Canto
Relative Pitch, 2023
9/10
The pedal steel guitar wizard Susan Alcorn meshes Chilean folk music and nueva canción with plenty of improvisation across these diverse and worldly 6 tracks.
The very intimate “Suite Para Todas” opens the listen with Danka Villanueva’s stirring violin and Rodrigo Bodadilla’s dreamy flute helping make much beauty, and “Cantos” follows with 3 segments, where Luis ‘ToTo’ Alvarez’s cozy guitar is met with plenty of unconventional ideas, including Amanda Irarrazabal’s playful bass plucking.
The final 2 tracks make an impression, too, where “Mercedes Sosa” emits much melody via Francisco ‘Pancho’ Araya’s skilled charango, and “El Derecho de Vivir en Paz” exits with gorgeous singing from Villanueva amid the dense bass and light drums thanks to Claudio ‘Pajaro’ Araya.
A record that’s not easy to classify but certainly easy to enjoy, the contemporary classical, progressive jazz and strategic improvisation makes each piece here radiate in its own light, whether it’s balladry, chanting or global dance sounds.
Travels well with: Sara Serpa & André Matos- Night Birds; Aline Homzy- Éclipse