Expansion
Reviews

Felipe Arce, Expansión, Fresh Sound New Talent ***

Full album playing personnel: Felipe Arce (bass), Sergio Wagner (trumpet & flugelhorn), Daniele Germani (tenor & soprano saxes), Leo Genovese (piano), Andrea Niccolai (drums) plus Mario Scaramuzza (baritone sax on En la Altura).

It only took six hours to record Expansión.

That’s pretty old school. Originals of debuting double bassist Felipe Arce figure.

He is from Argentina and Expansión is very retro 1950s-60s sounding in a classic US hard bop sense.

As a calling card and sonic word of introduction he says to the world ”baby, it’s me!”

The opening track of Expansión ‘Encaravanado’ recorded – like the rest of the album within a 6 hour window at a studio in Roselle Park, New Jersey in October last year – was composed by the bassist leader Felipe Arce.

The best known of the quintet here is pianist Leo Genovese who adds a lot of spirit to ‘Al Campo’ in particular and accompanies sensitively on the lovely ballad, ‘Chi.’

At times the album tends to the flame the Second Great Miles Davis Quintet left burning because saxist Daniele Germani is particularly Wayne Shorter like. But sweet toned Sergio Wagner on trumpet and flugel while making some telling contributions is not at all Miles-like. So there the rough comparison ends. But Expansión is too generic. And there could be more impact in the mix and mastering and the choice of tunes could do with a standard or two. However, it’s still a decent introduction to Arce, a player who is beginning to carve out a sound he and the others can be proud of.

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