SWAN SONG by Daniel Diaz                                                                       REVIEW November 2015
DedeLand/Exodos October 2015

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer, Daniel Diaz, releases a new album, Swan Song, which is an instrumental gem that includes sixteen tracks and a total running length of nearly seventy-eight minutes long. The Argentinean-native brings together South American nuances, jazz melodies, new age arrangements, and laid-back, cinematic compositions for a truly world music recording that includes a range of musicians from the USA, Cameroon, UK, Denmark, France, Australia, and Cuba. Daniel plays bass, guitars, piano, vibes, hang, harmonium, percussion, accordina, charango, ukulele, and synth.

“Romantica Cromatica” begins with a few twinkling piano notes, laid-back swishy percussion, and accordina or bandoneon sounds. The jaunty mix contains some emotive violin displays from Denmark’s Line Kruse. The light percussion, strings, and piano notes signal a South American jazz medley with neo-classical, roots, and folk wanderings. The guitar sounds are rather acoustic and playful throughout. The violin amplifies the middle part of the song, as a fluid sax melody ensues. The quaint and diverse melody is rather romantic and evocative, but not too showy. The music showcases some excitement near the end of the song with a flurry of musical activity, but it is all very relevant and necessary.

“Os Historicos” opens with a swishy percussion melody and Spanish-tinged guitar set-up with clarinet sounds and a rousing rhythm that is very breezy and South American in tone. The short tune is more of an interlude, but it is very adventurous with a host of acoustic and electric instruments leading the way. The music is very upbeat without any missteps. It is almost Brazilian in tone with historical elements, too.

“Palermo” opens with a few cymbal clashes, eerie pings, blips, and horn sounds that seem rather incongruous. However, the brass sounds, tapping percussion, clanging cymbals, fluid vibes, and light melodies bring together a variety of elements that seem to work well together. The sub-nine-minute track is full of interesting sounds and instruments that culminate into a work of neo-jazz, avant-garde, and world fusion music. The sax blurts break up the music in experimental ways that do not detract too much from the rest of the instruments. In short, there is a lot of music in the nine-minutes.

“Neo Zamba (Fin De Siecle)” begins with a gritty guitar intro, sporadic percussion, breezy clarinet sounds, and rootsy sounds that weave in and out of various jazz idioms. The Fender Rhodes creates a funky, experimental, and classic sound with a dash of South American nostalgia that encompasses light, sauntering beats and instrumental arrangements that are very enjoyable.

“Harold’s Lake” opens with a few pensive piano notes and background washes with violin accents. The emotive work is rather new age in delivery, but the jazzy elements are still there. The diverse and almost frenzied string arrangements early in the song appear later in the song, too. The earthy violin sounds are not as refined as in classical music, which may be a deterrent for some. At any rate, fans of diverse jazz and roots music will appreciate Daniel’s organic treatment here.

Daniel Diaz’ latest release, Swan Song, may be a cliché, but that is where the fun begins. Throughout the sixteen tracks, Daniel brings out rousing rhythms, evocative melodies, a slew of instruments and guests, and a frolic through jazz, neo-classical, roots, new age, and avant-garde music. The result is a fusion of sorts that mainly experiments with the instrumental side of things with a few radio voices added in one track. Listeners should expect an album of surprises, as this is not a traditional album, vocal album, or rock album. It is an almost indescribable melding of South American and Mayan elements for today’s listeners.


Review by Matthew Forss (November 2015)
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) *****

 

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