TITLE "Indigenous" PERFORMER "Diego Rivera" REM GENRE "Jazz" REM DATE "2021" REM DISCID B50E8F0C REM REPLAYGAIN_ALBUM_GAIN -6.70 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_ALBUM_PEAK 0.936157 FILE "01 - Marabi.flac" WAVE TRACK 01 AUDIO TITLE "Marabi" ISRC QM9Z92000093 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.39 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.917755 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "02 - Indigenous.flac" WAVE TRACK 02 AUDIO TITLE "Indigenous" ISRC QM9Z92000094 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -7.58 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.908844 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "03 - The Secret Life of Plants.flac" WAVE TRACK 03 AUDIO TITLE "The Secret Life of Plants" ISRC QM9Z92000049 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -5.94 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.895416 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "04 - Sombras del Pasado.flac" WAVE TRACK 04 AUDIO TITLE "Sombras del Pasado" ISRC QM9Z92000095 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -7.31 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.936157 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "05 - Asta Ta Malakia Sou.flac" WAVE TRACK 05 AUDIO TITLE "Asta Ta Malakia Sou" ISRC QM9Z92000096 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.33 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.899658 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "06 - Aztlan.flac" WAVE TRACK 06 AUDIO TITLE "Aztlan" ISRC QM9Z92000097 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -7.44 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.915009 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "07 - Sabor a Mi.flac" WAVE TRACK 07 AUDIO TITLE "Sabor a Mi" ISRC QM9Z92000098 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -5.76 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.897491 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "08 - BLM Plaza.flac" WAVE TRACK 08 AUDIO TITLE "BLM Plaza" ISRC QM9Z92000099 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.61 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.900543 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "09 - Nefeli.flac" WAVE TRACK 09 AUDIO TITLE "Nefeli" ISRC QM9Z92000100 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.31 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.897644 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "10 - Melina Maria.flac" WAVE TRACK 10 AUDIO TITLE "Melina Maria" ISRC QM9Z92000101 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.67 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.904449 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "11 - Purpose.flac" WAVE TRACK 11 AUDIO TITLE "Purpose" ISRC QM9Z92000102 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.79 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.901123 INDEX 01 00:00:00 FILE "12 - Shir LaShalom.flac" WAVE TRACK 12 AUDIO TITLE "Shir LaShalom" ISRC QM9Z92000103 REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN -6.35 dB REM REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK 0.896942 INDEX 01 00:00:00
The old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" might be a cliché, but it also contains an element of truth. Some of the most powerful messages come across without relying on words. And when it comes to music, lyrics are not always needed to convey a message. Such is the case with Diego Rivera's Indigenous.
Named after the famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera has established himself as a major figure in jazz music. Since 2000, he has played saxophone with an impressive list of artists, including Christian McBride, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Kurt Elling, and Sophie Milman. He also has an impressive list of his own recordings, along with serving as a tenured professor of jazz saxophone at Michigan State University.
With Indigenous, Rivera explores different musical landscapes and cultures. Each of the songs on the album tells a story. Many of these musical stories focus on the reality of past events, maintaining a sense of awareness. The focus here, however, is not simply to recount the past but to celebrate the future. The songs are intended to bring "a sense of belonging and purpose" and hope for better days ahead.
The album kicks off with Cannonball Adderley's composition "Marabi." This uplifting song celebrates musicians of South Africa who challenged apartheid. Each of the core musicians, including Helen Sung on piano, Boris Kozlov playing bass, and Donald Edwards on drums, is in top form. Etienne Charles sits in, adding an outstanding trumpet performance.
Some of the songs pay respect to Rivera's heritage. "Sombras Del Pasado," for example, was inspired by the Eighth Cavalry Mexican Military Band, which travelled to New Orleans during the late 1800s. Several members of the band stayed in New Orleans to become educators and, as a result, were important figures in the early days of jazz. However, as Rivera points out, their story and legacy remain "in the shadows of jazz history." The song has strong performances by all the musicians. The foundation of the song is a habañera rhythm, which lends itself to improvisation.
Rivera continues his homage to his own cultural background with "Aztlán" and "Sabor a Mi." Aztlán was a region north of Mexico once regarded as the promised land. The concept of Aztlán "served as a symbol of the Chicano movement since the 1960s." The song has an ear-catching and driving beat which is incredibly tight. "Sabor a Mi" is an excellent treatment of "one of the most famous boleros from the pen of Álvaro Carrillo. This song features Etienne Charles playing trumpet alongside Rivera's sax in something of a musical dialogue.
Indigenous certainly has a strong Latin influence, but there is also more of a global presence here. The songs "Asta Ta Malakia Sou" and "Melina Maria," for example, both celebrate Greek melodies and culture. The Yakov Rotblit composition, "Shir LaShalom," is a famous Israeli anti-war anthem.
Rivera also includes "BLM Plaza," a song dealing with the section of Washington DC that was renamed during the protests in the summer of 2020. This song has strong blues elements, as does the composition "Purpose," which tries to capture the strong influence of the blues in jazz music.
The focus of the album, however, is not limited to humans; Rivera also includes his own take on the Stevie Wonder composition "The Secret life of Plants," which was included on the 2020 compilation Tales Of Wonder: A Jazz Celebration of Stevie. This song features strong performances by Helen Sung on piano and Rivera on soprano sax, and is intended to draw attention to organic life. As the album notes suggest, "humans are not the only indigenous life forms around the globe."
The level of musicianship on Indigenous is exceptional, and Rivera uses jazz to convey his message. The songs included here speak of equality, justice, and struggle. Most of all, though, they represent a celebration of life and freedom along with hope for a brighter future.
Состав
Diego Rivera - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone (#3,5,7)
Etienne Charles - trumpet (#1,4,7)
Helen Sung - piano
Boris Kozlov - bass
Donald Edwards - drums Recorded at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY on June 4, 2019.
