Ortiz, Aruán
Fresh Sound New Talent, 2024, CD
Instrument: Piano
Issue: 30.1
Jazz Ruler Type: Bebop
Performance: 4
Sound: 3
Score: 76
O’s Notes: Cuban-born, Brooklyn native, pianist, vocalist, Aruán Ortiz celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech with his reflective Pastor’s Paradox. We’ve had some change, some resistance and backlash. Don Byron (cl, voice), Pheeroan Aklaff (d, voice), and Lester St. Louis (cello) are the primary accompaniment. The music reflects the frustration, the anger, and the pain that many of us feel. This is free jazz, with a chaotic, desperate backdrop. There is cascading improvisation throughout the session, notably on “Turning The Other Cheek No More”. You can feel it!
Publicist: Braithwaite & Katz
