Hiromi & Edmar Castañeda – Live in Montreal (Telarc, 2017)
Two great musicians in the world of jazz met in Montreal to deliver a formidable concert. Hiromi is one of the stars of jazz piano and Edmar Castañeda is a lesser known, but equally acclaimed Colombian musician who has taken the harp to the jazz world with great success.
Live in Montreal is all about the interaction between the two musicians. Being a live recording, a large part of the album focuses on improvisations. The artists take turns at soloing and Hiromi let plenty of space for the harp, which could have gotten drowned out by the piano.
The album is full of dazzling performances with jazz being the dominant force. One of the highlights of the album is Hiromi’s suite “The Elements,” where the music is more structured.
The presence of Castañeda brings in a world music element in the form of South American music influences. Some of these are from Colombia, but the most evident comes from Argentina, much further south. Hiromi and Edmar deliver a superb version of Asator Piazzolla’s “Libertango.”
Live in Montreal is a masterfully performed encounter of jazz and beyond by two remarkable musicians.
Buy Live in Montreal
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
