Pedacito De Tierra
Navona, 2025
9/10
The Grammy-Nominated saxophonist José Antonio Zayas Cabán is joined by Casey Rafn and Ryan Smith, i.e. the chamber trio {trés}, for these personal selections that surround the stories of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the Twin Cities.
The 11+ minute track opens with much ambience and mystery, where the chilling electronics are met with rich sax from both Cabán and Rafn. The vocals float in with a sense of dreaminess amid Rafn’s well timed keys and plenty of adventurous background noises that swirl with intrigue.
Angélica Negrón’s track speaks to the displacement and belonging, memory and identity, longing and resilience of immigrant communities around the globe, and it’s a worldly, mesmerizing and cultured take on chamber ideas.
Travels well with: Nicholas Goluses- Across The Horizon; Laurie Christman- Running With Horses