JAZZ REVIEW : Arturo Cipriano Is Simply Riveting

Stripped of material things, some artists are able to access the rawest of human emotions. Mexican reed man Arturo Cipriano, who has recorded several albums since the late 1970s but has never earned a decent living from his music, reached deep inside himself to turn in a riveting performance Wednesday night at the Ruse performance space on India Street in San Diego.

Cipriano, who lives in Santa Fe, has abandoned the thickly textured ensemble approach of his 1990 album, “El Costumbre,” in favor of a bare-bones trio that also features vocalist Isabel Torcero and percussionist Gerardo Zamudio.

Also joining Cipriano for a few songs were Tijuana musician Zopilote, who organizes concerts for Ruse, on sax and drums, and Zamudio’s brother, Ricardo, on sax.

Cipriano, who was born in San Luis Potosi, has traveled throughout South America, and his original compositions draw on a range of ancient and folk influences, as well as modern jazz sources.

Some songs have lyrics, mostly in Spanish, that address both personal and political themes, ranging from an homage to a late musician to a commentary on Mexican journalist Manuel Buendia, a reporter for the Mexico City-based newspaper Excelsior, who Cipriano says was murdered by the government after reporting on corrupt public officials.

Except for songs by Thelonious Monk (“Mister”) and Henry Threadgill (“Jupiter Has Apricots on Her Wings”), Cipriano concentrated entirely on a dozen new tunes he has written the past two years.

Whereas the music on “El Costumbre” was warm, pleasant and occasionally inspiring, the newer music, which Cipriano says is closer to his heart, packs more punch.

Cipriano, a wisp of a man with long, black hair, a matching droopy mustache and loose clothes that make him look even more slight, coaxes all manner of sounds from his flute and soprano saxes, especially the flute, from which emanate faint hisses, soft piccolo-like whistles and tones resembling groans and grinds of a far-off machine, as well as the most lush and beautiful tropical sounds imaginable.

These sounds evoke a variety of emotions. Along with primal pain, anger and sadness come joy and good humor, as when Cipriano playfully hums along with his flute, and when Tercero steps to the front of the stage and jabbers nonsense in a fractured, surprisingly musical way.

Though Cipriano is the leader and primary creative force in this group, the performance is democratic. Cipriano took his share of solo turns, but most of the songs were dominated by tight rhythmic and harmonic interaction between the players.

On drums and congas, Zamudio spun dense webs of sound rooted in ancient South American tribal rhythms, shifting occasionally into a more familiar modern jazz mode and even snare-driven marching-band style.

Like such singers as Flora Purim and Urszula Dudziak, Tercero uses her voice as a versatile instrument. She is equally adept at singing warm, sentimental lyrics and conjuring a full range of deep, dark, primitive sounds.

But Cipriano is the sorcerer whose magic glues the music together. He stalks the stage like a snake charmer, bent over his soprano sax. At one point, the lights went low and Cipriano disappeared into the wings, re-emerging in the back row, where he kept up a musical dialogue with the players on stage.

For Cipriano, real life may be a struggle, but his art is prospering. He plans to move to San Diego this summer and hopes to record this new music some time after that.

Wednesday’s show was a promising kickoff for the Ruse’s spring concert series, which continues Wednesday with pianist Eric Griswold’s group, Mungus, and on March 18, with a jazz blues band, including bassist M’Chaka Uba.

Arturo Cipriano will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at Bodegas de Santo Tomas in Ensenada, Ave. Miramar 666. Call 011-52-667-40836 or 011-52-667-83333.