Personnel:
Cesc Miralta (saxes), Albert Sanz (p), Chris Higgins (b), Marc Miralta (d)
Reference: FSNT-149
Bar code: 8427328421492
Catalonian saxophone player Cesc Miralta is back, with his second leader recording for the Fresh Sound New Talent label. Following on from Sol de Nit, and its unusual interplay and warm tones, comes Carretera Austral, a unique vision of the world that surrounds him and nature. He is joined on this CD by his brother, the critically acclaimed drummer Marc Miralta, North American bass player Chris Higgins and also pianist Albert Sanz.
The CARRETERA AUSTRAL is a long stretch of earth, measuring some 1000 km, and is the only road that crosses vertically the southern part of Chile, often called the austral region of the country. It is virgin territory and scarcely populated. This tune attempts to recreate the journey-adventure by bicycle that I undertook from Puerto Montt to Villa OHiggins.
The CARRETERA AUSTRAL lends its name to this CD because the sum of these tunes is also a journey of sorts and with each tune I have tried to present a different aspect. SOTA EL SOL DEL PONENT, for example, describes a very hot place, under a blazing sun, where time seems to move more slowly. VENECIA is the melody of water, the buoyancy of a boat. ABRIL is flamenco, like in Andalucia. The melody of CARRER 8 1/2 reminds me of the imagery of old films. I put the title as CARRER (street) after the film La Strada and 8 1/2 after Otto e Mezzo. D.O. PRIORAT comes from the wine I love and the wine from Priorat is a strong wine with a lot of personality, rather like hard bop.
-Cesc Miralta (taken from the inside liner notes)
