Simpatico
Claudio Roditi
Resonance Records
Latin Jazz composition is a tricky prospect that requires a mature musical mind and a refined set of technical skills. On it’s most basic level, writing a Latin Jazz piece can be a snap; an artist simply needs to throw a melody over some chord changes and put a Caribbean or South American rhythm underneath it. This generic approach might serve as a good start, but it generally yields stylistically awkward and aesthetically unpleasing results. The composer needs a fundamental understanding of the rhythmic structures connected to their song; whether they are writing around the clave or connecting to an upbeat samba, the melody, harmony and rhythm need to align. Once they create stylistic coherence between all the different pieces of the song, detailed rhythm section writing pushes the song into another level of interest. The incorporation of percussion breaks, textural changes, and distinctive bass variations all give the piece a more articulate sound. From there, the composer needs to make an important choice that probably requires the most artistic vision – focus the writing even more closely or step away and leave ample space for musical embellishment. Latin Jazz involves collaborative spontaneous creation; the more that a composer wants to capture this element, the more that they need to trust their musicians. It’s a heavy set of requirements that demand a musician with a clear concept. Trumpet player Claudio Roditi shares his clear and mature artistic vision on Simpatico, a collection of smart compositions that combine Brazilian music, straight ahead jazz, and more.

Digging Into A Classic Brazilian Jazz Sound
Roditi digs into a classic Brazilian Jazz sound on several tracks, reflecting a direction that has been a hallmark of his career. Trombonist Michael Dease and Roditi bounce through the groove with a lively melody on “Spring Samba” pushed ahead with a steady propulsion from the rhythm section. Roditi mixes long lyrical phrases and quick streams of notes into an appealing statement, while Dease moves his trombone through the chord changes with impressive dexterity. The band brings down the dynamic for an enthusiastically executed solo from pianist Helio Alves, full of syncopated ideas and boppish licks, before moving into a colorful drum solo from Duduka da Fonseca. Guitarist Romero Lubambo maintains an active comping pattern while Roditi presents the melody on “Vida Nova,” until the full rhythm section enters, pushing into an attention grabbing improvisation from Alves. Roditi weaves his flugelhorn through the upbeat samba groove, starting with thoughtful ideas and building into racing streams of notes. Lubambo charges into an energetic statement, running melodically interesting and artistically engaging lines into a head turning climax. Alves and Lubambo float through a unison series of arpeggios, introducing a subdued melody over a medium tempo samba rhythm on “How Intensive.” Roditi cleverly builds a strong solo based upon a combination of short sharp rhythmic ideas and hard bop flourishes. Lubambo follows with an immediate energy, connecting extended phrases into a fiery statement that provokes response from da Fonseca. Roditi reflectively places an understated melody based upon a catchy repeated phrase over a driving groove on “Alberto And Daisy.” Riding off da Fonseca’s spontaneous interaction, the rhythm section steadily builds into a ferocious inertia behind Roditi’s improvisation, keeping a quiet momentum behind Alves’s solo. The group comes down even more behind Lubambo’s strongly musical statement, growing back into a fiery drive as Roditi, Alves, and Lubambo trade ideas with da Fonseca. These pieces find Roditi and his band mates at home in a Brazilian Jazz setting, showing their strongly musical skills over original pieces.

Injecting A Serious Dose Of Swing
Roditi moves in a straight ahead jazz direction with a few compositions, injecting a serious dose of swing into his writing. Alves leaps into a soulfully bluesy introduction on “Piccolo Blues” until Roditi enters into a perfectly simply melody on piccolo trumpet. Roditi plays off the melody as he moves into a jazz fueled improvisation, flying through a mix of classic licks in the high range of his instrument. Alves blends the best qualities of a traditional swing pianist with flashes of modern improvisation ideas on a relaxed solo. Roditi quietly repeats a beautifully understated phrase on “A Dream For Kristen” while da Fonseca balances between swing and bossa nova with some fantastic brush work. The piece moves solidly into bossa nova as Lubambo creates a lush statement through the use of Wes Montgomery inspired chordal passages and smartly constructed lines. Electric bassist John Lee reveals a skill for melodic construction, as he weaves through the rich chord changes, leading into a strong solo from Roditi. A bold drum build-up sends the group into a swinging blues melody from Roditi and Dease on “Blues For Ronni.” Both Dease and Roditi stretch out across several choruses on their solos, inserting some enthusiastic and fiery momentum into their work. Alves follows their direction with a soulful improvisation, leading into a lyrical statement from Lee that explodes into a climatic exchange between Roditi and Dease. These songs reveal another side to Roditi’s work, firmly stating his credibility as a traditional jazz artist.

Integrating Decidedly Different Elements
Roditi integrates some decidedly different elements into his work on other pieces, allowing for a diverse mixture of music. A rich combination of string and orchestral winds blossom into a lush setting on “Slow Fire,” setting the stage for delicately handled melody from Roditi. As the strings fade into the background, Roditi creates a lyrical statement, building into a high point as the strings rise behind him once again. Alves carefully constructs a thoughtful statement over just the rhythm section and then comes down behind Lee, who weaves a sensitive melody over the symphonic background. Lubambo elegantly places arpeggiated figures over a swing waltz on “Waltz For Joana” until vocalist Holli Ross winds through a simply poignant lyric. Roditi tip toes through the waltz with an understated improvisation on muted trumpet, finding his way through the moving changes with grace and style. Alves plays upon the basic shape of the melody, stretching into an original thought before Lubambo slides through legato melodies in a calm and reflective solo. Roditi and Dease travel through an introspective melody in harmony on “Alfitude,” floating over an uncharacteristically down tempo groove. The trumpet player glides over an open and swishing bossa nova tinged rhythm, allowing him the space to improvise at his lyrical best. Dease follows Roditi’s lead with a slightly more active melodic solo, leading into a brief but memorable statement from Alves. These pieces explore a different side of Roditi’s compositional skills, letting him find his voice within a variety of textures.

A Defined Vision And A Lively Performance
Roditi’s compositions come to life throughout Simpatico, as a direct result of his defined vision and the lively performance of his musicians. His compositions reveal a clear preference for lyrical melodies, rich chord changes, and extensive improvisational freedom. Roditi writes straight forward melodies that always find their spot within the groove; whether the rhythm section charges through a samba or breezes through a swing, his melodic content always reflects the stylistic basis. At the same time, he favors memorable lines that filter into the listener through repetition. His thick harmonies always provide great foundations for improvisation, mixing Roditi’s connection to classic bossa nova chord changes and boppish complexity. His pieces leave plenty of room for improvisation, which makes perfect sense – Roditi improvises with an effortless ease, creating statements that range from reflective thoughts to fiery rampages. He surrounds himself with like-minded musicians that help bring spontaneity to the forefront. Alves matches Roditi’s passion for improvisation, improvising and comping with keen insight, while da Fonseca prods and provokes the soloists with interactive intensity. Lubambo stands as a model of tastefully exciting playing and Lee presents a uniquely melodic voice on the bass. Roditi pulls all the pieces together on Simpatico, allowing him to present a strong picture of his compositional skills.

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