El Minotauro in Bloomington, MN

This album, inexplicably out of print, documents one of the earliest incarnations of
Guillermo Klein
's big band. Called
Big Van
, the ensemble had pianist
Aaron Goldberg
, bassist
Johannes Weidenmueller
, and drummer
Marc Miralta
in the rhythm section;
Chris Cheek
and
Mark Turner
,
Matt Hong
Dave Barraza
, and
Dan Bosshardt
on saxophones;
Richard Nant
John Walsh
Juan Cruz de Urquiza
David Boato
on trumpets;
Sandro Tomasi
Masa Ikeda
Sir Matt Pavolka
on trombones; and
Sten Hostfaelt
on guitar.
Klein
wrote, arranged, and conducted the album's eight powerful tracks.
Blending the sounds of his native Argentina with a cutting-edge harmonic and orchestrational sophistication,
guides you through a wide swath of musical territory: the bright Latin jazz of
"El Minotauro"
"Free"
; the darker, majestic sounds of
"Primer Tango"
"Lo Perdido"
(the latter featuring an intense Spanish vocal performance by
Sophie Durer
); the impressionistic portraits
"La Manzana de Las Luces"
"Abismo"
; and the retro jazz/funk grooves of
"La Madre de Mi Hermana"
"Technicolor."
's mastery of timbral variation and subtle dynamics makes the album a lasting pleasure. The band's brilliant soloists heighten the impact of
's writing all the more. And the strategic use of quirky voice-overs and signal processing gives the album an added punch. Along with figures such as
Maria Schneider
Jason Lindner
is helping give rise to a new era in big-band composition. ~ David R. Adler