Jazz Batá 2

As a master of Cuban piano, any new release by Chucho Valdés is sure to spark excitement among Latin music fans and rightfully so. Jazz Batá 2 meanders through a kaleidoscope of harmonic sequences and rhythmic hocketing, proving that Valdés is not just a master of Cuban styles, but jazz too.

This is a long-awaited and stunning follow-up to 1972's Jazz Batá, an album which demonstrated an inspired use of batá, a percussive Santería ritual music. Batá uses a trio of hourglass drums laid sideways, iyá (the large mother drum), itótele (the smaller father drum) and the okonkolo (the baby drum), a system that indicates West African (more specifically Yoruba) roots. The drums are performed by Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé, most likely clamped to a stand in front of him so he can play multiple drums at once, or multi-tracked. The amalgamation of batá with jazz harmony and structure has made for fascinating listening.

My absolute favourite thing about this album (and there are many to pick from) is the mischievous appearance of the guajeo (Cuban ostinato piano riff) in unexpected places, suggested within melodies or appearing between sets of jarring jazzy cluster-chords. This is clear in the stunning 12-minute opening track ‘Obatalá’, named after the original Santería god and for me, the main event of the album.