Quarteto Nuevo      El Musico

Invocation (click to hear sample)
Silver Hollow   (click to hear sample)
Song to John
Lucia (click to hear sample)
Early Mourning Shadows (click to hear sample)       
Harmonic Sketch#1  (click to hear sample)
Even Picasso couldn't find her (click to hear sample)
Todos las Estrellas
With His Hat in His hand
Story of Maryam  

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NOTES ON THE MUSIC

Invocation - Composed by Quarteto Nuevo, Quarviej Music BMI
An acknowledgment to those who have come before.
AG - bass, CG - tabla, bell plates, cymbals, spring drum, RG - silence
AL - cedar flutes, breath, KR - Tibetan dranyen

Silver Hollow - Composed by Jack DeJohnette, Arranged by CG,
DeJohnette Music BMI
This piece is composed by the brilliant musician who also happens to be an exceptional composer, pianist, drumset player, and bandleader - Jack DeJohnette. Always an inspiration for his musicality and compositions, in any setting, DeJohnette also writes beautiful melodies. There are many different versions of this piece, utilizing different instrumentation's. This version utilizes a superimposed metric modulation, i.e., the feel changes but the actual length of the verse and chorus do not. The bridge has been extended for both soloists, as a pseudo tihai (a North Indian rhythmic device)setting up the new pulse for Alan's solo. Check out Ken's Pipa solo, and the pandeiro groove Randy lays down for Alan. East meet West meets East......

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, olla, RG - doumbek, pandeiro
AL - oboe, KR - 12 string guitar, pipa(Chinese lute)

Solos - Ken Rosser - pipa, Alan Lechusza - oboe

Song to John - Composed by Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke, Arr by CG
Clarkee Music BMI/Litha Music ASCAP
Dedicated to my mentor, teacher and friend - John Bergamo.
Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea wrote this piece in dedication to John Coltrane. (Stanley Clarke's Journey to Love album with John McLaughlin back in 1975.) I did a straight version of this with Svajati back in 1984 with piano/gtr/bs and tabla. Since then I have added North Indian elements to it - oboe, guitar and bass get symmetrically shorter solos bracketed by a recurring melodic fragment, while still retaining the harmonic shape of the piece. The full melody is then played by all - staggered. Randy and I get to trade solos on this one, cueing the band back in to play the full melody - all the while retaining the harmonic shape and rhythmic cycle. Back to the top.......

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, olla, percussion, RG - congas,
AL - oboe, KR - steel string guitar

Solos - Alan Lechusza - oboe, Ken Rosser - steel string guitar,
Alfred Garcia - bass, Christopher Garcia - tabla, Randy Gloss - congas

Lucia - Composed by Ken Rosser, Rosser Songs - ASCAP
The original guitarist for Quarteto was (primarily) a flamenco guitarist. When Ken came in he brought his great sound(s),open heart and mind, and a fluidity with jazz harmony together with a history of playing a wide variety of stringed instruments in a wide variety of setting from very different disciplines. (Quarteto reflects the more folkloric aspects of improvisation - musicos who learned improvisation through an oral tradition - through actual performance rather than a text book. Fluid with diverse forms and substance from various traditions - not bound by any. Every culture has its virtuosos and I thought it would be interesting for the group to utilize that.) Ken can make music over one scale or over the thorniest of harmonic roadblocks, and still make it sound effortless. He has a unique sound on each instrument, and unlike other string players, he does not tune the ethnic string instruments like a guitar. He plays them in their own tunings which makes it all the more authentic and beautiful. He graciously brought in Lucia one day and let us "Quarteto-ize" it

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, olla, shakers, RG - pandeiro
AL - oboe, KR - nylon string guitar

Solos - KR, AL, AG, CG - Olla, RG - pandeiro

Early Mourning Shadows - Composed by C.Garcia, Garciones Music - BMI
I used to play this piece on piano for years - since 1983 to be exact. The music takes me to a place I like to be. Ken opens the tune on unaccompanied nylon string guitar, and Alan makes the melody soar. Ken plays a wonderful electric sitar solo on this one (another one of his many stringed instruments) and Alan's solo is especially poignant.

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - cymbals, spring drum, RG - frame drum
AL - oboe, KR - nylon string guitar, electric sitar

Solos - Ken Rosser - electric sitar, Alan Lechusza - oboe

Harmonic Sketch#1 - Composed by Alfredo Garcia, AlfGar Music - BMI
I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by musicians who continually challenge themselves to make music they (possibly)have not been able to do in other settings. Alfred and I first played together back in 1978. We are not (by the way) brothers. Alfred is Cuban-American, I am Mexican -American. This piece was originally a bass solo - we did it as a duet for awhile with drumset. He asked if I would be interested in playing this with bass and percussion. Alfred is a wonderful musician, an accomplished guitarist and composer in his own right, he has tons of music already recorded that he will one day share with the rest of the world. The only electronic instrument in an otherwise all acoustic group, (I feel everyone's playing is particularly electric.) Alfred brings his great touch, tone and (quiet) spirit to the group.
(Note - the bass part on this piece is played in real time, there are no overdubs.)

AG - 6 string fretted bass, CG - tabla, kanjira, voice

Even Picasso couldn't find her - Composed by Paul Carman, Arr by CG
Jazz Fresners Music - BMI
Paul Carman is a multi-reed player who makes his home in Idwyllwild, CA. Best known for his alto playing in Frank Zappa's The Best Band you never heard in your life, he is a band leader, and past member of Continuum. He allowed me to "tweak" this tune, add the pala, tihai, and percussion solos out front and back. It is VERY different from his groups recorded version,(Paul Carman and ESP on the 9Winds label). It is slightly different than Continuum's version, (also available on 9winds) e.g., soprano and guitar play the melody, not alto and synthesizer. We also added a guitar solo over what was the coda on Continuum's version. Randy and I get to trade solos on this one, primarily in diminishing cycles of 7 with a Tihai in 33 beats. Alan's solo is over another great groove laid down by Randy Gloss on tar-rine primarily in 4/4. Alfred solos in 7/4 over a recurring harmonic cycle, and Ken solos over a repeating rhythmic cycle of 46/4(!) at the outro. Great playing by all.

I guess this is a good time to explain why there are 5 members in a group called Quarteto Nuevo. The group was originally a quartet for a year,but I kept hearing additional percussion in my head and decided to add an additional percussionist. But the person had to be special. A musician first who would never lose sight of their ears for the sake of technique. Randy Gloss came in and brought his wonderful colors, rhythms, space,dedication and spirit to the group,(Track 1 is a good example of Randys musicality - he didn't hear a part so he didn't play a part) adding a dimension that I could not have possibly imagined to the group. He is the 5th member of the "quartet".

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, cymbals, spring drum, voice
RG - riq, tar-rine, AL - soprano saxophone, KR - nylon string guitar

Solos - Christopher Garcia - tabla, Randy Gloss - riq
Alan Lechusza - soprano saxophone, Alfred Garcia - bass
Ken Rosser - nylon string guitar

Todos las estrellas - Composed by Quarteto Nuevo, Quarviej Music - BMI

This improvisation starts off with Alan Lechusza, bringing in his native instruments of the Americas to set the tone. (Alan's ancestry is native American). Throughout the recording Alan plays music that is impossible to play on a breath instrument. (Alan has never admitted this to me, but other horn players have told me as much - "When does he breathe?") And off the top of my head I cannot think of too many improvising oboists, other than the great Paul McCandless,and Yusel Lateef.
It amazes me that Alan still shows up for rehearsals with a smile on his face, and a cup of coffee in his hand always ready to play and make music not possible to play on his respective instruments. He is also a gifted multi-woodwind player, composer and improviser. He is one to watch and listen for.

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, bell plates, cymbals, spring drum,
RG - riq, frame drum, superballed frame drum, AL - cedar flutes, Thai flute, bottle,
KR - Tibetan dranyen

With his hat in his hand - Composed by C. Garcia, Garciones Music - BMI
Dedicated to my father Don Alberto Garcia
AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - finger cymbals, cymbals, spring drum,
RG - silence, AL - oboe, KR - nylon string guitar

Story of Maryam - Composed by Paul Motian, Yazgol Music, BMI
Another brilliant musician who happens to play drums (and guitar), Paul Motian. Primarily known for his work with pianist Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett as well as his own brilliant groups, and turning the notion of what a drummer should play on its ear. Mr. Motian is also an inspired conceptualist. This is the one piece that I didn't touch- rhythmically, harmonically, or melodically. Its beauty is its simplicity. It is a joy to play and makes my heart smile.

AG - 4 string fretless bass, CG - tabla, beatered cymbals, spring drum,
RG - tambourine drumset, ankle shaker, AL - soprano saxophone,
KR - steel string guitar

Solos - Alan Lechusza - soprano saxophone, Ken Rosser - steel string guitar,
Alfred Garcia - Bass

All compositions, arrangements, improvisations
realized by Quarteto Nuevo.
Unless denoted otherwise