Right from the outset the Jazz’Takí Collective was intended to be an open-ended musical project as far as styles and instrumentalists is concerned. Led by Javier Alcalde (bass guitar, composer), the group began playing as a trio in 2008 during the “Primer Ciclu de Jazz Feichu en Llión”, an event organized by the Department of Culture of the City of Leon.
With its sights set firmly on recording a CD, and due to its need to grow both in numbers and musically, the group evolved into an octet and began to employ instruments such as the marimba, the saxophone, the Spanish guitar and the flute, which enhanced the group’s original basic line up of drums, bass and piano. The result of these encounters was a record called “Isla Bernesga” which contains a number of original compositions by Javier Alcalde which encompass a wide range of sounds, always with jazz and the fusion of musical styles as the group’s principal calling card. At the same time, and without ever failing to stay in touch with the arrangements, each musician has the opportunity to bring his own personality to the music and that, together with the freedom they enjoy when it comes to improvising, clearly enriches the group’s performances. The group presented its CD in public in the Auditorium of the City of León in May 2009, a performance which featured all the musicians who had participated in the recording.
Nowadays the Jazz´Takí Collective is mainly a quintet, featuring musicians who no matter where they go bring with them both a great sound and considerable experience. Together with Javier Alcalde on electric bass guitar, the group’s lineup is:
-Juan Carlos Otero (tenor and soprano saxophone, Senior Professor of Saxophone in the Conservatory of Music of Vigo)
-Ricardo Costa (Trumpet, currently taking advanced studies in Jazz at the Conservatory of Music of La Coruña)
-Nuno Oliveira (Drums, currently taking advanced studies in Jazz in ESMAE, Porto)
-Antonio López (Piano, currently taking advanced studies in Jazz in ESMAE, Porto).
The performance will mainly feature music from the group’s “Isla Bernesga” CD. Without in any way losing its essence and clearly influenced by hard jazz and post-bop, this current lineup bring elements of free and new jazz to the music. We are attaching some images which may come in useful for you.
This post is also available in: Spanish