Marta Sánchez - Partenika

"There's an intriguing flow throughout Partenika, pianist Marta Sánchez's second album as a leader. Like the heartbeat of a city or the pulse of an ecosystem, Sánchezs original pieces mesh together into a comprehensive framework.

The native of Spain and current Brooklyn resident was classically trained at her hometown conservatory before earning her masters degree in jazz from NYU. For this disc, she utilized one of her New York-based working bands, a cohesive unit compiled from international voices. (Alto saxophonist Román Filiú is from Cuba by way of Spain; tenor player Jerome Sabbagh hails from Paris; bassist Sam Anning grew up in Perth, Australia; and drummer Jason Burger was born and raised in California.)

Opening beings with cymbal washes, arco bass and Sánchezs hypnotic piano lines. Its an understated display of dramatic catch-and-release, with the bandleaders fluid keyboarding acting as a through line. The subsequent Patella Dislocation offers considerably more tension than relief. Shifting rhythms lay the foundation for some freer soloing before an extended solo by Burger.

According to the Ethan Iverson-penned liner notes, the title track was influenced by Greek street music heard near the Parthenon. One quickly can imagine tourists and locals populating the historic site, as Sánchez gently prods them along with her pathos-filled comping.

The journey concludes with the kinetic El Paso De Los Años, which allows each of the band members to stretch out as a group, leaving the listener at once satisfied and a little breathless.

-Yoshi Kato (September, 2015)
Down Beat Digital Edition