Más que un disco, AMa AZa LaNdo (2014) es un lugar en el que Alejandro Vargas nos invita a formar parte de su imaginario. Bajo la predominancia de piano sensible y virtuoso, Alejandro Vargas incorpora otras texturas a través de la flauta, las campanas, la máquina de escribir o su propia voz.
Ama Aza LaNdo es un fulgor de figuraciones representativas de paisajes sonoros donde se recrean ambientes del minimalismo, el orientalismo, la improvisación libre y el jazz.
AMa AZa LaNdo (2014) is more than just a record; it is a place where Alejandro Vargas invites us to be part of his imaginary world. Under the predominance of his sensitive and virtuous piano, Alejandro Vargas incorporates different textures with flutes, bells, a typewriter and his voice.
Ama Aza LaNdo is a mixture of figurative sound landscapes where different atmospheres take place … minimalism, orientalism, free improvisation and jazz.
“Un disco atípico que nos trae todo un universo de evocaciones basado en un lenguaje personalísimo que desarrolla una riqueza interior de gran belleza. Es emocionante escuchar a un músico, como Alejandro Vargas, que mira a lo profundo para ofrecernos su mundo musical sin concesiones, a saber, una Música honesta y terriblemente bella.”
Es un trabajo de alumbramientos sonoros donde la participación instrumental adquiere un valor orquestal a través de distintas posturas, étnicas, folclóricas,populares, conceptuales, políticas… es una reflexión de la técnica pianística en la amplificación de registros posibles, hacia la fantasía libre comprometida.
Instrumental intake in this work acquires an orchestral value through different postures: ethnic, folk, conceptual, political ones…it is a pianistic reflection on how to amplify possible contexts towards a free compromised fantasy.
La publicación del disco es el final de un largo recorrido en el que el propio músico realiza también el formato físico del mismo, realizando 100 cajas diferentes (Ver imágenes a la derecha). El disco completo incluye un package exclusivo confeccionado por Alejandro Vargas, una fotografía realizada por Rafa Pasadas, una funda en serigrafía elaboradas en el taller de José Chavez, foldedlie.me y con la colaboración de Rocío Alén en el diseño. Finalmente tenemos una Edición Limitada y numerada de 100 ejemplares.
Alejandro Vargas also gets involved in the creative process of giving form to this record, creating one hundred different CD boxes (pictured on the right), which together with Rafa Pasadas’ photography, José Chavez’s serigraphy at foldedlie.me and Rocio Alen’s design it all comes into an exclusive and really special limited edition.
“A MaNo Alzada papel, tijeras, goma de borrar, goma de pegar, lápices, plato de pintar, pinceles, brochas, cartón, óleos. La mano que toca, la mano que pinta, la mano que corta, la mano que dibuja, la mano que cose, la mano que pega, la mano que construye. Ama Aza LaNdO, A Mano alzada» – Alejandro Vargas
“Freehand design, paper, scissors, erasers, glue, pencils, brushes, palette, cardboard, oil paintings. A free hand that touches, a free hand that paints, a free hand that cuts, a free hand that draws, a free hand that sews, a free hand that glues, a free hand that builds».- Alejandro Vargas
*Ama Aza LanDO, A Mano Alzada” Alejandro Vargas. *Note: The author gives title to his work deconstructing Spanish A Mano Alzada which means something done by freehand, into Ama Aza LanDo.
ENJOY artistic videos about AMa AZa LaNdo by Rafa Pasadas
DISFRUTA los videos artísticos del proyecto AMa AZa LaNdo por Rafa Pasadas
By GENO THACKARA , ALL ABOUT JAZZ
August 23, 2016
Music seems to be a matter of play as much as craft for Alejandro Vargas Rodriguez. The Cuban (now Spain-based) pianist shows plenty of chops throughout this whole recording, but they’re often equalled or surpassed by the spirit of almost childlike joy that runs through it, as evidenced by the freeform playfulness of the track titles. (The title AMa AZa LaNdO, for example, is itself a playful anagram of «A Mano Alzada»—meaning something that’s done freehand.) The piano work is exuberant in blurring lines between Latin jazz and experimentalism, also making use of bells and other noise in whatever sound-shaping way comes to mind. It’s a blend that somehow comes out equal parts virtuosic and whimsical.
The prime free-jazz streak means it’s not an album for everyone, but his in-the-moment excitement generally makes for sprightly melodies more than ponderous self-indulgence. Any meandering and vamping is spiced up with either a steady pulse or jittery restlessness; in either case it’s usually lively and energetic enough to carry things along. Whenever his main keyboard line tends toward drifting, Vargas is likely to overdub an extra part or two to add a different flavor—airy fluttering flute, occasional percussive knocks or perhaps offhandedly vocalizing low enough that you’d have to listen closely to hear it.
It’s hard to tell how much of this music is composed or improvised. From jaunty melodies to quiet meditations or crashing cascades, the piano motifs are abstract enough that they could be either one—which probably tells us it doesn’t matter anyway and the results are what’s important. Often that means a pretty skewed approach to chording, but then it’s interspersed with spots like the pretty harmonic «NOodA» or the very Monk-esque «OdO» that don’t require any particular taste for the avant-garde. In both cases it comes from a willingness to wander over the canvas without worrying about any rules, and the results are always straight from the hands and heart.
Track Listing: MaLaZa; JOcOSIDAdes; CaNtOs ALegóricOs; áMe; COincidenCias; AleGRíaS; AMefriKa; NOdaa; BLUe; MANsoro; AGUaceROs; OdO.
Personnel: Alejandro Vargas: piano, flute, bells, voice.
Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced | Style: Modern Jazz
AleJaNdrO VaRgAs 