bluesy swagger. Murray, Drelles, and Freeman layer their entrances, building into a catchy and cleverly arranged melody that features all the musicians equally over an up-beat Brazilian samba on “Three Gold Coins.” Murray and Drelles both offer energetic improvisations that reflect the song’s inherent momentum, running pleasant major tinged melodies over the rhythm section’s bubbling foundation. Freeman pulls out the attention grabbing solo here, offsetting the major tonality with inherent tension from the syncopated rhythmic structure. Handclaps outline a Spanish buleria while Freeman, Murray, and Drelles play cleverly composed lines on “Me Suena Albéniz” before falling into a melody that slyly walks the line between a jazz waltz and a Spanish-tinged structure. Holen implies a rhythmic flexibility behind Freeman, following his smartly constructed solo until finally pushing the group fully into a 3/4 swing at the climax of the improvisation. Drelles reflects the song’s inherent rhythmic tension with an energetic solo that drives the rhythm section into Murray’s assertively developed and bop tinged improvisation. These songs show the broad range of Holen’s concept, stepping outside the standard comfort zone of Latin Jazz styles and defining a unique compositional approach in his work.

Broad Compositional Strokes Over Swing Pieces
Holen draws broad compositional strokes with his pieces based upon swing, infusing traditional jazz with abrupt feel changes, free tendencies, and inner meaning. The wind players ease through a catchy theme over Holen’s relaxed swing groove on “The Last in Line” before a series of explosive band hits sends the band screaming into a ferocious double time melody. Freeman flies into his improvisation with an inspired vigor, tearing through the changes with racing lines until Drelles creates an album highlight statement with a ferocious bass clarinet solo. A winding interlude guides the band towards a free improvisation, infusing the piece with a sense of chaos that wraps around a funk groove and eventually sends the group back towards the original feel. There’s a feel of somber introspection as the band floats over a slow swing rhythm and a bolero on “Mirage,” a piece reflecting upon the massive impact of the war in Iraq. A swaying free improvisation bursts into an up-tempo swing for Drelles’ bass clarinet improvisation, which resonates with a classic swing sensibility and the deep rich tone of his instrument. Freeman’s vibes shimmer over a free backdrop before jumping into a more traditional setting and quickly handing the spotlight over to Murray’s finely crafted flute solo. These tracks attach Holen to the traditional jazz world, but they also shed light on the integrity of his compositional approach, which stays firmly in tact through his stylistic shifts.

Escaping Definition With A Broad Musical Experience
The broad mixture of styles and performance approaches escape definition throughout Three Gold Coins, delivering a broad musical experience that travels through many Latin influences and jazz styles. Holen’s compositional ingenuity provides the anchor throughout the album, fluidly linking styles while providing interesting structures that inspire stirring improvisations. The pieces that dive into Spanish traditions provide an extra bit of depth to the set, moving into rarely explored territory for the Latin Jazz world. He follows each style’s established traditions with a knowledgeable respect, but never falls into a strict obedience to history. Holen’s original melodies and jazz harmonies drive the pieces while the Latin elements remain naturally entangled into each song’s compositional foundation. The musicians display a strong connection to Holen’s concept, contributing engaging performances that bring the compositions to life. Freeman stands out as a defined improvisational voice and a powerful accompanist, often pushing the group to new heights. Drelles brings a noticeably inspired series of improvisations into the album, sounding especially strong on bass clarinet. The group stays true to the roots of each style that they visit, but there’s a flexible performance aesthetic that drives the musicians, providing ample open space for improvisation. Much of this flexibility comes from Holen’s ability to lead with an openly interactive voice behind the drum kit while maintaining an unquestionable sense of direction and form. The music found on Three Gold Coins can’t be easily placed in a box, but the strength of Holen’s compositional structures and the strong performances from the members of Zambomba solidify the concept, giving us a beautifully diverse and broad musical statement.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Spotlight: In The Zone, Mike Freeman
Spotlight: Un Systema Para Todo, Tumbao Bravo
Spotlight: Fantagious, Ritmo Masacote
Spotlight: Alone Together, Andy Nevala

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