Fernando Huergo Big Band: Relentless

WHALING CITY SOUND 142. (RECORDED NOVEMBER 2023)

The promotional material for Fernando Huergo’s new release notes “Genre: Latin Jazz.” Although bassist, bandleader and composer Huergo is a native of Argentina and some of the tunes are in Spanish, this is a big band record, and a damn good one at that! There are captivating original tunes, imaginative big band charts and exceptional soloing from musicians, many of whom are new to me. Whether the band is playing straight-ahead swingers like “Relentless,” funky grooves like “Groove Odds” or a tune dedicated to Ornette Coleman, the arrangements provide a lush carpet on which the soloists can take flight. This is well-paced and expertly delivered set of varied modern big band music, ranging from the lush sound of “Vidalita,” featuring flutist Yuila Musayelyan to the angular melody of “Modernities,” with well-crafted solos from trombonist Randy Pingery and trumpeter Dan Rosenthal, to the band’s take on Wayne Shorter’s “Deluge,” with a thoughtful solo from pianist Santiago Bosch. Even the two tunes that have a more Latin American feel — “Blues Sureno” and “Panorama” — are handled in a more contemporary big band style. According to Huergo, the compositions reflect on societal struggles, including oppression , discrimination and environmetal challenges, aiming to inspire hope and compassion. For me, they reflect on the ability of wonderful charts, interesting compositions and outstanding soloist to deliver one of the best pure big band recordings (not Latin Jazz as the promotional material describe) of the year.

BOTTOM LINE: Relentless seems like a more than appropriate title for Fernando Huergo’s big band newest release. They were determined to do something special, and they delivered with relentless compositions, arrangements and solos. Although some may categorize this as Latin jazz, it is first and foremost a great example of contemporary big band jazz.