HOME MADE - etxean egindako -

The planning stage for the "Home-Made" project started in the summer of 2003, when the pianist decided to record nine original tracks at home, a setting which explains the final title. The atmosphere of the recording is both relaxed and brisk, on the one hand it oozing a homely comfort and on the other not allowing for unnecessary rehearsals in the tight schedule, all of this coupled with the feeling given by a group of musicians who are well acquainted and accustomed to occasionally play together.

What can we find here?. The main qualities are having Jon Urrutia highlighting his most rhythmic and Latin facet and yet staying true to his previous lyrical component, which is very powerful and really brings the album together – clear examples that bear witness to this are the tracks with piano solos or that absolutely wonderful track ("La Perla del Estrecho" / The Pearl from the Strait) with a fond dedication to someone very dear to him. The Latin component is then definitely present, but always linked to his bop roots, his knowledge of European classics and folk music from France or Holland.

For this track, the alto saxophone player Santi Ibarretxe (born in Bilbao 39 years ago) proves how truly versatile he is and plays the cross flute, making up for one of the happiest and most optimistic moments in the album. This example also reveals that somehow surreal personality which is very much present in his most recent project, Prímital, where he explores sampled territories and fearlessly approaches groove sounds.

The rhythmic section is, without a doubt, another key element in this recording, and it could not possibly be neglected in a project which obviously focuses on percussion: the bass player Toño Miguel (Saragossa 1978), obviously deserves a special mention as a young musician with his solid and tireless way of plucking the strings. He comes from the Madrid scene, where he has had the chance to learn from artists of international stature such as Bob Sands or Chris Kase, and to play with Jerry González, Perico Sambeat or Guillermo McGill, as well as many other stars from more “popular” styles. He even occasionally plays chamber music...
The final piece that makes up the backbone of this project is Borja Barrueta (Bilbao, 1975), a drummer who has successfully been at ease in the most diverse styles, at times injecting adrenaline into an overwhelming band like Ortophonk, keeping Malcom Scarpa’s back covered, or tiptoeing into areas like the always surprising Carmen Paris playing Spanish “jota” in “buleria” style” together with Toño Miguel. As many other musicians in the Iberian Peninsula, Barrueta is also well acquainted with the Barcelona workshop Taller de Musics, after living in this city for two years.

Jazz has always been a musical meeting point for short stops and “Home Made” has invited some very special guests to come and contribute to the project: We have Itxaso González doing vocals as a statement of the open nature in Urrutia’s compositions and leaving the listener wanting for more; to fulfil this wish we strongly recommend listening to her most recent work with Gorka Benítez and Dani Pérez, "Lur Berria / New Land" (Fresh Sound). The other guests are Julio Andrade on bass guitar and both Mariano Steimberg and Diego Álvarez "El Negro" (Black) for percussion, two key elements when it comes to shedding crystal clear light on the album’s Afro-Cuban landscapes and its love-affairs with Flamenco...