A palpable strain of melancholia has long been a hallmark of the arts in Argentina, whether expressed through the brooding short stories of Jorge Luis Borges, the sonic turbulence of Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo or the stormy neo-expressionism of composer Alberto Ginastera’s symphonic works. It’s little wonder that the Buenos Aires neighborhood said to have the world’s highest per-capita concentration of psychologists is called Villa Freud. If angst jazz has a birthplace, Buenos Aires, a lovely but inward-looking metropolis, can certainly lay claim to it.
The city’s general air of despondency is familiar turf for Argentine composer, arranger, pianist and vocalist Guillermo Klein, who wrote portions of Carrera’s 10 tracks upon returning to his native city after an extended sojourn in Barcelona. His orchestrations, written for his large ensemble, Los Gauchos, favor sustained, icy voicings in the horn section and rhythms that, however minimalist, are deceptively complex. The opening track, “Burrito Hill,” dedicated to the late Gil Evans, is built on two disparate yet tightly interwoven rhythmic pulses, an ambling piano line and dark, orchestral textures from the horns. “Globo,” a lament with an eerie undertone accented by muted trumpets, features the leader and saxophonist Miguel Zenón in a vocal duet.
Klein’s orchestral blueprint is also evident in the contributions of his bandmates. Trumpeter Richard Nant’s “Niños,” sporting the round-like form of a children’s song, features an uptempo bass ostinato, more jagged rhythms and a capricious horn arrangement that builds with intensity toward a joyous finale. Throughout the program, trumpeter Diego Urcola, saxophonists Chris Cheek and Zenón, guitarist Ben Monder and others step out for concise solos that augment rather than dominate the meticulously crafted scores.
The set’s most ambitious work is Klein’s adaptation of the first movement of Ginastera’s “Piano sonata op 22.” Rendered Los Gaucho’s style, the piece is testimony to Klein’s ability to effectively combine elements of chamber music, folkloric influences and avant-garde-leaning jazz concepts to achieve strikingly individual results. Astute listeners will be enchanted by the labyrinth of alternatively dark and luminous aural shadings present in Klein’s work.