Personnel:
David Mengual (dir, comp), Álvar Monfort, Natsuko Sugao (tp, flh), Aram Montagut, Dario García (tb), Joan Mas, Miguel Villar, Gonzalo Levin, Jordi Santanach (reeds), Lina Lomanto, Toni Vaquer (p, org), Enric Peinado (g), Alex Reviriego (b), Josema Martín (d)
Reference: CDB013
Bar code: 8427328884754
BEST JAZZ ALBUM 2014 by ENDERROC Magazine
six big band suites arranged by Toni Vaquer
Tracklisting:
CD 1
Suite no1
01. Canicas 1:41
02. En Patufet i sa lletuga 2:06
03. LIra del Bosc 0:44
04. El Resumen 2:09
05. Guantanamo Cell Block nº34 3:01
Suite no2
06. La colònia de formigues 2:00
07. Dimonis fent foguerons 1:42
08. Cims escarpats 3:03
09. Com tu vulguis (Jordi Mestres) 1:41
Suite no3
10. Tomàtiga de ramellet 1:19
11. Teràpia no1 - Estrats Carabasses 1:09
12. Teràpia no2 - Miranda Post Nuclear
Sard Melody 3:11
13. Climbing the Robles Peak 3:30
13. Toni Melassa (Mengual) 5:21
14. Infant Out (Mengual) 1:00
CD 2
01. Infant In (Mengual) 1:12
Suite no4
02. Plaga de Ratas siguiendo
a flautista enfermo 3:21
03. Las crónicas de Saturno 5:38
04. Invisible Tune 2:01
05. Free Spirits Groove 2:46
Suite no5
06. Teo 2:25
07. La Tortuga Ferida (Mengual) 4:14
08. Iratxe (Mengual) 2:14
09. Perfréderic (Mengual) 3:19
Suite no6
10. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin) 2:09
11. Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin) 4:27
12. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin) 3:44
13. Bourrée en Mi Mineur (Bach) 0:30
14. Blackbird (Lennon-McCartney) 2:30
15. Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix) 0:42
16. Hey Joe (Traditional) 5:18
17. Himne (Oriol Roca) 4:03
All tracks, except where is indicated, composed by David Mengual & Toni Vaquer
The Free Spirits Big Band:
Álvar Monfort, Natsuko Sugao, Iván Gonzalez (trumpets, flugelhorn), Joan Mas (alto sax), Pintxo Villar (alto & soprano sax), Gonzalo Levin (tenor sax & flute), Jordi Santanach (tenor sax, flute & bass clarinet), Juan Saiz (flute), Aram Montagut, Dario Garcia (trombones), Amaiur Gonzalez (tuba), Enric Peinado (guitar, cavaquinho), Lina Lomanto, Toni Vaquer (piano & Hammond organ), Alex Reviriego (bass), Josema Martín, Oriol Roca (dums & percussions).
The Octet:
Roser Farré, Maria Ibáñez (violin), Alicia Domínguez (viola), Margarida Mariño (cello), Marcel.lí Bayer, Jordi Santanach (clarinet), Pau Domenech (bass clarinet), Alfonso Fernandez Vargas (bassoon).
Toni Vaquer (arranger & composer)
David Mengual (director & composer)
Recorded by Toni París at Estudis 44.1, Girona, on May 22,23 & 24, 2014
Mixed & mastered by Toni Vaquer & David Mengual at estudis Polidor, St. Adrià de Besós, Barcelona, on June 2014
Mixing engineer: Marc Palet
Photography & design: Carles Roche
Produced by David Mengual
Executive producer: Iñaki Sandoval
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After Menta, Diari Sonor and Univers Evans, in its latest release Vertebrats (2014), the Free Spirits Big Band keeps believing in improvisation and risk by means of a tightly-bonded cast of musicians. The big news in Vertebrats is the introduction of contemporary dance, which blends smoothly with the musical language of the band. Two top-level dancers interact as if they were just two more musicians to give shape to the work of the talented piano player from Majorca, Toni Vaquer, under the musical and artistic direction of David Mengual. Vertebrats means the consolidation of the Free Spirits project in its relentless search of a unique sound in the Big Band scene.
From mistery and elusiveness to an epic sense of celebration, from intimism to impressionism, David Mengual Free Spirits Big Bands last work, Vertebrats, is a musical and visual trip of shared sounds. Built from small compositions, originals and versions, the trip converges in 6 suites born in the mind of Toni Vaquer.
Vertebrats is anything but an empty name: it reminds us of a need of adaptation, of evolution, which is also a need to leave a trace, paleonthological or discographical, from a body of work made by two simmetrical parts in a certain way, this is what these suites really are. This need of evolution has become visible in live performances of the Big Band, where Juliette Loustes dance & choreography found a fertile terrain to grow.
-Aram Montagut
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"Free Spirits suena, como su nombre sugiere, a un grupo de espíritus libres, y por tanto llenos de energía entusiasmo e ilusión, y una imaginación desatada, todo ello con la agilidad claridad y fuerza en el sonido que sólo se consiguen con la dedicación propia del que ama lo que hace... algo enormemente más poderoso que la 'disciplina'."
-Jordi Rossy
"David Mengual es uno de esos irreductibles que cuando deciden hacer algo, lo hacen a lo grande."
-Pere Pons
"Le contrabassiste David Mengual appartient à lélite du jazz espagnol [...] À decouvrir absolument."
-Citizen Jazz
"Tot i tractar-se duna big band, la Free Spirits destaca per la seva frescor i el seu esperit de grup. Es tracta dun projecte construït amb amor i unes bases de risc i interacció inusuals en aquest format. Una verdadera joia del nostre jazz."
-Giuilia Valle
"Esta manera de trabajar de Mengual debería servir de ejemplo. La colectividad musical de una banda multi-instrumental y la conuencia de la constancia y la perseverancia, todo mezclado con el entusiasmo y las ganas."
-Arion Molina (Sax Sounds Magazine)
"Risc. Cohesió. Personalitat."
-Pablo Selnik
