By: Matt Warnock
Point in Time is the exciting and engaging debut recording of Puerto Rico based guitarist Gabriel Vicéns. While most players his age are either still in school or cutting their teeth in jam sessions and the woodshed, Vicéns has already completed a degree in Jazz Performance from the Puerto Rican Conservatory, where he studied with some of the biggest names in the genre, including Jon Faddis, Miguel Zenón and Kenny Werner.
Not only has this talented young guitarist spent time learning from the greats, but he has brought two of them onto this project as guest artists. Both bassist Eddie Gómez and saxophonist Davide Sánchez make memorable contributions to the album as they complement the already tight core of pianist Eduardo Zayas, drummer Vladimir Coronel, saxophonist Jonathan Suazo and bassist Matt Clohesy. Together, the ensemble works together as they navigate their way through each track on the record, supporting each other when needed and stepping forward when the time is right, producing a well-composed, creatively arranged and expertly performed collection of twelve tracks written by Vicéns.
The tracks on the album can be categorized as Modern Jazz, but the influences that emerge on the individual tunes goes further than one category can describe. There is a heavy Latin influence that runs throughout the record, but it is not a Latin Jazz album in a traditional sense. Instead, one hears Latin inspired rhythms, grooves, lines and progressions come to the surface from time to time, then fade back as the song moves back into a modern jazz vibe. By allowing his influences to come out in his writing, as well as performing, without defining tracks by genre, Vicéns gives his audience a taste of the different genres and players that have influenced him over the years, as well as kept things interesting as the tracks explore different vibes, grooves and harmonic/melodic areas throughout the album.
As a guitarist, Vicéns draws heavily from the modern jazz vocabulary, while injecting a personalized approach to rhythm and time that is both fresh and exciting. Fans of Kurt Rosenwinkel will no doubt recognize the influence that the famed guitarist has had on Vicéns’ development, in regards to note choice, tone and phrasing, but it is not a case of imitation, rather it one of influence and homage to those that have come before. Where Vicéns shines and takes the music in a new direction is his ability to mix rhythms in his lines. Never one to sit back on 8th or 16th notes as is the case with other players, the talented picker draws from all rhythmic durations and groupings to keep his lines moving forward, while drawing the listener in as they wonder where he will take them next during his improvisations.
Overall, Point in Time is as strong a debut record as any jazz guitarist could hope for. The tunes are well-written, the arrangements engaging and full of creativity and the performances are world class, everything one could want in a modern jazz record.
