MICHAEL ECKROTH GROUP

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Truth Revolution Records

Michael Eckroth, piano/Fender Rhodes/electronic keyboards/composer; Alex “Apolo” Ayala, Raul Reyes & Edward Perez, bass; Mauricio Herrera & Carlos Maldonado, percussion; Joel Mateo, drums; Alex Norris & Matt Hilgenburg, trumpet; Peter Brainin, tenor saxophone.

Michael Eckroth has composed all the music on “Human Geography” except the tune by Bobby Hutcherson, the familiar “Little B’s Poem.”  This is a composition I never get tired of hearing.  The percussion of Mauricio Herrera and Carlos Maldonado is bright and exciting.  It acts as a catalyst for movement on this arrangement, pushing the music forward with waves of horn beauty, featuring Peter Brainin who introduces the lovely melody on tenor saxophone. Michael Eckroth’s piano is always an integral piece of the musical motor, as the ensemble roars forward.  On tunes like “Hilton” Michael Eckroth shimmers in the spotlight, his piano technique races forward as he blatantly improvises.  Eckroth tickles the upper register of the piano keys with confidence and determination.  There is an excellence of percussive excitement on this Hilton arrangement, as there is throughout this production.

The title tune, “Human Geography” offers a slower groove, but still is fired up with percussive energy. Eckroth’s piano introduction is smooth and intoxicating. Then, Eckroth, Brainin, and the two trumpeter’s trade bars, exploring an instrumental conversation before the drums take over.

“Funk Get’s It” is true to the title, very funky.  This is music with a Les McCann groove that shows Michael Eckroth can infuse his music with ‘the blues.’

Eckroth uses this album platform to show that his years of combining Latin cultures from Cuba to Puerto Rico, while embracing modern and contemporary jazz, has established his style.  He also incorporates African roots, to capture a unique, personalized musical perspective.  The title of his album may be a creative way of establishing his musical purpose. It’s taken from a sociological theory that says: cultures and the people within them are tied to their geographical location.  Certainly, I hear this in the music of the Eckroth Group.

For over a decade, Michael Eckroth and his astonishingly talented group of musicians have been perfecting a musical sound distinct to themselves. This music becomes a version of tradition on one hand, but it is also defined by the locations, the people, and the musical histories that these individual players (and the composer) bring to the studio.

Human Geography represents a musical map, sharing the processes, the creative progression, and the development of a style that absolutely represents the Michael Eckroth Group. This is Latin jazz with a twist.  It fuses an inescapable rhythm and purpose with the jazz idiom, creating a whole new language. This music is fabulous!

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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