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.

The Sonido Moderno Project
Coto Pincheira
When a Latin Jazz artist decides to incorporate a fusion approach into their writing, they risk bearing the heavy weight of the style. Many influential figures have paved the way for incredible fusion from jazz icons Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea to the Latin Jazz fusion band Irakere. These artists created deep musical statements that displayed vision, style, and a distinctly modern outlook. These works proved the potential behind the genre and warranted future explorations into the crossroads between jazz and rock. On the other hand, many more artists chose the lowest common denominator between jazz and funk, throwing well-known blues licks over a two-chord vamp and a funk drum beat. In many cases, these artists found more commercial success and built fusion’s often-questionable reputation. As a result, audiences often expect any attempt at fusion to offer something funky and easily accessible. While this path may push the musician towards mass appeal, the lack of content always provides drab artistic results. An artist that hopes to combine Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz harmony, improvisation, and funk aesthetics needs to draw inspiration from the more meaningful fusion works. Pianist Coto Pincheira takes this challenge and delivers an incredible ride between all these styles on The Sonido Moderno Project.

Displaying A Funky Fusion Edge
On several tracks, Pincheira proudly displays a funky fusion edge while staying firmly connected to Afro-Cuban styles. Pincheira’s massively funky synthesizer line sets the tone on “A Chileno En La Habana” making way for a bluesy melody filled with rhythmic displacements and sharp dynamic turns. The writing avoids the jam band mentality though, as Pincheira carefully combines complex feel changes, intricate lines, and bursts of improvisation from trumpet player Mike Olmos. The rhythm section quiets to a bubbling funk groove as Pincheira mixes a Herbie Hancock influence with calve driven phrasing, building an interesting idea as the rhythm section bursts into a son montuno. Dave McNab’s crisp distorted guitar aggressively cuts over the funky groove on “Positive Influences” as Pincheira’s 80s synth sound recalls the bands of Chick Corea and Scott Henderson. The rhythm section charges into a stuttering Tower of Power style Latin funk behind McNab, who blends a jazz sensibility with driving assertive rock energy. A drastic musical shift sends the rhythm section into a traditional jazz swing, as Pincheira runs rapid lines across the piano with splashes of modern harmony. A searing unison lick sends the rhythm section into a jagged groove on “Modern Sound Project” while the wind players place a powerful melody over shifting time signatures. Pincheira’s writing takes advantage of striking contrasts, creating a long composition over a half time funk feel, an up-tempo songo, and funk elements. As the rhythm section quiets into a sparse Latin feel, Pincheira takes his time developing simple ideas into long lines and tense rhythms. These pieces find Pincheira indulging in funk while maintaining his musicality and connection to Afro-Cuban music with solid compositions.

Offering A Softer Side
On two songs, Pincheira provides some contrast by offering a softer, more reflective musical personality. The group displays a dramatic air of intensity as they move carefully into “Wendy’s Ballad.” Pincheira paints a stunning melodic picture, phrasing with a thoughtful shape and a rich palette of harmonic colors. The pianist maintains a focused musicality throughout his improvisation, holding the spotlight with a transparent strength that reveals a deep artistic personality. Flautist Miguel Martinez and violinist Alfredo de la Fe travel through an elegant danzon with modern edges from the rhythm section and an explosive leap into Afro-Cuban 6/8 on “Danzon Para Una Noche.” As the band moves into a cha cha cha section, Martinez jumps into a solo that blends tradition with his enthusiastic personality until Pincheira winds introspective jazz lines over the driving groove. After a quick mambo, de la Fe tears through a powerful statement filled with sharp rhythmic accents, leading into a tastefully constructed timbale improvisation from master percussionist Orestes Vilato. Pincheira displays essential depth on these tracks, showing that his skills move beyond the groove.

Making A Connection To Modern Latin Jazz Approaches
Pincheira expands upon his fusion concept with several pieces that make a connection to modern Latin Jazz approaches. An extended percussion break from drummer Colin Douglas and conguero Silvestre Martinez leads into a ferocious son montuno groove and a winding melody on “Tribute To A Generation.” Olmos adds equal doses of creative jazz thought and fiery runs into his statement, followed by a steadily simmering collection of screaming phrases from saxophonist Sheldon Brown. The band lowers the dynamic behind Pincheira, allowing him to build his idea into a choppy ostinato pattern behind Martinez’s improvisation. A funky vamp from Pincheira’s synthesizer rides over a guaguanco on “Original Steps,” leading into an understated melody from Brown. The rhythm section hits a heavy groove behind Olmos, who conjures images of Miles with his clever phrasing and alternation between a Harmon mute and open sound. Pincheira slowly leads his synthesizer into his solo, placing short licks over a modern guaguanco, and eventually extending his ideas into long lines and more complex rhythmic figures. The rhythm section bursts into an assertive groove on “Suite 301,” while the wind players attack an angular melody with rhythmic precision. The full texture suddenly falls into a sea of bata drums behind Brown, who twists long streams of notes around the 6/8 feel with a quiet intensity. After a mambo over the original vamp, the rhythm section leaps into a son montuno behind Pincheira’s energetic extended improvisation before creating a funky vamp for a solo from Douglas. These songs validate Pincheira’s Latin Jazz credentials, revealing a deep study and thorough knowledge of Afro-Cuban styles and their relationship to jazz.

A Distinctly Modern Sound
Pincheira produces music with depth, artistry, and soul on The Sonido Moderno Project, creating a unique fusion that respectfully ties together several worlds. Pincheira’s writing holds the key to the album’s success; each piece works around a complex form, a detailed melody, and well-constructed harmonies. There’s a healthy dose of funk throughout the album, but it never overshadows Pincheira’s relationship to Afro-Cuban music. Instead, it makes this connection stronger as the pianist leans more towards a timba concept of funk rather than an American conception. While traces of Hancock and Corea filter through Pincheira’s work at times, he draws a heavier influence from groups like Irakere and Mezcla. Pincheira includes an amazing amount of diversity in his writing, switching between styles and genres, sometimes very quickly. The rhythm section handles the music’s shifting feels with ease, plowing through the music’s technical demands without sacrificing the overall feel. At every turn, the musicians provide an impressive performance that displays conviction and belief in Pincheira’s music. There’s a definite connection to fusion on The Sonido Moderno Project, but boxing Pincheira’s music into that classification limits its potential; it’s a broad look at the inherent possibilities when a musician takes an honest look at modern jazz styles.

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Spotlight: Para Los Engreidos, Manante
Spotlight: Punto De Vista (Viewpoint), Frank Villafañe

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