BELEDO, Flotando en el Vacío
Liner Notes by JP Beledo
It was really a wonderful surprise when Leonardo told me that he wanted me to record an album with Carles Benavent and Jorge Pardo. Leonardo always comes up with ideas that make my head spin for a good reason. It was almost too good to be true.
After pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming I had to navigate through the idea and figure out what kind of material I would bring to the table. Carles and Jorge participated on Paco de Lucia’s “Solo Quiero Caminar” which is one of the best albums ever made and Carles and Paco duo “Monasterio de sal” is not only an extremely difficult song but it is one of the most impressive compositions ever written. That said, I knew that my album had to be completely different than that but my extreme desire for excellency would find a common ground where these exceptional musicians would feel comfortable using their amazing skills over my compositions. On top of that, we were going to have the incredible amazing Asaf Sirkis on drums who can jazz and rock hard but has an incredible vast knowledge of diverse ethnic music from around the world. We could not go wrong.
With all of that in mind I started writing and “Candombesque” came out on the piano, loyal to my Uruguayan roots, and “From Within” on the guitar that has a definite hint of flamenco in the chord changes. Little that I knew that Jorge Pardo would play so masterfully over it and I would have the time of my life exchanging solos with him in the studio, oh my God.
This album also created the right opportunity to integrate my contemporary tango composition “Rauleando” dedicated to the master of Uruguayan tango, Raúl Jaurena. I was fortunate to have played it with him in the context of a tango ensemble before he passed away. A lovely soul and a superb musician.
I also decided to use the composition “Flotando en el vacío” that was part of the repertoire of my beloved Uruguayan band Siddhartha (1977-1982). Because I was a student of the Conservatorio Universitario I got to attend a composition workshop with Héctor Tosar, composer, pianist, conductor, educator and one of the biggest icons in the history of the music in Uruguay. I presented to him the piano score of “Flotando en el vacío” and he played it like he already knew it, with the left hand riffs and the quartal harmonies on the right hand, wow. He pointed out that the main descending progression was definitely resembling flamenco music, which made me immediately realize that though my intention was writing Jazz-Rock, my young impulses were bringing out the kind of music that was coming from my veins and my ancestry. That is why I decided to include this tune in this project.
Leonardo and I had a few months to brainstorm and being able to develop all the ideas so that we could have the results we wanted. Leonardo asked me to come up with “Djelem Djelem”, a real anthem of the Romanian Gypsies. There are different versions of it and the original is a really slow and heart wrenching ballad with its incredible content. I wanted to have that heartfelt melody but I found my own way with the harmony and through the rhythm of bulerías. Carles was extremely helpful giving it the ultimate shape in the studio. When you get to work with musicians of this caliber you are safe because they are giving you more than 100% and their 100% is really big. This is the only tune that I recorded with a flamenco guitar and I just used it to play behind everybody.
Those were all the pre-written compositions, but we already anticipated that we were going to have improvisational sessions where we would have the great Gary Husband on piano and keyboards. From those sessions we brought “De tardecita”, “Es prohibeix blasfemar”, and “Rodeados”.
We were all at La Casamurada, a magical little castle made into a wonderful studio owned by the masterful engineer Jesus Rovira in Banyeres del Penedès, Tarragona, Spain. Gary was there recording a duo with Markus Reuter, also for Moonjune of course, and we had an unforgettable few days all together with Leonardo, Asaf, Carles, and Jorge from breakfast, dinner, and late night hangs by the pool. I’ll never forget the first night when Carles and Jorge arrived and we were chatting. Carles was telling me all about recording “Monasterio de sal” with Paco and Jorge was mentioning many incredible anecdotes. I could not control my deep emotions of being there with them. My eyes were crying with joy. Also it was sweet to get to spend time with Gary Husband who recorded on one of my previous albums “Dreamland Mechanism”. He was also touring with Allan Holdsworth and also with Soft Machine at times that I was opening for them with my band. Also it was so lovely to be on the road with Asaf Sirkis an exquisite human being now a member of Soft Machine that I was fortunate enough to go on tour as a member. All thanks to Leonardo of course.
Going back to this album that I am so proud of, I recorded the basic tracks of “Flotando en el vacío”, “Rauleando” and “Candombesque” on the acoustic piano at the session and then I overdubbed my electric guitar, but “From Within” and the rest of the tunes are played completely spontaneously at the session.
For sure I am leaving many things not addressed about the music and all of the incredible experiences around the making of this album. I hope you can sit down and enjoy it as much as we did making it.
BELEDO – electric guitar, Spanish guitar, acoustic piano, violin
JORGE PARDO – flute, tenor sax
CARLES BENAVENT – bass guitar
ASAF SIRKIS – drums
Special guests:
GARY HUSBAND – Fender Rhodes electric piano, Mimi Moog (tracks 3.5.8)
RAMÓN ECHEGARAY – candombe percussion (track 6)
Composed by Beledo (tracks 2,4,6,7), Beledo Pardo Benevaet Sirkis Husband (tracks 3,5,8).
‘Djelem, Djelem’ is a Romani traditional song from Balkans.
Tracks 1,2,4,6,7 are arranged and produced by Beledo.
Tracks are instantaneous improvisational compositions by Beledo Pardo Benevant Sirkis Husband
Produced by Beledo and Leonard Pavkovic.
Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic
Rearranging the traditional Balkan Romani son ‘Djelem Djelem; was Leonardo Pavkovic idea, his tribute to the Romani music of his native )now defunct) Yugoslavia, and his tribute to the Gitano music in general.
The song Flotando en el vacío (Floating in Space) was from one of Beledo’s early Uruguayan bands called Siddhartha (1977-1983).
The song Rauleando is inspired by and dedicated to the Uruguayan Tango Master and beautiful soul Raúl Jaurena.
Beledo uses Kiesel, Carvin and Godin guitars, Ernie Ball strings, D’Addario strings, Fractal AX8 pedalboard, Carvin Mach 100 power amp, QSC power amp, Marshall speaker cabinets.
AI Images bu Ainardo. Arytwork and layout by Leonardo Pavkovic.
All photos by Borislav Kresojevic.,
Recorded by Jesus Rovira on September 6 & 7, 2021 at La Casa Murada Studio, Banyeres del Penedes, Catalunya, Spain.
Mixed by Jesus Rovira on July 6 & 7, 2022 at La Casa Murada Studio, Banyeres del Penedes, Catalunya, Spain.
Mastered by Mark Wingfield in December of 2023 at Heron Island Studio, Cambridgeshire, England.
QUARTET DIMINISHED, Deerand
Quartet Diminished was established in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh. This is their fourth album, following Station Three (Hermes Records, 2021). Their music is stylistically diverse, drawing freely from contemporary jazz, art rock, and avant-garde music. The membership has been relatively stable. Sadigh (electric guitar) has had bandmates Soheil Peyghambar (woodwinds), Mazyar Younessi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums) on most of the group’s albums.
The instrumentation suggests many possibilities, including chamber jazz, Rock In Opposition-style art rock, and free improvisation, and the compositions have often been credited to Sadigh. But here the music is credited to the entire band, just as it was on the previous album. The practice of adding players from outside the quartet to the sessions was also repeated: the personnel includes bass guitarist/Chapman stick bassist Tony Levin, and touch guitarist Markus Reuter–who are also given co-composer credits. It makes for a bigger sound–the quartet is effectively a sextet most of the time–and clearly, the situation was an inspiration for all of the players. Previous albums have all been given Station numbers, but here the title Deerand comes from a Persian musical term that means the duration of an instrumentʼs tones.
The title tune is an extended four-part suite that showcases all of the aspects of the group’s music. Beginning with a rhapsodic solo piano joined by long lines from guitar and bass clarinet, it moves into a dark theme before taking off into fast repeated rhythms. The full band joins in, and a ripping guitar solo erupts, including some Persian flavor. Part III includes more driving rhythms and features the soprano saxophone, and the suite concludes with a gentle coda. “Tehran II” (the first “Tehran” appeared on Station One) goes into more abstract territory and stays rubato all the way through. “Mirrorside” serves as a kind of ballad. “Allegro Per il Re” closes out the album with more minimalist repetition, but with continuously varied instrumentation, as well as Persian-inflected melodies—an exciting end to an album that is a fine addition to the band’s already impressive discography.
EHSAN SADIGH – guitar
MAZYAR YOUNESI – acoustic piano, chants
SOHEIL PEYGHAMBARI – bass clarinet, soprano sax
ROUZBEH FADAVI – drums
Special guests:
TONY LEVIN – NS electric upright bass (Mirrorside), Chapman stick (Allegro per il Ré)
MARKUS REUTER – Touch guitar U8, soundscapes
All compositions and arrangement by Quartet Diminished
© ℗ MoonJune records & Quartet Diminished 2024
Produced by Markus Reuter and Quartet DIminished
www.quartetdiminished.com
Executive production by Sadjad Ghoroghi and Leonardo Pavkovic.
Recorded by Jesus Rovira on December 20 and 21, 2022 at La Casa Murada Studio, Banyeres del Penedes, Catalunya, Spain.
Mixed by Stefano Castagna at Ritmo&Blu studio.
Mastered by Erik Emil Eskildsen.
Album cover photo by Farnood/SipaPress.
Graphic design by Studio Shizaru.
Photos by Marziyeh Alihosseini, Maciej Wasilewski, Leonardo Pavkovic.
LUCA CALABRESE, I Shin Den Shin
I-shin-den-shin is a Japanese concept that describes a form of communication that transcends spoken words, relying on unspoken understanding, empathy, and shared feelings. The term is often translated as « what the mind thinks, the heart transmits » or « a heart-to-heart transmission. » It encapsulates the idea that emotions and thoughts can be conveyed and understood without the need for explicit verbal communication.
The concept has its roots in Eastern philosophy, particularly in Zen Buddhism and Confucianism, where the importance of nonverbal communication, intuition, and a deep connection between individuals is emphasized. It’s about the ability to convey meaning and understanding through subtle gestures, expressions, and shared experiences.
In a more contemporary context, i-shin-den-shin has also been used to describe certain interpersonal and artistic experiences, such as in music and other forms of art, where a strong emotional resonance is achieved between the creator and the audience, even without direct verbal explanation.
The term can be applied in various contexts, from personal relationships to artistic expression, emphasizing the power of genuine connection and understanding that goes beyond words.
LUCA CALABRESE – Pocket Trumpet
NGUYÊN LÊ -Electric Guitar
MARKUS REUTER -Touch Guitar AU8, Soundscapes
MARK WINGFIELD -Electric Guitar
ALEXANDER DOWERK -Touch Guitar S8
Produced, arranged and orchestrated by Markus Reuter.
Music written by Calabrese/Reuter/Lê/Wingfield/Dowerk,
except « Magnetic Soul » by Reuter/Calabrese.
Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic.
Recorded by Jesus Rovira at La Casamurada, Banyeres del Penedés, Spain, September 5, 2022. Post-production and mixing by Stefano Castagna at Ritmo&Blu Studio, Pozzolengo, Italy. Mastered by Lee Fletcher.
