Bámbula
Truth Revolution, 2022
8/10
The debut album from the bassist and composer Alex ‘Apolo’ Ayala, Bámbula also showcases the talents of Ivan Renta (alto/soprano saxophones), Fernando García (drums), Nelson Mateo Gonzalez (bomba drum, percussion) and Anna Louise Andersson (vocals) on this Afro-Puerto Rican influenced jazz listen.
The title track opens the listen with swift drumming and soulful saxophone guiding the precise and quickly plucked bass, and “Jibaro Negro” follows with incredible synergy between the brass, percussion and bass as the 3 makes a very cultured form of jazz.
Further on, Anna Louise Andersson’s playful vocals add much creativity to the energetic “Cafe y Bomba Eh”, while “Matriarca” moves at a calmer pace of fascinating bass progressions amid the calm drums and stirring saxophone.
Near the end, “Ma, Bendicion” offers an initially sparse tune, but then builds into free jazz exploration that’s quite furious, and “Las Caras Lindas” exits the listen with nearly 10 minutes of charming grooves, gentle moments and acrobatic bouts of drumming.
A truly unique outing, Ayala takes inspiration from the social unrest following the killing of George Floyd, and the album serves as a tribute to his late mother and grandmother. It also serves as a fine introduction to an artist that we should all be paying close attention to.
Travels well with: Bill O’Connell- Wind Off The Hudson; Mathis Picard- Live At The Museum