Few have clues as to how
Jazz Is Dead's
Ali Shaheed Muhammad and
Adrian Younge coaxed the reclusive pianist/composer
Garrett Saracho into their Linear Labs studio. In 1973, he issued a lone album for
Impulse. Titled
En Medio, it showcased the pianist's seamless meld of Latin soul grooves, hard bop, and deeply spiritual psychedelic jazz-funk. Quickly deleted due to label mismanagement, a disappointed
Saracho toured with
Redbone, then returned to school and became a Hollywood film editor. In 1998 he privately issued
Dare to Dream, a partial soundtrack for his epic musical theater work Boys from North Broadway, about a pre-World War II working-class neighborhood.
The eight jams here were co-composed by
Saracho,
Muhammad, and
Younge. The producers enlisted a studio cast that included horn and string sections. While
Younge appears on a range of instruments in all cuts,
Muhammad plays bass or synth on half. Opener "Sabor del Ritmo" is derived from the Afro-Cuban bolero form with slowly pronounced piano montunos, swaying horns, and flute supported by hand percussion and drums. It becomes a swinging salsa halfway through as
Saracho abandons arpeggios to pulse the beat in the high register. The pianist initiates "Altitude" with a complex vamp.
Younge adds spiky guitars, a sensual bass pattern, and a hyperactive marimba playing between the beat as the rhythm section and strings deliver an expressionistic lyric melody. "White Buffalo" walks a jittery line between cinematic urban soul (a la
the Love Unlimited Orchestra), West Coast orchestral jazz (think
Gerald Wilson), and funk across Latin grooves, post-bop, and funk.
Younge plays a hyperactive rhythm on marimba, then colors it with electric guitar. "Trucha" is a set highlight composed of hard, danceable Latin funk, adorned by a pulsing electric bassline from
Muhammad under
Saracho's meaty, polyrhythmic pianism as
Younge's vibes and guitar add textural dimension to tenor, alto, and two baritone saxes with two trumpets and a smoking flute (the latter sounds like a cross between the styles of
Dave Valentin,
Mauricio Smith, and
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, whom
Saracho knew and gigged with). The syncopated rhythms and synced harmonies are breathtaking. Contrast it with the easy cha-cha of "The Gardens," the most beautiful track here. The breezy interplay between
Scott Mayo's flute, piano, percussion, and relaxed horns is infectious, and remains so as the tune transforms into a mambo. "El Cambio Es Necesario" melds son, jazz, and funky Latin soul, with sweeping horns, wah-wah guitars, a bumping bass, and an army of percussion. They collectively prod the horns in alternating waves of swing and contrapuntal conversation. There are no substandard cuts on
Garret Saracho JIF015. While tracks such as "73" and wild closer "Calo" are more chaotic and free-form, they fold into the joyful aesthetic created by
Saracho,
Younge, and
Muhammad. This is one of the label's standout releases due to its sophisticated charts, engaged, kinetic ensemble play, and complex yet accessible compositions. ~ Thom Jurek
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