1. Burrito Hill
2. Globo
3. Niños
4. Mariana
5. Mareados
6. ArteSano
7. Moreira
8. The Habit of Memory
9. Piano sonata op 22 (first mov.)
10. Carrera
An important vehicle aiding in the direction musical polyglot Guillermo Klein’s art follows is that both the process and product have meaning. As a bandleader and principal composer/arranger for Los Guachos, Klein is responsible for sustaining a large ensemble of the highest caliber musicians that creates music that is both attractive and unique.
Klein’s new recording with Los Guachos, Carrera, proves significant for a number of reasons. This recording is a collection of compositions generated prior to and after Klein’s return to his birthplace Buenos Aires from Barcelona, a move that has had a tremendous impact on the composer and his family. The songs on the recording contain strong messages that Klein feels need to be heard. And most importantly, the recording demonstrates the tremendous bond that continues to grow amongst the members of Los Guachos.
The story of Los Guachos began at Berklee College of Music in Boston where Klein studied composition and jazz during the early 1990s. At Berklee, Klein met a number of sympathetic musicians with whom he created a large ensemble, which continued to assemble after his move to New York City. Los Guachos was a culmination of Berklee friends and New York associates that came together to play Klein’s music for residencies at Small’s Jazz Club and the Jazz Standard.
Los Guachos have been performing together for nearly twenty years. Though a large group, the ensemble has developed a camaraderie akin to family; more hermanos than bandmates.
“There’s a lot of care from the band on every note and I like the sound very much,” mentioned Klein. “You know… We’ve been playing for almost twenty years now and I can feel that.”
One of the first projects that Klein undertook upon his return to Argentina was arranging the music of Cuchi Leguizamón for the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival (Domador de Huellas, Sunnyside (2010)). Klein had always looked to Argentina’s musical past for inspiration and has continued on Carrera , arranging pieces by illustrious composer Alberto Ginastera and the tango tandem of composer Juan Carlos Cobián and lyricist Enrique Cadicamo. The Lequizamón project also reinforced the importance of strong lyrical content and vocals in Klein’s work. He made a concerted effort to make these more prominent on Carrera.
Read more at Sunnyside
