Promenade
Promenade is the ninth album that Joaquín Chacon has headed up, obviously not counting the numerous others in which he has collaborated. His work teaching at Musikene (Donostia) and the collaboration of Tejada and Krause on the very promising project known as Northland Avenue, led by the Catalan pianist Roger Mas, has brought everybody closer and has probably helped to give impulse to the recording of this trio which the Madrid guitar-player has been wanting to do for a long time.
The album, with three tracks written by Chacon and three standards, has been carefully designed for success and the format Chacon has chosen is perfect for a pleasurable swing with the comfortable rhythmic backing of two musicians you can trust with your eyes shut and who truly know how to listen. They make a generous pair and create space and a continuous beat. There is such a rapport between the three musicians that the session sounds like a group of friends who haven’t seen each other for a while and who have come together chilled out and relaxed. Virtually the whole record is first takes, hardly surprising really.
Kenny Burrell (on the soul track Gratitud), Jim Hall and Peter Berstein are continually referred to, although that does not detract from the personality of the guitar-player which is excellent throughout the album. In Reflexions and Na Konci Dne, Gonzalo Tejada shows his true form as an authority on the double bass which on so many occasions takes a discreet and unworthy second place. Joachim Krause is more than able to add the finishing touches to a dish with no misplaced flavours.
Perhaps the word that best defines this album is “easy”, as Krause rightly says in the libretto. But that deceptive ability to take us to a place that we fans immediately accept as our own, does not prevent the discovery of a multiplicity of details such as the classic nostalgia of the album’s title track, the cool bluesy touch of El Tigre and the bopper How About You, dotted with hidden referrals.
We can just imagine the three musicians saying goodbye at the end of the recording and adding “Let’s do it again soon, ok?” Let’s hope they do!
1. HOW LITTLE WE KNOW 4, 52 (HOAGY CARMICHAEL)
2. PROMENADE 4,55 (JOAQUIN CHACON)
3. NA KONCI DNE 7,28 (JOAQUIN CHACON)
4. GRATITUD 7,20 (JOAQUIN CHACON)
5. NEVER LET ME GO 6,52 (JAY LIVINGSTON)
6. EL TIGRE 7,58 (JOAQUIN CHACON)
7. AWAKEN 6,01(JOAQUIN CHACON)
8. HOW ABOUT YOU 4,27 (R.FREED/B. LANE)
9. REFLEXIONS 6,54 (JOAQUIN CHACON)
Hear: Gratitud
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