Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Inner Voyage

Inner Voyage Review

 

by Ken Dryden

After taking the jazz world by storm with his exciting debut CD on Blue Note in 1991, Gonzalo Rubalcaba continued to delight his fans throughout the decade with one great recording after another. "Yolanda Anas," "Joan," and "Joao" -- each one a tribute to one of his children -- are intimate musical portraits that have a childlike simplicity, but also memorable melodies that linger in the mind. A salute to Blue Note president Bruce Lundvall is a complex post-bop blues featuring fierce solos by tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker and bassist Jeff Chambers. Rubalcaba's breathtaking arrangement of "Here's That Rainy Day" is one of the most intimate ever recorded, played with an almost hushed tone. The pianist's introduction to "Caravan" has a swinging Latin flavor, though the body of the song is much looser and less thunderous than one might expect. Highly recommended. allmusic

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Inner Voyage

1 Yolanda Anas 00:00 2 Promenade 05:23 3 The Hard One 13:07 4 Sandyken 19:39 5 Here's That Rainy Day 27:30 6 Caravan 37:06 7 Joan 48:04 8 Blues Lundvall 59:37 9 Joao 01:06:35 Piano – Gonzalo Rubalcaba Double Bass – Jeff Chambers Drums – Ignacio Berroa Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 3, 8) Recorded at Avatar Studios

New York City on November 23-25, 1998