Sepulveda Boulevard
Charlie Sepulveda & The Turnaround
Turnaround Records
At one time, the inherent excitement of a jazz performance arose from the telepathic communication between band members that had several years of shared experiences; today the long term working unit has become a thing of the past, an unfortunate statistic in the modern jazz community. A group that stays together over several years reaps many artistic benefits though, building upon the spontaneous and ever-evolving character of the music. A long-term group unity leads to the steady evolution of each band member, allowing them to grow into mature artists. They build a sense of trust and acceptance that leads to experimentation and risk-taking. As these musicians test their skills, they gain rare artistic insights that inspire them to new heights and eventually shape their individual musical personalities. They get opportunities to compose and arrange, asserting themselves conceptually with bigger, bolder, and more complete musical ideas. The band members can hear their compositions performed and make changes over the course of several gigs. The group becomes a workshop for new ideas with a steady and reliable membership. While the band members need to commit to a long-term obligation and open themselves to growth, much of the responsibility for a successful environment falls upon the bandleader. This individual needs to look at the experience as a group expression, not just a solo project infused with strong sidemen. They need to allow their musicians to shape the repertoire and they need to openly let the group’s character change over time. Most importantly, the bandleader must know when to step aside and let their sidemen take the spotlight. Trumpet player Charlie Sepulveda and his group The Turnaround display the benefits of a long-term musical relationship on Sepulveda Boulevard, their second release as a unit filled with strong and diverse Latin Jazz expressions.

Tracks That Reflect Ortiz, Sepulveda, And His Influences
Several tracks emanate from the wind players in the band, displaying their musical perspectives and artistic influences. Special guest Christian Nieves adds a distinctly Puerto Rican flavor with an unaccompanied cuatro introduction on Sepulveda’s “Amigos Del Pincel” before the rhythm section bursts into a driving plena behind a catchy melody. Saxophone player Norberto “Tiko” Ortiz builds from a quiet entrance into a winding stream of notes on his improvisation, until Sepulveda asserts a commanding presence with clearly defined rhythmic ideas and logical development. Nieves walks the line between traditional cuatro phrases and a more guitaristic approach, building into a steady vamp that allows for an exciting improvisatory exchange between drum kit player Raúl Maldonado and percussionist Gadwin Vargas. Bassist Gabriel Rodriguez introduces a standard bass line over layers of textured keyboards on Freddie Hubbard’s “Skydive” before Sepulveda and Ortiz slide into an understated reading of the classic melody. Sepulveda pays tribute to one of his influences with an improvisation focused on introspective melodicism that slowly builds into a smoldering climax. Ortiz takes a more aggressive approach, driving rapid streams of notes through the rich synthesized foundation until the band quiets for an improvisation from Rodriguez who finds an appealing balance between technical virtuosity and melodic construction. Pianist Eduardo Zayas and Rodriguez firmly establish a strong vamp while Maldonado and Vargas introduce the groove with rapid-fire breaks on the Ortiz composition “Sepulveda Boulevard, ” which opens into a broad melody. Ortiz pushes against the song’s inherent tension with sharp rhythmic accents and long bop fueled streams of notes, leading into a smartly constructed solo from Sepulveda that drives the group into a fiery climax. The rhythm section explodes into a double time swing behind Zayas’ improvisation, allowing him to display ample jazz chops before a return to the main vamp opens into a syncopated statement from Maldonado. These tracks bring compositional ideas from a horn player’s perspective into the forefront, allowing a better look at Sepulveda, his influences, and his Turnaround frontline partner Ortiz.

Zayas As Composer, Arranger, and Improviser
Sepulveda turns the reigns over to Zayas on several tracks, working the band through two of his arrangements and one original composition. Sepulveda displays a sensitive mastery of ballad phrasing and a pure tone on the melody of Jose “Pepe” Delgado’s “Tus Ojos” as the rhythm section quietly maintains a swing ballad feel. Zayas digs deep inside the changes with a colorful improvisation that shines with thoughtfully developed ideas, bluesy turns that imply an emotional edge, and a subtle yet effective connection with Rodriguez and Maldonado. The classic simplicity of Zayas’ arrangement makes this tune come alive, allowing a showcase for Sepulveda’s strong yet insightful sound as well as his own creative improvisation skills. Zayas & Rodriguez establish a dark and funky vamp over a cha cha cha groove on the pianist’s “Retrospective,” contrasted with explosive asides into a double time feel from the rhythm section. As the groove becomes increasingly funk based, Sepulveda recalls shades of Miles Davis’ late material with an ingenious muted solo until Ortiz works the rhythm section into a frenzy with screeching high notes and aggressive runs. After a brief interlude, Zayas crafts an attention grabbing statement that winds through chromatic runs outside the chordal structure, repeated rhythm ideas, and a contagious bluesy intensity. Zayas introduces Simon Madera’s “Mis Amores” with a dramatic unaccompanied solo that draws upon pieces of the melody while benefiting from his individual embellishments. As the full band enters, Sepulveda and Ortiz apply a focused intensity to a harmonized version of the melody that propels forward from the strength of the rhythm section parts. Zayas begins to fill behind the two wind players, carefully at first, before drawing his lines out into an unaccompanied closing statement that adds a bit of artistic symmetry with a reference to the melody and clever harmonization’s. These pieces provide a wonderful showcase for Zayas who proves to be an intelligent composer, an arranger with a gift for strikingly appropriate artistic choices, and a powerful improviser.

Compositions And Arrangements From Rodriguez And Maldonado
The rhythm section guides the band’s repertoire through several more songs, giving Rodriguez and Maldonado an opportunity to highlight their composing and arranging skills. Zayas immediately throws the rhythm section into high gear with an addictively grooving montuno on Rodriguez’s “Latinos,” inspiring the wind players to jump into a minor melody that charges over son montuno and bomba foundations. Ortiz grabs the song’s underlying energy and flies through an engaging improvisation before Zayas contrasts his momentum with spacious rhythm phrasing that creeps through the changes with an understated strength. The band adds a funky edge with a timba-fueled breakdown that leads into an explosive improvisation from Vargas and climaxes into a fiery soaring solo from Sepulveda, imbued with rhythmic tension. The wind players float over a loose cha cha cha groove with a gracefully simple melody on Maldonado’s “Melisa,” letting the song’s colorfully ethereal mood take center stage. Sepulveda opens his phrasing over this tune, stretching phrases with a laid-back pull, followed by Ortiz who starts with the same almost lazy feel but soon leaps into a more assertive forward motion. The rhythm section drops to a whisper as Rodriguez delivers an intriguing improvisatory ride, blending a modern sense of phrasing with a blazing set of chops and a keen yet sensitive melodic ear. The wind players stretch long notes over a static pedal tone on Rodriguez’s arrangement of the Joao Bosco & Aldir Blanc song “Dois Pra La, Dois Pra Ca” quickly charging the song with a bit of tension before guest vocalist Melisa Meléndez enters with the main melody. Meléndez travels through the lyrics with an intimate familiarity, interpreting the words with a charged sensuality that adds a captivatingly personal spirit to the song. Rodriguez colors the arrangement with rich yet unobtrusive horn parts, allowing Sepulveda a spot to trade improvised ideas with Meléndez’s scat singing at the song’s end. Both Maldonado and Rodriguez deliver strong composing and arranging contributions to the album, adding their own personal touch to the group’s diverse and interesting sound.

The Benefits Of An Extended Working Relationship
The benefits of an extended working relationship are apparent on Sepulveda Boulevard as Sepulveda and The Turnaround open their perspective onto a diverse Latin Jazz sound that integrates all their musical personalities. Sepulveda leads the group with a bold personality and an assertive performance approach, but he never overshadows his musicians. Instead he focuses upon solid musicianship and steady performance regardless of context. As a trumpet player, Sepulveda carries a sharp and precise attack, a rich tone, and an admirable technical command that allows him to execute a wide range of styles. He attacks improvisation with a solid jazz foundation and a comfortable familiarity in Cuban, Puerto Rican, funk, and swing contexts. His musical curiosity pushes him to make the most of each musical situation and he cleverly navigates through the album’s various tracks with an appealing zeal. Most importantly, Sepulveda understands the importance of letting his sidemen share the spotlight, and he takes several opportunities to let them shine as composers, arrangers, and improvisers. Zayas repeatedly delivers outstanding performances behind the piano while his compositions and arrangements signal the growth of a distinct and interesting musical personality. Ortiz arises as a powerful solo voice throughout the album, creating several memorable solos and his one turn as a composer begs for more original work. Rodriguez shines as both a strong soloist and accompanist, brimming with musicality and contributing two very diverse and interesting songs that complement the album nicely. From the broad group dynamic established within The Turnaround to Sepulveda’s firm and open band leading skills, Sepulveda Boulevard reveals the unit’s pronounced artistic progression, a path that will hopefully continue into many more future recordings.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
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