PAULA SHOCRÓN — Paula Shocron / William Parker / Pablo Díaz : El Templo (review)

PAULA SHOCRÓN — Paula Shocron / William Parker / Pablo Díaz : El Templo album cover Album · 2021 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Here in a Western world we don't know much about, contemporary South American jazz, it's a shame. Leaving aside bossa-novas of early 60s, Hermeto Pascoal and Corea's introduced Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, all from the past, there is probably Ivo Perelman only, who gets wide international recognition.

In a region, having deep musical traditions and specific roots, during the last decades formed an interesting jazz society, Argentinian pianist Paula Shocron is one among few names, which found their way to the international scene.

Classically trained from the age of 5, Paula studied composition at Rosario University. In 2005 she released her first album as a leader, playing more traditional jazz, but it took a decade for her to switch towards more free and adventurous jazz. With her SLD trio (incl. her partner Pablo Díaz on drums and bassist Germán Lamonega) Paula released a series of avant-garde jazz albums in Argentine, and on European labels (Polish Fundacja Słuchaj!‎ and Swiss Hat Hut Hatology). "El Templo" is her first ever American release as leader though.

With an acoustic trio, including her regular drummer Pablo Díaz and legendary American bassist William Parker, Paula for the first time recorded an album still in 2016 ("Emptying The Self", released on her own NendoDango Records). The other one contains live recording at Ibeam, Brooklyn, NYC, from 2019.

"El Templo", the trio's third album, is recorded in the studio and contains four compositions. "Los Jardines",the opener, is an explosive percussive piece. Paula plays her fast angular staccato, very much Cecil Taylor, just not such heavyweight, more dry and abstract.

The whole album is centered around the title composition, a suite of sorts, lasting about a half-an-hour. It starts with slow-tempo, almost meditative piano, but later changes themes and flows many times providing enough space for each musician. The rhythm section is great on support, Paula's strong side is her solo improvs, being on the back not always works well though.

"Ausencia" is romantically colored ballad with classical piano influence. "Capricornio", the closer, returns the listener back where it all started - percussive high energy piece, which starts like drums-bass dialogue, but slowly the piano takes over the control and whole album finishes with fast, almost nervous, another Tayloresque piano attack.

The album's main attraction is, similarly as with some other Shocron works, the fresh take on already almost classic free jazz, without even traces of boredom or repetitiveness, which are not so rare component in many American and European artist's music.
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