JAZZ REVIEWS : Saxophonist Almario Does Serious Improvising

Saxophonist-flutist Justo Almario has taken part in some magic nights at the regional library here, working in duets with Brazilian keyboardist Marcos Ariel, or adding color to bassist-guitarist Abraham Laboriel’s trio. Saturday, the Colombian-born Almario was back, leading his own quartet--keyboardist Otmar Ruiz, bassist Jerry Watts and drummer Bill Maxwell--in a first set pulled entirely from his new CD “Heritage.”

The new disc is a fusion of Latin forms and electric instruments, heavily laced with percussion and Almario’s own sparkling horn work. Though Almario performs well on the recording, his best playing is usually reserved for live appearances, and Saturday was no exception.

Opening with his own “Mambo Metalico,” the saxophonist wasted no time getting serious, peppering his improvisation with long, rippling lines and Coltrane-inspired cries. Almario is a master of dynamics, building his solos from reserved, almost humble beginnings into assertive climaxes that are exhausting in their strengths. Though this improvisational pattern can become predictable at times, Almario varied his attack often enough to avoid anti-climax, opting here and there for thoughtful denouements, rather than explosive endings.

Almario’s “Street Sax” had a lively, carnival-like appeal, accented by keyboardist Ruiz’s clipped, accordian-toned pacing. “Don’t Give Up,” written in tandem with Laboriel, was a funky shuffle, propelled by bassist Watts’ thumb-powered assault and Maxwell’s strong bass drum and tom-tom hits.

While vocal embellishments are heard on a good bit of the recording, Almario made due without his chorus by enlisting the audience to add their voices on both “Street Sax” and Laboriel’s “Melodia.” His flute improvisation over the audience’s “Melodia” chant was one of his most inspired.

As saxophonist, Almario’s best moments came when he played unaccompanied introductions to the pieces. Rich, muscular tenor tones set the mood for “Mambo Metalico” while his cool, clean soprano pitch filled the intro to “Love, Joy, Peace” with slippery phrases and sliding tones. Both showed his talent at suspended rhythms and theme variations while developing a story line. His playing leaves no doubt that this is a man who has something to say.

Almario used his soprano to give Ariel’s “Rhapsody in Rio” some of the bustle and grace of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” before moving into a solo that featured long, impossibly fast lines. “Luz De Mi Camino” offered Watts an opportunity to show his melodic side while Maxwell traded measures with the band that contained unexpected breaks and rolling cymbal lines. The tight ensemble work of the band, to its credit, was balanced with a seductive sense of spontaneous interplay that often made it sound larger than a quartet.