2005年に権威あるモントルー・ジャズ・ピアノ・コンクールで優勝して以来、20年間に渡ってジャズ界のみならず世界的な人気を着実に獲得しているピアニスト/作曲家のHarold Lopez-NussaのBlue Noteデビュー・アルバム。

ロペス=ヌッサは、これまでに9枚のアルバムをリリースし、著名な会場やジャズフェスティバルでのスリリングなパフォーマンスで世界中の聴衆を魅了していた。キューバ・ハバナの音楽一家に生まれた彼の音楽は、クラシック、フォークロア、ポピュラーといった要素の独特の組み合わせや、即興演奏の受け入れなど、キューバ音楽の伝統のあらゆる範囲と豊かさを反映している。本作はロペス=ヌッサがキューバの故郷を離れ、フランスで新しい生活を始めるという最近の決断に触発され、喜びと哀愁に満ちた生き生きとしたアルバムとして、キャリアの節目を迎えることになった。プロデュースはSNARKY PUPPYのマイケル・リーグが担当!ダイナミックな新曲10曲を収録し、ハーモニカの名手グレゴワール・マレ、ベースのルークス・カーティス、コンガのバルバロ"マチート"クレスポ、ハロルドの弟ルイ・アドリアン・ロペス=ヌッサがドラムを担当している。

発売・販売元 提供資料 （2023/06/09）

The release of Timba a la Americana marks several important firsts for Cuban-born pianist/composer Harold Lopez-Nussa. For starters, its his Blue Note leader debut. Second, it is his first album since emigrating from his homeland to southern France. It marks his freshman collaboration with producer -- and Snarky Puppy bassist/founder -- Michael League and his first to include electric instruments and keyboards. The latter cannot be overstated; League provided Lopez-Nussa with the freedom to experiment with forms, instruments, rhythms, and genres. The pianist strongly desired to abandon conventional wisdom and unofficial "rules" about Latin jazz that have existed since the 1950s. Their methodology for doing so started at the beginning: They sought new settings and patterns for claves, the rhythm sticks that offer Cuban musics heartbeat. The band on the session includes harmonicist Gregoire Maret, brother Ruy Adrian Lopez-Nussa on drums, bassist Luques Curtis, and percussionist Barbaro "Machito" Crespo. Set opener "Funky" is a hard-driving Latin jazz dance track. The interlocking montuno runs and percussion groove percolate as Marets chromatic harmonica delivers an elegant melody thats equal parts Havana and Paris. Drums and percussion engage the pianist in his fleet, lyric solo. The architecture is filled out when he adds an electric Fender Rhodes piano to back his acoustic instrument and League plays two different synths. "Cake a la Moda" commences with the vocal chant of "mambo" as a stately version of the dance. Maret plays graceful bolero melodies on chromatic and bass harmonicas, while the pianist adds Rhodes in both harmonic and rhythmic capacities, and League helms a pulsing ARP synth as percussionists work a drum kit and congas. The balladic first half is elegant and graceful, while the latter halfs polyrhythms are tricky, but Curtis is a solid anchor, interpreting rhythm and harmony for his bandmates. Further, Lopez-Nussas seamless solo and meaty comps evoke the spirit, vision, and technical dexterity of Joe Zawinul in his solo. Leagues "Rat-A-Tat" joins descarga and timba to post-bop and even prog-rock, offering listeners a muscular workout from the sextet. The producer also composed the proceeding "Conga a la Americana," which weaves imaginatively polyrhythmic salsa through Latinized hard bop and modern creative jazz. "Tumba la Timba" furiously telegraphs staccato piano notes in the intro before evolving into an uptempo Latin groover with wonderfully knotty yet seamless soloing from Maret, while League adds Moog and Mellotron, framing the percussionists. "Terra Mia" was composed by his pianist father, Ernan Lopez-Nussa, and offers smoking, chanted chorus vocals from the pianist and his sibling, League, and Crespo, who employs four percussion instruments, including shekere. Lopez-Nussas "Hope" closes the set on an astonishing note as he weaves together gospel, New Orleans R&B, timba, and cha-cha in joyous piano vamps as Maret and the percussionists flow around him. Timba a la Americana is Lopez-Nussas tenth album and arguably his very best. It offers depth, heady creative ambition and multiple musical dimensions. It is at once forward-thinking and resonant -- culturally, emotionally, and historically. ~ Thom Jurek

Rovi