Manel Fortià is a bassist, and he writes the songs. Most of these pieces are driven by his connection with Raphael Pannier's drums, which allow Marco Mezquida to run away with the show on piano.

Manel Fortià Despertar (Segell Microscopi)

Born in Barcelona, Fortià recently spent a number of years in New York. And so his rhythms bound from classic NYC jazz to an Iberian lilt. On the whole, his compositions feel more Norteamericano to me, but the slips and sways just beneath the surface provide welcome light.

These are formal compositions. I'm sure there was plenty of improvisation along the way, but this is not a series of pass-the-solo exercises. Each member is careful to support the other two, and this interlocking interplay can build to almost rapturous heights.

While the playing is what really sells this album for me, the adventurous spirit within the composing carries through. When these songs really got cooking, I almost lost my breath. Cross-continental pollination rarely sounded so good.

Jon Worley