Joan Torre's All Is Fused- Before (Album Review)

Before is the latest album from Puerto Rican Jazz quintet: Joan Torre’s All Is Fused. Before was composed and arranged by multi-instrumentalist Joan Torre’s, the band’s bass player. Torre’s has studied and performed in a wide variety of music including Salsa, Rock, Reggae, Latin Jazz, Funk, Fusion, Jazz, Classical Choir music and even Brazilian Capoeira music. His studies/performances in these genres of music are made obvious by the variety of harmonious Modern Jazz music that Before has to offer to its listeners. The members of Joan Torre’s All Is Fused are: Sergio González (Guitar), David Ojeda (Piano), Fernando García (Drums), Jonathan Suazo (Alto Sax), and Joan Torres (Bass).

Novelist and famous writer Ralph Ellison once said, “Jazz is an art of individual assertion within and against the group…”. In other words, the better of the groups of the jazz world are similar to living organisms. When you listen to Before you get this feeling. You get the feeling that what Torre’s has done is taken other masters of the Jazz craft and created this wonderful, breathing and living organism. The songs on Before are perfectly crafted arrangements that speak of the evolution and variety of sounds that Jazz music has to offer. Sounds from a Samba influence can be heard on a song like “True” whereas on the following song “The Chase” a Jazz/Rock Fusion feel is prevalent. That being said, nothing on this album even gives the slightest impression of sounds being accidentally placed. When you listen to a song like “Enlightenment” you can really visualize what Ralph Ellison was talking about. A 9-minute piece, with just hint of fusion to it, the song is a controlled disorganization of musical ideas. Each instrument takes a turn expressing itself while drummer Fernando García holds everything nice and compact for the entirety of the song. The ideas and the execution in the delivery of Enlightenment, is absolutely genius. All is definitely fused.

Before is a piece of artwork that can be appreciated regardless of your current relationship with Jazz music.

Source: Red House Reviews