Fantasias Barcelonicas - A Tribute to Paquito D'Rivera
SSC4561 2022-06-10
Track List
A Farewell Mambo - 8:39
Monk-Tuno - 3:49
Kites over Havana - 6:08
The Elephant and the Clown - 9:38
Wapango - 4:04
Cuban Sharks - 5:37
La Fleur de Cayenne - 3:29
La sombra del viento - 6:02
Mamblues pal Tete - 4:27
Choro Gaudiano - 4:42
Bachrinets - 1:25
Musicians
Paquito D'Rivera - alto saxophone, clarinet
Manuel Martinez - clarinet
Javier Villaplana - clarinet
Marti Guastevi - basset-horn
Alejandro Castillo - bass clarinet
From my very first visit in the summer of 1980, the city of Barcelona fascinated me in all its senses, from Montjuic, Las Ramblas and the monumental cathedral of La Sagrada Familia to the Palau de la Musica, La Boqueria market and Plaza de Espana. This must have influenced positively in my relationship with the members of the “Barcelona Clarinet Players,” which was love at first sight that began in 2018 during my conversation with the outstanding Cuban-Spanish pianist Pepe Rivero at the AIE headquarters in Barcelona. That afternoon they told me about the arrangement they had made of my “Afro” for a music program for children, so when I got back home I started sending them pieces of mine adapted from versions for previous formats, such as “Cuban Sharks”, “A Farewell Mambo”, “The Elephant and the Clown”, “La Fleur de Cayenne”,“Kites over Havana” or “Wapango”. All of this until one fine day the restless Barcelona Clarinetists got excited and commissioned me an original work for this very special musical ensemble. “Fantasias Barcelonicas” was born, moved by three emblematic Catalan artists whom I have admired for years: The inspired novelist Carlos Ruiz Zafin, who narrated the mysteries of the night in Barcelona, the charismatic pianist Tete Montoliu, whose sense of swing and jazz improvisation are an indispensable part of the soundtrack of the city where Miro and Caball? were born; and finally the brilliant architect Antoni Gaudi, who with his amazing and luminous style, fills the streets of his native land with unrepeatable architectural gems. The fact that this extraordinary group of fellow clarinetists decided on recording a CD with works of my own honors me by offering me the opportunity to sing publicly my love for this magical city and my devotion to some of his most beloved children. —Paquito D'Rivera, December 2021
