Search - Saluzzi, Cox, Friedman :: Rios

A small masterpiece

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 05/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's something very special about this world-jazz album. For one thing, it displays unique sonorities--acoustic bass, marimba, and bandoneon. For another, it's both exotic and friendly at the same time. The Argentinian Dino Saluzzi, certainly the reigning bandoneon player (also called a sanfona and in the accordian family), makes perhaps the most distinct contribution. He is a player of very refined sensibilities, and his many albums as leader on ECM are also certainly worth checking out.David Friedman has a distinct approach to the marimba, often going for its most percussive effects, which fits in perfectly in this exotic setting. Anthony Cox on acoustic bass brings a deep understanding of both jazz and world music, and is the perfect partner for these other remarkable players. His playing shines throughout, but especially on "Sketch #1," where he displays some very deft and remarkable double-stop technique.What does it sound like? I can think of no direct referents, except perhaps that it shares a sensibility not unrelated to Saluzzi's two most recent ECM releases, Cite de la Musique and Responsorium, in that all share a profoundly South American outlook, a delicacy and refinement similar to but still distinct from chamber jazz. Throughout there's a wonderful, easy flowing groove, linked with some kind of strange almost nostalgia vibe, that never fails to evoke in me the most heartfelt sense of sehnsucht, longing.A companion disc, Other Worlds, featuring both Cox and Friedman, is nearly as good. Jean-Louis Martinier, a player new to me, replaces Saluzzi on accordion, and just a little of the magic is lost. But it's still a very fine disc, and if you fall in love with Rios, as I did, you'll want the other one too."

Listen to flowing seamless music

arroyo | Graton, CA United States | 05/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a unique album, it brings together the bass, marimba, and bandoneon in a seamless and effortless manner. I haven't heard sounds like this anywhere else. The music just flows. It is hard to classify these sounds - I suppose that many find this as World Music, anything with Saluzzi has chamber tango overtones. Anthony Cox is a world class bass player, and he has played on other fine albums, such as X-Men, with Andrew Cyrille and James Newton, that explore new sounds in jazz. This is an album of interesting explorations in South American music. This music will transport you, it is "mood music" in the very best sense of that term. It is well worth your time and money."