Alfredo Remus - 1973 - Remus 5

Alfredo Remus

1973

Remus 5

01. Johann Sebastian Blues (Lalo Schifrin) 13:00

02. Alfonsina Y El Mar (A.Ramírez, F. Luna) 6:30

03. Amor Por Todo Esto (A. Remus) 16:50

04. The Gentle Rain (Luis Eça) 3: 32

Alfredo Remus , bass, electric bass

Hugo Pierre, alto and soprano saxes

Raul Parentella , Fender Rhodes piano

Carlos "Pocho" Lapouble, drums

Norberto Minichillo, percussion

Recorded May 25, 1972 at Estudios Ion, Buenos Aires

Alfredo Remus is not only an Argentinean jazz bass player: his many qualities make him world worthy. His jazz "walking" style, tempo and swing are unique --in my opinion - he ranks among the best players in jazz history. I remember hearing him in Buenos Aires for the first time at one of the Monday sessions of the Bop Club Argentino, probably in 1955, and then in 1956 playing with Lalo Schiffrin's quintet at "Le Roi"--a night club in Buenos Aires. The other members of that quintet were Gato Barbieri (tenor sax), Rubén Barbieri (Gato's elder brother, trumpet) and Oscar Mazzei (drums). To quote Fernando Gelbard, one of the producers of this album: "I couldn't dream that I was destined to partner with Alfredo in many projects and be privileged to have him in some of my recordings and as a member of my rhythm section so many times." Alfredo Remus performed with a who's who of the jazz and bossa nova world: Enrique "Mono" Villegas, Gato Barbieri, Lalo Schifrin, Chivo Borraro, Paul Gonsalves, Tony Bennett, António Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, Maria Bethânia and tango-folk artists Mercedes Sosa, Ariel Ramírez and Susana Rinaldi.

Let us listen to Gelbard again: "This album was conceived by Alfredo and my participation in it was actually to donate free studio time at ION recording studios, of which I was the owner. The very date of the recording tells a story: May 25, 1972. May 25 is one of Argentina's most important patriotic holidays and the studio was closed to regular business. Alberto Cortez Funes and Felipe Eusebio are two inspiring individuals that lent their support and ideas to this project."

Alfredo Remus' sidemen in this album, are part of the group of the most talented musicians from Argentina: Hugo Pierre, on soprano and alto saxes, ranks among the ablest reed players in the country; Raúl Parentella, an excellent keyboardist; Carlos "Pocho" Lapouble on drums and Norberto Minichillo on percussion were--both died recently--two of the keenest rhythm providers of their generation.

The tunes played on this album show Remus's taste for varied material. They get started on the blues filtered through Bach's music as imagined by Lalo Schifrin: the many different facets of this interpretation of "Johan Sebastián Blues" are amazing. Then they turn to an Argentinean song. "Alfonsina y el Mar", that has been a popular hit almost from its very beginning, a zamba, full of nostalgia, which they explore from several points of view before going back in the end to it's lovely original melody. Afterwards they reveal the many sides of Remus's "Amor Por Todo Esto" (Love for All of This). And in the end they offer a short, juicy rendering of the Brazilian composer Luis Eça's "The Gentle Rain".

Enough words, just listen to this musical beauty.