Roy McGrath – Menjunje (JL Music, 2023)
Roy McGrath is a versatile and accomplished tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader hailing from Chicago. He was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and subsequently received his education in some of the most vibrant music cities in the United States, including Boston, New Orleans, and Chicago. As a result of his diverse background, Roy’s playing and composing are deeply influenced by a broad range of styles and traditions.
Roy’s music has taken him on international tours to various countries, including Mexico, Singapore, Korea, and China. He draws inspiration from the cultural richness of his home, Puerto Rico, where he grew up drinking a homemade tonic called Menjunje. This medicinal brew, also called mejunje, is found in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. It is traditionally made on the spot with whatever ingredients are on hand, typically featuring a blend of sugar cane juice, ginger, lemon, honey, and other less appealing components such as garlic and cayenne pepper. Though it may not be a delicacy for the palate, it is a potent elixir designed to heal and invigorate the body.
In the spirit of Menjunje, Roy’s latest album is a fusion of compositions and arrangements that feature the folkloric rhythms native to Puerto Rico: bomba and plena. The Latin Jazz project began in 2017 when the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center in Chicago commissioned Roy to arrange and perform some works of Antonio Caban Vale, known as El Topo, one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated Nova Trova singer-songwriters. The concert, held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vale’s iconic composition “Verde Luz,” inspired the four El Topo arrangements on this album.
Roy’s immersion in the Puerto Rican music and culture extended beyond the El Topo project. As the leader of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s youth Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble, he had the opportunity to work with a diverse community of individuals who shared his passion for preserving and evolving Puerto Rican music and culture. Through conversations and collaborations with accomplished Puerto Rican musicians, such as Michael Rodríguez Jr., founder of El Ritmo School of Latin Percussion in Chicago, Roy was able to deepen his knowledge of Puerto Rican rhythms and culture. These connections, along with the El Topo project, influenced half of the compositions on Menjunje.
The other half of the album was conceived in 2020 during the pandemic, when Roy was in quarantine. This time of isolation allowed him to conceptualize, write, and rearrange “Menjunje.” He communicated frequently with the musicians he wanted to collaborate with and bounced ideas back and forth with them. This process led to the album’s name, which fittingly captures the eclectic mix of originals, arrangements, and diasporic collaborations. The name Menjunje was a perfect choice.
In 2021, as the world began to recover from the pandemic, Roy, and his collaborators, sought out opportunities to perform in Chicago. The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance provided them with opportunities to perform and workshop this rejuvenated potion of past and present works. The group performed several gigs, which eventually led them into the recording studio to create Menjunje.
Musicians: Roy McGrath on saxophone; Constantine Alexander on trumpet; Eduardo Zayaz on piano; Efraín Martínez on drums; Kitt Lyles on acoustic bass; Victor Junito González on conga, punteador, barril; Javier Quintana-Ocasio on barril, requinto, bongo, quinto, campana; and José A. Carrasquillo on cuatro.
Buy Menjunje.
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.