Personnel:
Luis Pardellans (p), Jordi Gaspar (b), Enrique Heredia (d)
Reference: FSRCD 7504
Bar code: 8427328675048
Today, Pardellans returns to the recording studio to present us, his new musical explorations, alongside two outstanding fellow musicians: Jordi Gaspar on double bass and Enrique Heredia on drums. The brilliant music you will find inside "Back Again" is adorned with formidable harmonic sequences that invite you to immerse yourself in its stylistic development and enjoy each of its compositions. The uniqueness of each track on this album, both in its exposition and evolution, undergoes a process of reharmonization, shaping, adaptation, and reinterpretation, naturally and organically generating new musical ideas and diverse contexts.
Pardellans' Latin, Afro-Cuban, and Caribbean heritage is evident throughout the album —for example, with Brazilian influences in 'One More' Step, a Cuban spirit in 'Overtone,' and a distinctly Caribbean feel in 'Komba Calipso.' In all of these pieces, without exception, the pianist showcases his dynamic touch and his taste for bold melodic lines in unison, both in duos and trios. Meanwhile, in tracks like Listening, Pardellans delivers a magnificent contemporary discourse, supported by an outstanding rhythmic foundation from Enrique Heredia and Jordi Gaspar, upheld by a modern sound with perfect intensity.
The musical notation of this veteran pianist reveals important, distinctive, and unique characteristics that shape a musical texture that seamlessly integrates melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic concepts. These defining musical principles of Pardellans shine through in compositions such as 'Strolling On,' a delicate blues piece that tip-toes in and gradually develops into a rhythmically generous, swinging groove, or 'Enigma,' which chamaleonically shifts from an intimate, folk-like tone to a relaxed, perceptible funk.
The beautiful ballad-like introduction of 'London at Night' opens with an engaging dialogue between Jordi Gaspar and Luis Pardellans in a radiant duet, followed by a subsequent variation, featuring a solo from each musician, brimming with stylistic creativity.
The album concludes with 'Frenètic,' another piece introduced in unison by the trio, featuring a fast, agile, and technically brilliant solo by Pardellans, followed by a refined phrasing solo by Gaspar, all under the exceptional rhythmic framework of Heredia. Before the final restatement, Heredia crowns the album with a masterful display of technical prowess, showcasing an impeccable polyrhythmic capacity, making him one of the finest in the challenging art of drumming.
Thank you, Luis, for being back once again.
—Andreu Fàbregas (Springtime, 2025)
