Malaby's Apparitions, Tony

Voladores

Label: Clean Feed Country: Portugal

"By this day you get used to have only great albums coming from this new giant of the tenor saxophone, but watch out: "Voladores" is nothing less than a masterpiece, the best music ever Tony Malaby put to record. At his seventh release, after "Sabino", "Apparitions", "Adobe", "Warblepeck", "Tamarindo" and "Paloma Recio", the two-drum project of the New York musician became a true wonder. Inspired by the Mexican troup of "Voladores" that Tony watched as a young child at Mexican festivals in Tucson, Arizona (there is an initial dance made by five men, the instruments being a carrizo flute, a tamborcillo and maracas. The men, each representing the five elements of the indigenous world climb a top a 100ft. pole, one of them stays on the pole playing a flute and dancing while the remaining four descend the pole with a rope tied by one of their feet. The rope unwraps itself 13 times for each of the four flyers, symbolizing the 52 weeks of the year). With the new addition of John Hollenbeck, who adds vibraphone, marimba, xylophone and melodica to his drumkit, Tony's group Apparitions takes a new sonic leap and achieves soaring heights. With bassist Drew Gress making wonders, drummer Tom Rainey on top of his game and Hollenbeck fitting in as if he was always a member of the group,"Voladores" is the strongest release by Malaby (along with 6 new compositions by Malaby, 3 group improvisations and a never recorded composition by Ornette Coleman). Now it's our time to have the privilege to sense it."-Clean Feed Records