BrÏme de Ürz – BrÏme de Ürz – BrÏme de Ürz (2024)
Brime de Urz, a small village in Zamora with just over a hundred residents, stands out for its intriguing name. This unique toponymy captured the imagination of Carlos Beceiro, a key figure in contemporary Iberian folk music. Known for his work with La Musgaña, Beceiro assembled a fresh ensemble for his latest project, BrÏme de Ürz (2023), seeking to explore new dimensions of Castilian music.
For this endeavor, Beceiro collaborated with two seasoned musicians: saxophonist and clarinetist Lorenzo Azcona, a veteran of over 30 years with contributions to artists like Krahe and Manolo Tena, and accordionist Juan Pedro Cornejo, experienced in flamenco tours and film scores. Together, they deliver an enthralling album that is finely crafted and exquisite, combining the rhythmic complexity of folk traditions with an easy-going, elegant approach.
The highlights of the album are Beceiro’s wide-ranging, charming and expressive zanfona (hurdy gurdy) and string instrument performances as well as his dialog with the accordion, pipes, and whistles. The saxophone is okay, perhaps too smooth at times, and I much prefer folk flutes and whistles.
At just under 30 minutes, the album serves as an introduction to this new collaboration. Paul James, a versatile musician contributing bagpipes and whistles, adds a subtle Celtic and Atlantic flavor, hinting at further evolution for the group in future releases.
Musicians: Carlos Beceiro: hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki, cittern, electric guitar; Lorenzo Azcona: soprano and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet; Juan Pedro Cornejo: accordion; and Paul James: bagpipes, whistles, alto and baritone saxophones.
Buy BrÏme de Ürz.
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.