Soon after a career of intense activity as a sideman in projects such as Richard Nant's Big Nant, Juan Izkierdo Grupo, and Juan Pablo Arredondo's octet, among others, and after finishing the Superior Technicature in Jazz at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Manuel de Falla, the young trumpet player, and composer Joaquín Muro release his first album as a leader: Oxímoron. For the recording of the same one, he summons the pianist and composer Pía Hernandez, the double-bassist Diana Arias, and the drummer Martín Freiberg. In addition, the album has the guest participation of saxophonist and composer Camila Nebbia, the multi-instrumentalist woodwind musician Patricio Bottcher, in this case playing Bass Clarinet and Soprano Sax, and the also multi-instrumentalist Pablo Quiñones, on the bass drum and percussion accessories.
Oxímoron's music has two clear lines of influences: on the one hand, from the compositional and arranging side, the influence of Guillermo Klein and Richard Nant is evident. The latter was Joaquín's teacher for more than 4 years, both in the instrument and in composition, and also director of the project he has been part of for more than 7 years: La big nant. On the other hand, from the timbral search with the instrument and the language of improvisation, in addition to the obvious influence of Nant, Joaquín's listening and following of the work of trumpet players and composers Jorge Vistel (Cuba) and Ambrose Akinmusire (USA) is evident.
The soundscapes of Oxímoron show the wide range of music that Joaquin has been listening to, studying, and playing over the years: modern jazz in irregular metrics, combined with Argentine folklore, free improvisation, and even the most classical jazz.
Finally, the title of the album is rooted in the incredible irony of launching the first album as a leader, a new group, and a solo career in the middle of a pandemic year, with all that this implies: the impossibility for musicians to get together, to play live, to see their possibilities of expressing and developing their art reduced to practically nothing, to achieve a project of this magnitude, with all the difficulties that this entails. This made that for Joaquín 2020 was the most difficult and at the same time, the best and most prolific year in his musical career (and surely for many other musicians as well): from seeing his career reduced to nothing to the formation of his first band with the recording of an album included make the timeline of this project a true oxymoron in his very own right.
1. Perro Siberiano 07:22
2. Venus en Escorpio 06:55
3. Raíces 06:44
4. La Tierra Colorada y las manos 07:47
5. La Septima 06:14
6. Yagua 06:31
7. Vidala para el velorio de angelito 11:44
Joaquin Muro - trumpet / compositions
Pía Hernandez - piano
Diana Arias - double bass
Martín Freiberg - drums
Guest musicians:
Camila Nebbia - tenor saxophone on “Venus en Escorpio”
Patricio Bottcher - bass clarinet & soprano saxophone on “La Tierra Colorada y Las Manos”
Pablo Quiñones - bombo leguero on “La Tierra Colorada y Las Manos” Y “La Séptima”
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Agustin Silberleib at Estudio Doctor F. in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Produced by Joaquin Muro
Original art by Juana Sallies
Album cover photo by Florencia Finnegan
