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 Gardener
Darwin Noguera
Chicago Sessions
The younger generation of Latin Jazz musicians enters the field with an advantage over their elders, and in some ways, a bigger responsibility. History wrote itself before their emergence on the scene, and the work of their predecessors provides a large body of music to study. As they reflect upon the past, their current statements respond and react to their lessons, pointing towards new and original ideas. This give and take between past and present makes their music more diverse, varied, and at times, more sophisticated. They play upon the work of bebop musicians, but they also integrate the freedom and advanced harmony of modern jazz. Their use of Latin rhythms moves far beyond the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian genres, finding natural transitions into Peru, Argentina, Nicaragua, Colombia, and beyond. They base their work off a different aesthetic – the cultural mash-up of Latin rhythms, jazz harmonies, and popular music seems like a natural act that results in powerful music. All these advantages allow the young Latin Jazz musician to race into the future, but they can’t move ahead without remembering an important responsibility; each move into the future needs to reflect respectfully and intelligently upon the lessons of the past. Pianist Darwin Noguera and his Evolution Quintet maintains a balance between the lessons of the past and the advantages of the present on The Gardener, a spellbinding collection of performances that walk the line between traditional jazz, Peru, Nicaragua, and Argentina.

Dipping Into Music From Nicaragua And Argentina
Noguera covers a broad swatch of Latin Jazz territory on several pieces that integrate rhythms from Nicaragua and Argentina. A lively piano line twists around percussionist Juan Daniel Pastor’s cajon on “Aguas Quietas” as harmonica player Howard Levy places an upbeat melody over a Son-Nica rhythm. Levy and Noguera wrap their parts closely around the arrangement, providing a clever combination of lyrical grace and rich tonal colors. As Levy flies into an impressive improvisation, he winds virtuosic embellishments around the main melody with an enthusiastic vigor. The rhythm section creates a stately tango foundation as Levy provides a bold melodic statement on “Tango Astoroid” which grows into a powerful momentum with the help of trumpet player Victor Garcia and alto saxophonist Greg Ward. Drummer Ernie Adams bursts into a driving swing rhythm as Garcia leaps into a hard bop tinged solo with an even balance of introspective melodies and fiery flurries of notes. Levy tears through the swing rhythm with an attention grabbing improvisation that leads into a tango interlude and an engaging unaccompanied statement. A brief piano introduction leads Noguera into a Son-Nica rhythm on “Mamanicara,” before eloquently presenting a firm yet graceful melody over a creative arrangement. The rhythm section disappears as Noguera moves into his improvisation unaccompanied, building a beautiful and reflective statement that reveals a sensitive artistic presence. The rhythm section enters gradually behind Noguera, gaining momentum behind him until they reach a furious double time section that sends the pianist’s solo into an unforgettable climax. These songs demonstrate Noguera’s broad view of Latin Jazz, delivering an artistic approach that respectfully integrates traditional music from Nicaragua and Argentina while maintaining a serious jazz presence.

Deriving Inspiration From Peruvian Rhythms
Noguera reveals another side to his Latin Jazz concept with two pieces that derive inspiration from Peruvian rhythms. An angular and attention grabbing vamp send the rhythm section racing into “Señor Del Pozo” before Garcia and Ward wind an interesting melody around an up-tempo combination of festejo and swing. Garcia enters his improvisation with an intelligent melodic approach over a festejo rhythm until the rhythm section explodes into swing, pushing him towards aggressive streams of flying notes. Noguera follows with a smartly constructed improvisation that reveals well-studied jazz chops until bassist Joshua Ramos makes a rhythmic statement that burns with a percussive intensity. The rhythm section enters with an understated momentum on “Lejana Esperanza” as Ward thoughtfully places the melody over a lando rhythm. Noguera begins his improvisation with a reflective mood, eventually stretching phrases into an emotionally charged statement brimming with tension. The band quiets behind Ward, who carefully develops ideas utilizing plenty of space, expressive articulations, and a growing sense of dynamics. Noguera shows a strong connection to Peruvian music on these songs, delivering performances that creatively wrap jazz aesthetics around festejo and lando.

A Strong Connection To Traditional Jazz
Several tracks demonstrate Noguera’s strong connection to traditional jazz and his solid performance skills in the genre. Tenor saxophonist Rocky Yera, Ward, and Garcia delicately intertwine melodies over a spacious swing rhythm on “Izzy’s Lullaby” before Garcia takes the melodic lead. The melody blurs into Garcia’s solo, which builds momentum with a combination of lyrical phrases and short percussive jabs, instigating playful response from the rhythm section. Noguera plays around the music’s steady flow, building his ideas over the band’s interactive spirit until Yera dives into his statement with a commanding presence that calls distinctly upon the modern jazz language. As Noguera steadily provides a series of steady chords, Ramos states the melody with a quiet intensity on “Grace” before the pianist journeys through the song’s main theme with help from Ward. The rhythm section balances between a Latin tinge and an implied funky backbone behind Noguera who constructs an eloquent statement using bluesy phrases. Ward leaps into his solo with a soulful sound that travels through flashes of rapid runs and a rhythmic edge, delivering an emotion packed statement. A simple yet graceful vamp from Noguera provides the foundation for understated improvised lines from Garcia, Ward, and Yera, opening “Color De Tu Sonrisa” into a slowly simmering melody. Ward grabs his improvisation with a quiet intensity, using his expressive tone, masterful sense of dynamics, and wide range to construct an attention grabbing statement. A lushly arranged interlude leads into a statement from Noguera, who drives bold melodies through the rhythm section, building the song into a dramatic ending. These tracks display a different side of Noguera’s musicality, exposing a keen ability to step into the traditional jazz world while staying connected to a Latin foundation.

Proud Representatives Of The Latin Jazz World’s Next Generation
Noguera delivers a smart series of compositions and performances on The Gardener, filled with respectful references to a broad variety of genres. As a pianist, Noguera emergences as a significant young voice, ready to move into the future. He shapes melodies with the intelligent musicality and lush harmonic knowledge of a classically trained musician while improvising with the fearless passion of an experienced jazz artist. He skillfully moves between a prominent role as an improviser and the quietly supportive background role of an accompanist without dropping a beat. As a bandleader, Noguera smartly balances his own artistic presence with the contributions of his quintet. From compositions to solo time, Noguera shares the spotlight, letting the needs of the music take top priority. Garcia appears as a fiery and commanding improviser with the poignant ability to send the rhythm section into a screaming frenzy. Ward stands as a striking contrast to Garcia, making his own personal statement with a wide range of expressive articulations and almost vocal inflections. Levy integrates the harmonica with class and style on two tracks, finding a defined spot for his unique instrument among the ensemble. Noguera and the Evolution Quintet stand tall as proud representatives of the Latin Jazz world’s next generation on The Gardener, delivering an essential blend of modern savvy and lessons from the past.

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Spotlight: Three Gold Coins, Mark Holen’s Zambomba
Weekly Latin Jazz Video Fix: Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble
Spotlight: Para Los Engreidos, Manante
Supporting A Growing Latin Jazz Scene: The Jazz Institute Of Chicago

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