textura

Álvaro Torres: Iris
Sunnyside Records

Many a young musician dreams of moving to New York City and securing a place in the jazz firmament. Pianist Álvaro Torres made that dream a reality by migrating from his Madrid home to study at the Manhattan School of Music and then performing and recording in the city he now calls home. Things often fall into place one piece at a time, and Torres's story is no exception. Long before he made the New York move, he'd been enamoured of the playing of legendary jazz drummer Barry Altschul, forever known as a member of the iconoclastic ensemble Circle as well as trios led by Chick Corea and Paul Bley. Torres wrote to Altschul requesting to meet with him, and the drummer not only replied, he invited the young pianist to play a session with him. When the opportunity to play a gig at the Mezzrow Jazz Club subsequently arose, Torres recruited Altschul and bassist John Hébert to join him.

In the two years since that auspicious debut, the trio's played regularly around the city and has naturally developed an identity and rapport. Torres augmented standards with original pieces for them to play, and the the pieces took on new life when they grew into intrepid improvisatory adventures. By the time the three entered Trading 8s Recording Studio in July 2023 to record Iris, the trio's playing had evolved to a point where a physical document of its chemistry was warranted. In featuring seven Torres compositions and one cover, Bud Powell's “Celia,” Iris provides an illuminating snapshot of the trio as its currently stands and its enthusiastic young pianist at an early stage in his career.

It's telling that the ponderous “Old and New” was selected as the first track rather than the robust “West Harlem” that follows. In presenting a slow and ruminative improv as the opening gambit, Torres is perhaps signaling that this style is more representative of the trio than something more freewheeling and bop-based. The confidence and patience with which the three explore the material speaks to their comfort with one another and their willingness to let the music take them where it will. Torres's contributions are thoughtfully made and show maturity in being refreshingly restrained; ample space is made for Altschul and Hébert to assert themselves too, such that “Old and New” gradually assumes form through their responsiveness to each other. As mentioned, the also largely improvised “West Harlem” swings with abandon, its Latin-tinged energy spiked by Hébert's pulsating lines and Altschul's aggressive stick-work. Indicative of the trio's adaptability, when the tune downshifts midway through, all three quickly recalibrate their attack to suit the change.

The Monkish title track shows Torres is comfortable playing in the tradition when the mood strikes. Hébert here stabilizes the performance with a grounding pulse that enables his partners to freewheel, the pianist skittering at high velocity and the drummer taking a powerful solo turn. Echoes of Carla Bley's “Walking Battery Woman” emerge in Torres' tribute “Carla's Ingredient” when he uses her piece as an armature for the three to furiously extemporize upon. Speaking of homages, the trio breathes new life into Powell's “Celia” with a swinging treatment that, again, suggests Torres is well-versed in the repertoire bequeathed to him by jazz pioneers. Punchy too is the concluding “You Dig?,” which Hébert drives with a walking pulse that frees the others to unleash their free selves.

There are moments on the release that remind me of the trio Geri Allen had with Paul Motian and Charlie Haden years ago—high praise for what Torres' trio's up to. Consistent with that, the tune “On Broadway” could be seen as a breezy sidelong nod to Motian's terrific On Broadway album series from the ‘90s. Regardless, Torres is forging his own path here, and it's one that holds ample promise for future directions. He's certainly lucky to have Altschul and Hébert with him on the release, as the two energize the performances with the kind of vitality one associates with musicians half their ages.

December 2024


	Álvaro Torres: Iris Sunnyside Records Many a young musician dreams of moving to New York City and securing a place in the jazz firmament. Pianist Álvaro Torres made that dream a reality by migrating from his Madrid home to study at the Manhattan School of Music and then performing and recording in the city he now calls home. Things often fall into place one piece at a time, and Torres's story is no exception. Long before he made the New York move, he'd been enamoured of the playing of legendary jazz drummer Barry Altschul, forever known as a member of the iconoclastic ensemble Circle as well as trios led by Chick Corea and Paul Bley. Torres wrote to Altschul requesting to meet with him, and the drummer not only replied, he invited the young pianist to play a session with him. When the opportunity to play a gig at the Mezzrow Jazz Club subsequently arose, Torres recruited Altschul and bassist John Hébert to join him. In the two years since that auspicious debut, the trio's played regularly around the city and has naturally developed an identity and rapport. Torres augmented standards with original pieces for them to play, and the the pieces took on new life when they grew into intrepid improvisatory adventures. By the time the three entered Trading 8s Recording Studio in July 2023 to record Iris, the trio's playing had evolved to a point where a physical document of its chemistry was warranted. In featuring seven Torres compositions and one cover, Bud Powell's “Celia,” Iris provides an illuminating snapshot of the trio as its currently stands and its enthusiastic young pianist at an early stage in his career. It's telling that the ponderous “Old and New” was selected as the first track rather than the robust “West Harlem” that follows. In presenting a slow and ruminative improv as the opening gambit, Torres is perhaps signaling that this style is more representative of the trio than something more freewheeling and bop-based. The confidence and patience with which the three explore the material speaks to their comfort with one another and their willingness to let the music take them where it will. Torres's contributions are thoughtfully made and show maturity in being refreshingly restrained; ample space is made for Altschul and Hébert to assert themselves too, such that “Old and New” gradually assumes form through their responsiveness to each other. As mentioned, the also largely improvised “West Harlem” swings with abandon, its Latin-tinged energy spiked by Hébert's pulsating lines and Altschul's aggressive stick-work. Indicative of the trio's adaptability, when the tune downshifts midway through, all three quickly recalibrate their attack to suit the change. The Monkish title track shows Torres is comfortable playing in the tradition when the mood strikes. Hébert here stabilizes the performance with a grounding pulse that enables his partners to freewheel, the pianist skittering at high velocity and the drummer taking a powerful solo turn. Echoes of Carla Bley's “Walking Battery Woman” emerge in Torres' tribute “Carla's Ingredient” when he uses her piece as an armature for the three to furiously extemporize upon. Speaking of homages, the trio breathes new life into Powell's “Celia” with a swinging treatment that, again, suggests Torres is well-versed in the repertoire bequeathed to him by jazz pioneers. Punchy too is the concluding “You Dig?,” which Hébert drives with a walking pulse that frees the others to unleash their free selves. There are moments on the release that remind me of the trio Geri Allen had with Paul Motian and Charlie Haden years ago—high praise for what Torres' trio's up to. Consistent with that, the tune “On Broadway” could be seen as a breezy sidelong nod to Motian's terrific On Broadway album series from the ‘90s. Regardless, Torres is forging his own path here, and it's one that holds ample promise for future directions. He's certainly lucky to have Altschul and Hébert with him on the release, as the two energize the performances with the kind of vitality one associates with musicians half their ages. December 2024