Los Ángeles is the collaborative musical outcome of the relationship between four musicians of different generations and places. New York-based saxophonist and sound poet Michaël Attias and three young Argentinian musicians: Nataniel Edelman (piano), Santiago Lamisovski (bass), and Nicolás del Águila (drums). The record here presented is a document of fearless improvisation, a strong sensitivity for compositions and songs, and a compassionate stand on musical dialogue. After a tour in Buenos Aires and other cities of Argentina in 2019, and a remarkable performance in Buenos Aires’ Jazz Festival the band entered the studio to record the music that was to become part of the album.
Some of the material was part of the book the band was playing on tour and other stuff was let to grow in the moment of recording. Most of the songs recorded were written by different members of the band, bringing a singular color to the whole. Also two Paul Motian compositions (Mumbo Jumbo and Mode VI) are included in the record along with the old standard “My Ideal”. But first a brief history of the group:
In 2016 Santiago Lamisovski and Nataniel Edelman traveled to New York to attend the Summer Workshop of the School for Improvisational Music (SIM), a unique workshop held every year in that city that features some of the best artists in the improvised and jazz music scene as teachers in the faculty. Michaël Attias was one of the teachers that year, and the exchange between teachers and students was very fluid. After a day of work, Santiago and Nataniel approached Michaël to ask him about a recording he did with the greats Paul Motian and Masabumi Kikuchi (On Broadway 5). A recording both of them deeply loved and felt close to, thus wanting to know more about it.
Michaël was very generous from the beginning, sharing stories and thoughts around it and also curious about these two Argentinians who wanted to know more about this record and the association between Motian and Kikuchi. The conversation ended with Michaël inviting the two for a session at his studio once the workshop was over. In 2018 Nicolás del Águila was living in New York City and attended a concert of Attias. After the concert, Nicolás approached him and among other things, they talked about their mutual Argentinian acquaintances.
The conversation resolved in Nicolás inviting Attias to a session at his studio, which happened a few days later. That was the beginning of a strong musical relationship between the four and that was to develop through the years and the distance. As Attias puts it:
“There is an interesting bridge happening between New York City and Buenos Aires, people from here going there, people from there coming here, sharing different ways of improvising and dealing with compositions going back and forth, so I felt really in my element right away.”
1. Ping Pong Angel Fold 12:16
2. Corcho Blanco 05:28
3. Libson 05:30
4. Mumbo Jumbo 04:19
5. Mode VI 05:23
6. #63 (settled) 06:56
7. My Ideal 06:28
8. Perecedero 08:04
Michaël Attias - alto saxophone
Nataniel Edelman - piano
Santiago Lamisovski - contrabass
Nicolás del Aguila - drums
Tracks 1,3 and 6 composed by Michael Attias
Track 2 composed by Santiago Lamisovski
Track 8 composed by Nataniel Edelman
Track 4 and 5 composed by Paul Motian
Track 7 composed by Richard Whiting, Leo Robin and Newell Chase
Recorded by Gonzalo Manco at Estudio Libres in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mixed and mastered by Mariano Miguez in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cover photo by Celeste Rojas Mugica
Design by Tomás Würschmidt
