Edmar Castaneda @ The KC Jazz Club

Posted by Tom in DC Life on 03 30th, 2009 | one response

Edmar Castaneda There’s just something about Latin jazz that can put a grin on the most dour face. Even in the potentially staid setting of the Kennedy Center , the joyous and infectious rhythms can have feet tapping, heads bobbing, and the audience cheering. That was the atmosphere during Edmar Castaneda ’s early set on Friday night at the KC Jazz Club. The fresh faced Colombian prodigy, still in his 20s, made a recent area appearance at Twins Jazz and then returned for last year’s Duke Fest. It’s a shame we missed the former, because Friday made clear that Castaneda won’t be returning to such small rooms any time soon. Beginning with the free form intro to “Cuarto de Colores”, the trio of harp, trombone, and percussion signaled that this music was going to be something different. One might think that the absence of the bass would leave a hole in the sound, but the range of the harp more than filled the ensemble’s sound. As the piece took shape, the syncopated interplay between harp and percussion created rhythmic intensity that provided a driving foundation to the pristine sound of trombonist Marshall Gilkes ‘ melody. And thus began a musical journey around South America that lasted another 90 minutes. The interaction between Castaneda and drummer Dave Silliman was impressive throughout the concert. Employing a drumset that included a battery of trinkets, hand drums, and a

cajon instead of the traditional drum throne, Silliman showcased his melodic style and complete mastery of Latin rhythms. The San Francisco native, who has played with artists ranging from Mariah Carey to Cassandra Wilson, shined on “Entre Cuerdas”, a challenging composition that began with a traditional Colombian theme and developed into a polyrhythmic workout. After performing “Jesus de Nazareth”, a gorgeous solo piece Castaneda composed in celebration of his strong faith, the full trio once again took the stage to perform an uptempo samba interpretation of the classic, “Autumn Leaves”. During the song, Castaneda traded extended cadenzas with Gilkes, in which the Maryland native juxtaposed his crystalline tone with burps and squeaks to almost outshine his bandleader. Casteneda then invited vocalist Andrea Tierra onto the stage. He quipped that the band is normally a quartet, but was now a quintet. Not missing a beat, his lovely and colorfully dressed wife jokingly massaged her very pregnant belly. Jokes aside, the ensemble performed a dramatic piece by Joan Manuel Serrat , which Tierra delivered with a passion often associated with Latin vocalists. The rewarding evening came to a close with one of Tierra’s compositions. Set over a traditional Colombian rhythm, Tierra sang an ode to her homeland, her rich alto evoking imagery of beautiful mountains, blue skies, and open-hearted people.