Menjunjue
JL, 2023
8/10
The Chicago resident Roy McGrath brings a very worldly approach to his song craft and saxophone playing, and here, along with an all star cast, he honors the spirit of improvisation to tracks revolving around folkloric rhythms native to his Puerto Rico home, Bomba and Plena.
“Guamani” starts the listen with bright brass and Efraín Martínez’s playful drums that guide the cultured and lively jazz climate, and “Loquito Por Ti” follows with an infectious energy destined for the dance floor, where Eduardo Zayaz’s beaming piano and Constantine Alexander’s soulful trumpet make an impression.
Halfway through, “Groove #4” showcases Victor Junito González’s skilled congas in the warm, textured delivery, while “For Zee” lands in ballad territory thanks to its poetic keys and meticulous bass plucking from Kitt Lyles.
“Linda Morena” and “Bolerito” exit the listen, where the former swirls with glowing melodies and strong attention to percussion thanks to Javier Quintana-Ocascio, and the latter exits with a calm demeanor of very focused and dynamic instrumentation that’s packed with charm and grace.
A project that began in 2017, McGrath and company make for a rich and creative Latin jazz listen that you’re not going to find anywhere else, and that will resonate for decades to come.
Travels well with: Skip Grasso- Becoming; Doug MacDonald- I’ll See You In My Dreams