Juanjo López – Above, Beyond, Within (Desafío Candente Records, 2025)
Mexican guitarist and composer Juanjo López’s Above, Beyond, Within is a three-part suite of original compositions influenced by geographic displacement, spiritual questioning, and personal renewal. This is López’s second solo effort and his most introspective to date.
Now based in Chicago, López draws from more than two decades of experience performing jazz, bolero, and Latin American traditional music. A former member of the Big Band Jazz de México, he has collaborated with artists such as Armando Manzanero, Natalia Lafourcade, Iraida Noriega, and Ingrid Beaujean. His earlier trio project, SHO Trío, released Temporal (2008) and Ser (2014), and he debuted as a solo artist with Cabaku in 2017. Since relocating to the United States for graduate studies in jazz at Northern Illinois University, López has deepened his focus on composition and spiritual inquiry, both essential themes of the new release.
Above, Beyond, Within features pianist Hana Fujisaki, bassist Kitt Lyles, and drummer Gustavo Cortiñas, three principal figures in Chicago’s jazz scene. The group offers as savory mix of Latin American rhythmic traditions, odd meters, and spirited improvisation.
The suite contains three movements. “Above” opens with “Grace,” a meditative piano-led piece built on a cycling concept that expands into group improvisation. “Retorno” uses 7/4 time and introduces a pulse of quiet urgency.
In “Beyond,” López incorporates Mexican rhythms. “Retreat” weaves folkloric influences with chromatic modulations. “Inner Realm” explores compound meters and rich orchestration, ultimately resolving in a collective improvisation.
The final movement, “Within,” adds South American genres, notably zamba, and closes with “La Nueva Jerusalén,”a hymn-like composition.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
