Moisés P Sanchez Dedication II Mora Barrueta Miguel Vercher Arranz - DMCHR71445 - Jazz

The Spanish pianist, composer and producer Moisés P. Sánchez is a true jack of all trades. The self-taught artist has already made, composed or produced a wide variety of music in his life including symphonic prog-rock, as it was en vogue in the 70s, as well as classical and contemporary music. These influences all flow into his kind of jazz. In recent years, Sánchez has reinterpreted Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps", composed a symphonic work for the Spanish National Ballet based on the Elektra myth, and his album "Metamorfosis" won the Spanish prize for the best jazz album of the year in 2017. As a producer of the Dominican merengue star Eddy Herrera – he has also worked for Shakira, Pitbull and Johnny Ventura among others – he was awarded two Grammys in 2020. His new album "Dedication II" is an expansive affair (nine long songs provide a playing time of 73 minutes) and covers a lot of musical landscapes. Chick Corea once said that he made music to make people happy, and Moisés P. Sánchez can certainly concur with this viewpoint. And "Dedication II" – the first "Dedication" album was released with the same line-up – is a bit reminiscent of the music of Chick Corea, who was open to the most diverse influences. In addition to Sánchez, the band includes tenor saxophonist and bass clarinetist Javier Vercher, bassist Toño Miguel, drummer Borja Barrueta and singer Cristina Mora. "I have been working with Cristina for almost ten years," Sánchez said, "and I have known her music for a long time. She gets along well with the other musicians and that is very important, because her voice is like an additional instrument. I like that very much." Mora can be heard on the title track, with more than twelve minutes the longest piece of the album, as well as on the mysterious "Melancolía". However, the album starts with the exciting "Dodecatónico". The fast-paced piano motif is immediately taken up by Barrueta, before a heavy bass by Miguel and delicate sound cascades by Vercher join in. This brings back memories of a time when fusion was still called jazz rock and bands such as Return to Forever, Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra not only dominated jazz, but were also regularly high up in the charts. And yet the mood of "Dodecatónico" is not nostalgic. Sinister passages, clubby rhythms and zappaesque breaks make the eleven-minute tour de force a trip that only fits into the present; there is also time for a furious tenor solo by Vercher. "Good Thoughts, Right Actions?" (you can hear Maria Arranz as a guest at glockenspiel, marimba and gongs here) begins as a chamber musical journey through pastoral soundscapes, which are repeatedly interrupted by great, solid straight-ahead passages, which eventually take over the direction of the piece. It is a pleasure to hear how closely the five musicians are interlinked here. "Dedication II" is an album that you desperately want to be brought to the stage. A tour through Germany by Moisés P. Sánchez and his band is already planned. "Germany is a great country for my music," the pianist stated. "There are so many great musicians and bands in Germany, and I find the marimba, audience to be very attentive. I have been to Berlin a few times and have always enjoyed it very much."