NU- ROOTS. THE IDEA Nu-Roots?

Nu-Roots is a trio led by the trumpet player with original compositions, versions of Latin, combined with representative standards, in David Pastor and completed by José Luis Brazilian and pop-rock tunes (U2, Bob Marley), which we count on special guest collabora- Guart on the electric piano, organ and key- always translated to the language. Nu- tions.” boards and with Toni Pagès on drums and Roots has sought out new sound and rhythmic Among these invited artists are the singer laptop. nuances for their old tunes, getting together Gemma Abrié, who has written a Catalan lyri- three musicians with an extensive and solvent cal adaptation of “Águas de Março” (T. Jobim), In these “nu roots” we encounter a jolt of jazz professional career in the Catalan fusion Susana Sheiman singing “A Night in Tunisia” and groove in which David Pastor unfolds all scene. (D. Gillespie, F. Papparelli), and an attractive his talent and mastery, as a celebration of all version of “Blue in Green” (M. Davis) sung by the music that has influenced him throughout New Tunes Old Tunes (Omix Records, 2014) promising young vocalist Saphie Wells. In ad- his life. A versatile and virtuoso trumpet player, is also a reliable reflection of the versatility of dition to this we have erstwhile collaborator with a brilliantly refined speech, David Pastor its trumpet player. According to David, this la- Ximo Tebar’s contributions on “Maria” (L. has created a fusion of jazz and the most elec- test record reveals “new tunes composed by Bernstein). He is a great guitarist, an accom- tric of music styles. It represents the recovery the trio – the band is completed by keyboardist plished manager at Omix Records, and lifelong of the blues tradition in its repertoire, combined José Luis Guart and drummer Toni Pagès- friend of David Pastor. THEY Who?

David Pastor

His musical versatility has led him to Jose Luis play with many bands and forma- Toni tions, such as the Moldavian Natio- nal Chamber Orchestra, the Brass section of the CSMM of Barcelona, Guart the Sedajazz Latin Ensemble, the Pagès Solar Sides Band, etc. José Luis Guart studied at Conser- Toni Pagès studied drum perfor- vatori Superior de Música in Liceu This great jazzmen has played and mance at Taller de Músics with de Barcelona. He finished his recorded with artists such as: Mi- David Xirgu and Ramón Díaz. At classical piano training in 1990 and chael Bubble, Armando Manzanero, the same time he received classi- he continued specializing in jazz Celia Cruz... He has collaborated cal music training at Conservatori with the professor Fancesc Burrul at with many Spanish jazz musicians: Superior de Música del Liceu de the same conservatorium. Likewise, Perico Sambeat, XimoT ebar, Mario Barcelona, with professors Jorge he studied at Aula de Música Rossy... and he has played with in- Garrido, Ramon Torramilans, and Moderna i Jazz with the bassist ternational artists such as: Clark others. Horacio Fumero. Terry, Chris Cheek, Mike Mossman, Steve Marcus, Richie Cole, Jack During his professional career, This keyboardist has been working Walrath, Dennis Rowland, Paquito Toni Pagès has performed with with different and diverse formations D’ Rivera, Frank Wess, Bobby many great musicians, like Raül since he was seventeen years old. Shew, Slide Hampton, Pat Metheny, Reverter, Pau Sastre, David Men- He was part of the leaded Bob Mintzer, Danilo Pérez, Giovanni gual, José Reinoso, Gabo, Anto- by the saxophonist Delphine, and Hidalgo and with Donald Harrison. nio Orozco, Monica Green, Paul the Aula’s Big Band as well. Carrack, Lisa Stanfield o Lucrecia, Besides, he has collaborated with He has played in prestigious jazz among others, and with bands like several contemporary and ethnic festivals like those in Montreal (Ca- Doctor No, Jazz el Destripador, groups, and different Latin and nada), Montreux (Suiza), Eurojazz Flam&Co., Passatge Jazz Quintet salsa (México), Cully (Suiza), Cultural or Orquesta Saturno. He cu- orchestras. Market of Salvador de Bahia (Bra- rrently performs with artists like sil), San Sebastián, San Javier, Te- Elena Gadel, Guillermo Prats, Currently, he performs with rrassa, Madrid,Barcelona... He has David Pastor, Jordi Bonell, Jordi well-known bands like Nu-Roots, performed in New York’s Carneggie Gaspar, Jordi Franco, Josep Lluís Kena-Up, Chap Shamir, Mondongo, Hall, in June 2009 with the SueñoIn- Guart, Miki Santamaria, Manu Sora, among others. material project, conducted by the Guix, Jaume Peña, Judit Nedder- maestro Joan Albert Amargós and mann or David Muñoz “Gnaposs”, with Laura Simó and Pedro Ruy among many others. Blas. WHAT Nu Tunes & Old Tunes

By Santiago Auserón

David Pastor presents the nine tracks of this album phrase that swings between the major and the minor like in the old double-sided vinyl records that today tone, as in the verge of an indecisive hour, but an spin again with defiance, because the sound wave is inspired melody promptly emerges. The piano intro- warmer and more faithful with the needle rubbing. The duces a refined interlude with an Hispanic accent trumpet player makes sense of this apparent step that, when the vivacious rhythm of Pagès returns backwards on the musical evolutionary scale by brin- with its electronic atmosphere, becomes a deranged ging together five original compositions on the “A” side landscape. and four versions of fundamental standards on the “B” side. The result is a format that will please music ent- To conclude the experiment, “Take 15” plays with husiasts because of the logical structure and its crea- the irregularity of the odd numbers, multiplying by tive ambition. three the standard title of the venerable Paul Des- mond. There is no demon of irregularity that won’t Every truth has, at least, two faces. The music is the mark of the hidden dance if you play the right music. The count of fifteen quavers splits a face, the order of what cannot be seen, but can be heard; it is played sequence that alternates even and odd numbers and that can be grou- by the hands and invites us to imagine the harmony as it would be in ped in three compasses of 5 time beats. It is not difficult to follow, if you front of our eyes. In the order of time there are also two faces: before know how. Less obvious is the composition around it of a return so ins- and after. The musical piece is in between, it banishes haste and fills pired, and this is what David Pastor and his Nu-Roots manage. The the inhabited space with good vibes. Sometimes, it becomes the em- step to binary time is – of course – a call to party. And when the odd blematic milestone which marks the passing of time. There is before phrase returns, the party continues with no thought for the count. They and after, for example, in “Aigües de Març,” in “Maria,” in “Blue in are accustomed to venturing forth into unexplored territories, and David Green” and in “A Night in Tunisia.” Each one of these tracks represents Pastor and Nu-Roots never forget to seek the heat of what’s popular. a significant twist on the popular music of the twentieth century. The face of the Old Tunes is opened by the delicate and inimitable sim- If the “B” side of the album combines four truths that refuse to be igno- plicity of Jobim, addressed by a piano with a New Orleans feel and with red, the “A” side is a new beauty which has been portrayed naked. It is a perfect rhythm of electronic dancing, acoustically delivered. Gemma not necessary to expound on the dialectic between tradition and inno- Abrié sings her accurate, smart and intense Catalan lyrical adaptation vation, because the music is eloquent enough in itself. To the root of in “Aigües de Març”. the first trumpet phrase on “Visto desde Arriba” – a tribute to a way of playing this instrument – two elements are added immediately to un- The original flow prolongs its own renovation. The flugelhorn answers derline the theme of progression: the dialogue with the funky electrics, with the joy of a blackbird in a perfectly crafted solo. “Maria”, the most which began and which in Nu-Roots is a hallmark, but with popular composition of the great Leonard Bernstein, is sounded out the addition of an Afro-Latin polyrhythm; and the beautiful, resounding through two voices, magically united by a long friendship: David Pastor melody that replicates the initial call with a liberated sound, one com- and Ximo Tébar’s guitar. Over a reharmonization that lifts the melody pletely naturalized in the jazz world. without losing any of its lyricism, the unison offers a precious, emotional, monumental version. Ximo Tébar is both concise yet boundless, and From this point onwards everything is a delight, a synthesis of liveliness David Pastor unfurls his visionary musical intelligence. and form. “Camarero Kako” walks with a snappy headway, from the vocoder phrase toward a space full of Mediterranean light. The simple “Blue in Green”, one of the most impressive Miles Davis ballads, is and pleasant base of the harmony is splashed by a scratching that ins- sung by Saphie Wells who applies to the diction a gorgeous vocal tex- pires the trumpet with meaningful sentiment. Often, a sudden phrase ture and a charming scat. Below this is the gleaming, possessed voice from David Pastor is worth a whole meditated composition. Amidst all of David Pastor, assuring us “I’m here, boys, and don’t forget it”. this, José Luis Guart plays the keyboards with elegant sobriety over the raw rhythm. The dynamic clarity of the second leitmotif allows Toni And all the while the exotic and velvety madness of pro- Pagès to drop the beat and tread his own path without compromising vides an honest, daring and fulminant lecture: “A Night in Tunisia” the stability. shoots its African geometric figures through Susana Sheiman’s voice, whose precision crafts something natural from the artifice, converting “In memoriam” starts with a reflection on Monk’s style with its piano the musical delirium into the best of both worlds. solo. Around the feline rhythm, interwoven with effects, the trumpet ari- ses with a sober nostalgia and in the second section it flies with the Between old and new there is one possible link: the musical intelli- help of the electronics toward spaces of altered harmony. Guart impro- gence, which in the trumpet player David Pastor manifests itself as a vises with a low timbre, in a lyric tone. The result of all of this is a warm pure passion. Everyone that has been fortunate enough to share the but relaxed psychedelic jazz, the fruit of an adventurous pursuit and a stage with him will understand what I am talking about. So too, perhaps, singular maturity. In the chilled-out atmosphere of “Song 4” there is a he who put aside his haste to listen to this album over and over again. HOW Technical Rider

Drums Trumpet 2 monitors 2 monitors. Microphone for bass 1 D.I for the effects drum, snare drum and 1 microphone 58 type hit-hat + 2OH for speaking 1 D.I for a laptop

Drumset: Bass drum of 20 or 18 Piano & Snare drum of 14 Keyboards Tom of 10 2 monitors Goliat of 14 2 D.I Brand DW Microphone for piano. 4 Cymbal stands 1 Snare drum stand 1 Hit-Hat stand 1 Acoustic Piano Bass drum pedal 1 Keyboard Midi 88 keys dynamic

Contact: Daniel Reina Imedio David Pastor’s Personal Assistant [email protected] Telf. 0034601041738 C/ Ramón y Cajal, 16 46111 Rocafort Valencia (España)