Primavera by The Banda Brothers (review)

West coast jazz aficionados know Tony and Ramon Banda best for their namesake ensemble, the Banda Brothers, with Tony on bass, Ramon on drums and percussion, and a revolving variety of standouts filling out the sextet. Noted for their effortless interpretations of straight-ahead jazz, bepop, and Afro-Cuban styles, the Banda Brothers only release prior to Primaverais the superb 2008 Acting Upwhere they expertly wed neo-bop arrangements with an uptown Latin groove. Primaveracontinues in this vein, though Tony is conspicuously absent owing to health problems at the time of recording. The visual setting of Primaverais intimate: musicians positioned facing one another as if in a private living room concert. Yet, the apparatus of recording is conspicuous, with microphones positioned throughout the space and three overlapping camera angles frequently revealing one another. Slick cuts among these cameras make the room seem larger, allowing an insider point-of-view within the musician’s circle that viewers will appreciate.

Ramon on drums and timbales collaborates with some wonderful talent on Primavera. On a rendition of Wes Montgomery’s “Fried Pies,” legendary guitarist Ron Escheté and Los Angeles-based organist Joe Bagg join Ramon for a laidback opener that is also one of the most artful tracks on the disc. Primaverais unique in that veteran performers like Escheté, conguero Joey DeLeon, and flautist Danilo Lozano share centerstage with a cavalcade of young talent like Bagg, saxophonist Tom Catanzaro, and vocalist Destini Wolf. The title track, a mellow cover of Daniel Val-dez’s “Primavera,” features Wolf delivering the most memorable performance on the disc, one made all the more astonishing given that—according to producer Mark Waldrep’s liner notes—the ad hoc group had not performed the tune prior to recording. The disc culminates in the Luis Hernandez number “El Swing,” this time with the ensemble fronted by vocalist Nando Perez, his only appearance on the disc. Despite a flawless effort on the part of everyone, however, the tune lacks spontaneity. This lackluster rendition of what should be a number to bring the house down points up one of the most nagging problems with Primavera. Perhaps it’s AIX Records’ dedication to one-take recording, the whole lights-camera-action of their production technique, or something else altogether, but performances on Primaveraand other titles in AIX’s Blu-ray series seem to straddle an uncomfortable space between the concert stage and the studio resulting in a sometimes-awkward experience for both performers and at-home audiences.

As with all AIX Blu-ray offerings, viewers can choose from three different 5.1 surround sound mixes or a 96 kHz/24-bit PCM stereo mix. Users may also access the disc’s audio files for transfer to personal computers or portable players including a special 48 kHz/24-bit mix especially balanced for headphones. A fifteen-minute interview with Ramon and Destini Wolf about the history of the band and the process of recording Primaverais available from the extra features menu as are artist bios and an HD photo gallery.