Javier Moreno - Quinteto Capital (2023)

An album captivates when it takes you through different landscapes, when it transports us to an imaginary world with coherence. Also, when itinspires us. This piece of work by Javier Moreno projects a musical medley, a jazz with peripheral perspective, a succession of musical sensations that are well worth delving into and allowing one self to be carried away by, because it captivates and encourages us to continue on the journey despite setbacks. The music conveyed by the work of these musicians is a breath of fresh air, a tone that establishes a way of being and reaches its fullness in the rhythm of Borja Barrueta on drums, Román Filiu on alto saxophone, Víctor Correa on trombone, Jorge Vistel on trumpet, and Javier Moreno himself on double bass, in addition to the compositions.

Composing music to create a coherent atmosphere, where different pieces fit together as if they were a mathematical exercise, it is not simple. The genius Charles Mingus, a totemic influence on Javier Moreno, said that “Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that’s easy. What’s hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” In “Quinteto Capital,” Javier Moreno presents a series of his own compositions that seem simple, but are far from it, and simply work out like a well-oiled tempo that Mingus would be proud of.

This creative process of composition requires skills that develop based on experience and exposure to other forms of music. Javier Moreno can boast of a trajectory and learning experiences in jazz and flamenco, two universes that easily look into each other’s eyes because they originate from the same perspective, from which they took different paths. This musical vision is a rebellion against the oppression of human beings; itis the flag of humanism as a communication driver between the diverse. Its origin is in Africa, and its developmentis present worldwide through a sonorous diaspora with multiple ramifications.

Javier Moreno is part of that global perspective, in that deep understanding of music, in that knowledge of origin, and the responsibility of belonging to a blurred world of diverse music with a common destiny of enriching the soul. He has been in venues where the walls protectlife stories and freedom, such as the Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the National Arts Center in Mexico, the Sunset Sunside in Paris, the National Auditorium of Madrid in Spain, the Thelonious Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina, or sweating on the stages of New York clubs such as The Stone, Smalls, Iridium, or the Cornelia Street Café.

In this personal journey, which he has undertaken with commendable perseverance, he hasn’t wavered in his interest in continuously incorporating knowledge. “Quinteto Capital” is his fourth album as a leader for Fresh Sound New Talent and sounds like a pause in the middle of a mountain hike or an old building, where we sit down to rest on a mound or landing to enjoy all the landscapes and experiences he has carried in his backpack to reach that point. A trip to which the strength of his family and loved ones is also present, weaving an atmosphere of collective assertion. He does this alongside a group of musicians who contribute their own baggage to the big picture of a rounded album, a work of great value because it makes all of his music walk towards an unequivocal direction, following an imaginary black flag that serves as an anchor for what is happening and what is yet to come. “Quinteto Capital” is jazz of high human and spiritual quality, with the constituent elements of Javier Moreno’s universe. Enjoy the journey he presents; it’s well worth it.