Music / contemporary jazz
Review: Roberto Fonseca, St George’s.
On the one hand you never quite know what you’ll get at a gig by Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca. Past local appearances have ranged from a massive Afro-Cuban big band to a solo theatre performance. This time would feature a classic piano trio format with long-time Havana collaborators Yandy Martinez on bass and Raoul ‘Ruly’ Hernandez on drums. And on the other hand you can always be pretty certain that the ebullient Fonseca will deliver firebrand music driven by Cuban rhythms with the kind of irrepressible enthusiasm that is impossible to resist being caught up in.
Roberto Fonseca (piano), Yandy Martinez (bass), Ruly Hernandez (drums). (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
And so it proved to be, with the pianist settling straight into a stately melody that became the basis for a spirited three way improvisation over a corrupted Montuno riff that slipped in and out of focus. The trio rode the swell of the number into a storming climax that, with just a raised eyebrow, Fonseca steered into a sudden subsidence and a tidy finish. It was a great way to start, lifting the near-capacity audience into receptive mode in a matter of minutes – a situation that would only intensify throughout some ninety minutes of playing across two sets.
Roberto Fonseca and Yandy Martinez (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
There was much to be receptive to. Fonseca’s technical virtuosity was frequently breathtaking, both in the soaring complexity of his fingering and the conceptual skill of remoulding a tune from one idiom to another or seamlessly morphing into something new. He was well matched in this by Martinez, whose six-string bass guitar playing enabled moments of dazzling unison with the piano in Aggua, an almost symphonic number that grew from a wistful and solemn melodic intro to full-fleshed chords. Between bass and piano the underlying riff carried the tune through witty shifts and almost prog-like changes, layered in cross rhythms and held together by tight drumming through to a salsa grooving conclusion (and tumultuous applause).
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Roberto Fonseca (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
Taking up his double bass and bow, Martinez played a striking Flamenco-inflected raga solo to lead into a familiar tune – possibly Besame Mucho, though Fonseca’s faltering English meant that introductions, other than for the musicians, were non-existent. A stately reading on piano developed with an increasing insistence to the point of a repeated single note emphasising the bolero rhythm before contrasting anthem chords created another striking ending. Hernandez, whose drumming provided an energising subtext throughout, got his chance on a later track where Fonseca took to electronic keys, at one point hitting a classic Ray Charles R’n’B groove on clavinet. The insistent rhythm whittled down to minimal piano and bass while the drum solo roiled off into an impressive Billy Cobham overdrive – a fine mix of musical talent and sheer showmanship.
Roberto Fonseca (Pic: Tony Benjamin)
However intricate his playing, Roberto Fonseca almost never looked down at the keyboard choosing instead to swap smiles and glances with his colleagues, to scan the audience or simply to stare off into space, his expressive face shifting from effortful grimacing to beaming delight at something in the music. He injected a palpable joyfulness into the whole performance that was sheer pleasure to share and the audience’s increasingly ecstatic responses showed how widely it was felt. He left with a promise to return with a big project he is developing – yet another surprise no doubt, with yet more of the same reliably satisfying impact.
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