Equilibrio
Origin, 2023
8/10
The inimitable pianist Gabriel Guerrero brings his Colombian heritage to these worldly 11 tracks that put him in the company of Seth Trachy, Will Slater, Felix Lecaros, Fung Chern Hwei and Guillermo Barrón.
The textured warmth of “Present Moment” opens the listen with Trachy’ elegant sax aligning with Guerrero’s playful piano playing, and “Ozpal” follows with Lecaros’ animated drums amid the dancing keys of the frisky climate.
Halfway through, “Nunu” radiates a dreaminess that swirls with plenty of warmth thanks to Slater’s agile bass, while “No Return” rumbles with dense keys and moody drumming in the haunting delivery.
Residing near the end, Hwei’s intricate strings help make “Permanent Diversion Part II” one of the album’s best thanks to its rhythmic nature, and “Encrucijada” welcomes Barrón’s meticulous percussion for a textured and captivating finish.
Guerrero now calls New York home, and his esteemed company helps mesh the improvised and composed pieces with no lack of harmonic and rich layers.
Travels well with: John Bishop- Antwerp; Frank Kohl- Pacific