No Base Trio - No Base Trio (2020) [Hi-Res]

No Base Trio presents their brilliant self-titled debut album

This recording features an energetic and imaginative set of entirely improvised music by one of Puerto Rico’s most creative bands.

No Base Trio is the union of alto saxophonist Jonathan Suazo, guitarist Gabriel Vicéns, and drummer Leonardo Osuna focusing on creating music without barriers and consistently pushing boundaries of sound and improvisation. After 10 years of performing at many important venues in Puerto Rico, No Base Trio will release their debut album on July 10th, 2020 under the radical label, Setola di Maiale created by Paolo De Piaggi and Stefano Giust, which highlights some of the most adventurous and creative musicians all around the world.

Recorded in January 2019 in Puerto Rico, the debut album features an entire set of highly creative, fully improvised music with influences of jazz, rock, electronic music, and ambient music. No Base Trio has a peculiar, individualized voice that these musicians have collaboratively crafted for over a decade. The energy of the album can be felt from the first track, EXT - 1. The track gradually leads to an energetic interplay of sounds, while the second track EXT - 2 is carried by a repetitive groove built between Vicéns and Osuna, and followed by Suazo’s imaginative melodic lines. Vicéns and Suazo intentionally craft their sound with special pedal effects throughout the album, exploring different textures and characters.

Other highlights include EXT - 5, an abrupt free improvised guitar intro by Vicéns, gradually joined by Osuna’s percussion and Suazo’s “EWI,” leading to a swinging guitar solo over a distinct walking bass by Suazo and the straight-ahead drumming of Osuna. The album culminates with EXT - 8, a meditative improvisation starting with the guitar creating some mysterious and unusual sounds, soon joined by Osuna’s floaty cymbals and Suazo’s inventive EWI sounds.

With the release of the No Base Trio debut album, this outstanding group is a representation of music’s continuous evolution, as these musicians find new ways of expression with wisdom, creativity, and passion. No Base Trio’s self-titled album is destined to become both a landmark in the canon of music made by Puerto Rican musicians, as well as in the canon of global music.