The guitar sorcerer Rafael Toral has little interest in brand maintenance in the sense of a creative pre-retirement. His path so far has led from drone-based sound painting through the generator and feedback squeals of his »Space Program« to a deliberate synthesis of his earlier and later idioms. And now: jazz standards. Exactly. Classics such as »Body and Soul« and »My Funny Valentine« appear on his latest album Traveling Light.
This has nothing in common with the reactionary neo-traditionalism of a Wynton Marsalis. Toral instead uses his tools to place the melodies of these originals into unfamiliar contexts. Beeps and drones intertwine with moments of pure lyricism. When the mood calls for it, guest musicians on clarinet, saxophone, flugelhorn and flute are invited into the mix. The result is quietly astonishing – not least because the concept works in full. Moving forward while looking back, without ever stepping backwards.
Traveling Light
