Gabriel Vicéns: "Niebla" world premiere shows

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns will perform the music from his latest album Niebla live for the first time in Brooklyn: "Throughout the album he mixes abstract bits with almost easy on the ears melodies. Niebla might mean "fog", but Vicéns and his musicians share a joint clear vision: to create music where tone and risk taking are equal partners to create a mesmerising listening experience. Feel free to wander around in his world and get lost in a good way." He will be joined by the musicians who played on the record.

Gabriel Vicéns: scores available on Stradivarius & Wandelweiser

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has made some of his music available on sheet music seller's sites Stradivarius and Wandelweiser. This will helpful for students who wrecked their brains to get a handle on his modus operandi, creating modern jazz with a classical twist.

» gabrielvicens.com

HCTF review of Niebla

Gabriel Vicéns: "Vejigante" video

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has unveiled a video for Vejigante, a track from his new album Niebla: "Throughout the album he mixes abstract bits with almost easy on the ears melodies. Niebla might mean "fog", but Vicéns and his musicians share a joint clear vision: to create music where tone and risk taking are equal partners to create a mesmerising listening experience. Feel free to wander around in his world and get lost in a good way." The animation was made by Poli Marichal.

Gabriel Vicéns: "Stray Dogs" video

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has unveiled a video for Stray Dogs, a track from his new album Niebla: "Throughout the album he mixes abstract bits with almost easy on the ears melodies. Niebla might mean "fog", but Vicéns and his musicians share a joint clear vision: to create music where tone and risk taking are equal partners to create a mesmerising listening experience. Feel free to wander around in his world and get lost in a good way." The clip was directed by Adrien H. Tillmann

Gabriel Vicéns: Niebla

New York based composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns goes for a more intimate sound on his new album Niebla. While its predecessor Mural was recorded with a large ensemble, including a prominent role for the strings he now goes back to jazz to tell the story of being an outsider in an environment that turns more hostile each day, although the Big Apple is still a safe haven of sorts. His Puerto Rican roots come to fore in the choices he made for the rhythm, making them adventurous most of the time, alternating between avant-garde and not quite straightforward most of the time.

Vicéns can paint with sound in his compositions and he has the knack to transfer his ideas clearly to people who will have to look up chromesthesia. The most obvious reference to this phenomenon is 900-50-80, inspired by a colourful abstract piece made by Olga Albizu. Throughout the album he mixes abstract bits with almost easy on the ears melodies. Niebla might mean "fog", but Vicéns and his musicians share a joint clear vision: to create music where tone and risk taking are equal partners to create a mesmerising listening experience. Feel free to wander around in his world and get lost in a good way.

Gabriel Vicéns: "Guaiza" video

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has unveiled a video for Guaiza, a track from his forthcoming new album Niebla. It is a subtle conversation between all the players, letting their instruments do the talking by way of gentle, intricate jazz.

Gabriel Vicéns: "Niebla" video

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has unveiled a video for Niebla, the title track from his forthcoming new album: "[It} is a conversation between all the participants, although his guitar and Roman Filiú's alto saxophone dominate the proceedings, before the percussionists bring it home safely, setting up the stage for a final repeat of the melody."

Gabriel Vicéns: new album "Niebla" in March

Composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns choose not to play it safe and repeat the strings driven music that made his Mural album a critical triumph. For the follow-up, which is due for release in March, he went back to using a smaller ensemble to bring his adventurous take on jazz to life. The title track Niebla (which translates to "fog") is a conversation between all the participants, although his guitar and Roman Filiú's alto saxophone dominate the proceedings, before the percussionists bring it home safely, setting up the stage for a final repeat of the melody.

HCTF's best of 2024 (5-1)

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HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. Here Comes The Flood covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: final countdown from number 5 to 1.

Please shop at your local record store. Most of the stores have a pretty good website where you can order your stuff. It might even be cheaper than the big ones on the 'net. The folks who work there know their stuff and can recommend artists you might like.

Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows and stop by the merch table. And be sure to tell your friends about that great new act you discovered. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

Gabriel Vicéns: Mural

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HCTF

New York based composer and guitarist Gabriel Vicéns has mastered the art of less-is-more on his new album Mural, a collection of modern chamber music pieces wherein the spaces between the notes are as important as the music itself. He plays a game of hide and seek with his audience, that will likely induce quite a bit of head-scratching, before giving way to being in awe for his bravado. Vicéns always seems to be one of two steps ahead as he urges his musicians to step on the tightrope and follow him to the other end, where - after a short stop on a platform - the next challenge is already waiting.

Vicéns avoided to use of any percussion instrument in his compositions, so there is no common ground for the orchestra to fall back on. By doing so, he created a tapestry of sounds without a safety net that can be as unpredictable as a bunch of leaves in the Autumn. Hanging onto a particular instrument may offer some kind of comfort, but it is the dance of all the players that makes Mural a mesmerizing work of art.