Emilio Teubal: Futuro
Not Yet Records

Most of the music on Emilio Teubal's sixth album as a bandleader was written during an early 2020 lockdown and therefore emerged during some of the most harrowing days of the pandemic. Rather than succumb to despair, however, the NYC-based Argentine pianist decided to accept the reality of a post-pandemic world and orient his creative outlook and energies towards the future. That he adopted such a positive stance is all the more admirable when the recent death of his father is factored into the equation.

While Futuro includes contributions from vibraphonist Chris Dingman, guitarist Fede Diaz, and clarinetist Sam Sadigursky, at its core it's a piano trio album augmented by guests. Consistent with that, as undeniably rewarding as the tracks with Dingman, Diaz, and Sadigursky are, those featuring Teubal, bassist (acoustic and electric) Pablo Lanouguere, and drummer Chris Michael—christened by the pianist the Emilio Teubal Post-Trio—are actually even more powerful for showcasing their remarkable telepathic interplay (note that Brian Adler appears in place of Michael on a number of cuts due to the latter's ongoing battle with post-COVID 19).

Multiple styles converge on Futuro, with Argentine folk rhythms—Zamba, Chacarera, Milonga, etc.—often surfacing. Contemporary jazz, classical, and rock are also part of the mix, however, on an album that features Teubal compositions exclusively but for a charming cover of the Lennon-McCartney classic “Blackbird." Indicative of the album's eclectic nature, “Remolinos (Tolerance)” even pays homage to one of the pianist's favourite bands, King Crimson, specifically the Discipline-era Bruford-Levin-Belew-Fripp model, and it's certainly possible to hear the connection in the intricate patterning and tricky rhythmning of the Teubal piece.

The scene-setting title track draws one in with an infectious groove and inspired interplay between the ensemble, Diaz's funky guitar strums nicely complementing Sadigursky's swinging lines, Teubal's rousing piano, Lanouguere's solid pulse, and Adler's percussive flourishes. The Post-Trio then takes over for “Children of MMXX,” the bassist and Michael showing themselves adept partners to the leader. One of the primary takeaways has to be the balance achieved between the three when the contributions of each player are equally integral to the result. Following a memorable Lanouguere solo, Teubal asserts himself with a towering one of his own, but the trio registers as a collective entity, not a pianist supported by others. As absorbing are “Rio,” for the buoyant South American-inflected drive generated by Michael and the high-velocity sparkle the leader drapes across it, and “Tortuga,” a piece that earlier appeared on his solo piano album Tides and that in this effervescent trio rendering exudes joy.

While Sadigursky and Diaz do their part to enliven the Chacarera-infused “Los Que Fluyen,” Dingman makes his presence felt during the breezy “Cinco en Seis Cuerdas” and “Blackbird.” Teubal composed “Tokyo Trenque” in the style of Zamba, a rhythm from the north of Argentina, and titled it after a close friend who was born in Trenque Launquen and died in Tokyo in 2019. With Sadigursky, Diaz, and Teubal sharing the front-line, the heartfelt performance makes for a dignified homage to Eduardo Garcia. As personal an expression is “Los Ultimos Seran Los Primeros,” a fond trio tribute to the pianist's father, Miguel, who passed in January 2021.

March 2023