Self-Titled Debut by Entre Amigos (Roy McGrath, Hana Fujisaki, Kitt Lyles, Gustavo Cortiñas)

jazz

Self-Titled Debut by Entre Amigos (Roy McGrath, Hana Fujisaki, Kitt Lyles, Gustavo Cortiñas)

Entre Amigos, the self-titled album by the all-star Chicago group featuring Roy McGrath, Hana Fujisaki, Kitt Lyles and Gustavo Cortiñas, highlights the art of collaborative writing and performance, is out November 15, 2024

In contemporary times where seemingly every artist is an individual carving a name for themselves, when one stumbles across a true band - that timeless collection of musicians baring their hearts and souls together and giving up their individual selves for the sake of a one unified, brilliant identity. Like an ice bath, the difference hits a listener immediately and stands in stark contrast to the sounds of music written by only an individual mastermind. Where the individual becomes a character, the band becomes an entity: a sonority so endlessly refreshing as the amalgam of minds trading through the driver’s seat leads to seemingly ceaseless possibilities that no single listener can ever truly predict. Such is the beauty and impact of Entre Amigos, the Chicago-based supergroup comprising saxophonist Roy McGrath, pianist Hana Fujisaki, bassist Kitt Lyles, and drummer Gustavo Cortiñas. Hot off the heels of their month-long tour of Asia with gigs practically every night, the quartet threw themselves immediately into the studio upon their return, recording the self-titled Entre Amigos, which marked the end result of weeks of nonstop arranging, composing, and perfecting the music that they knew as well as they knew each other.

The formal creation of Entre Amigos marked a celebration of a decade-long anniversary of musical friendship. With logistics and planning initially headed up by Roy McGrath, the four friends came together united around creating a collaborative set that reflected their voices and longstanding relationships, all spurred forward by the catalyst of a tour to Asia. The final goal, however, did not end with the completion of the tour. Rather, the purpose of the tour was to create, as only an extended tour can, a seamless collection of music that reflected their unified identity and which they could take into the studio without hesitation upon their return. This goal was realized between January 29th and 31st, 2024 when, true to their vision, the band got off the plane and into the studio, recording a total of sixteen tracks, which will be split across Entre Amigos and its upcoming sequel album.

The phrase “Entre Amigos” which the ensemble has donned as the identity of both their ensemble and first curation of works on an album, translates from Spanish as “Amongst Friends”. This phrase, as well as its multicultural implication through its linguistic choice, is an apt summary for both the nature of these musicians with regards to one another and the tone and joy present throughout the music on the album. At its core, the band’s music is playful, uninhibited, and performed in the spirit of jazz’s informal jam sessions where musicians get together to play tunes and share company.

The band’s collaborative and compositional processes were focused and yet as organic as tempered and refined by their time touring. In planning the tour, each band member brought a slough of compositions - either completed or early sketches - that they wanted to reconfigure, rewrite, or feature each other’s voices. These were then edited down to a selection of sixteen pieces that they used every night of their tour.

The tour itself functioned as a constant feedback loop for the music. Each soundcheck turned into a workshop, and after each show they would debrief, make notes, and brainstorm adjustments that would then be applied to the following show. Each member had an eye and ear for a different element of arranging and orchestrating these pieces that led to the final product truly reflecting the entire ensemble’s strengths. Cortiñas has a marked ability to discern ideals of blend and shape within a piece, while Fujisaki is masterful at honing in and clarifying the intent of pieces and ideas. McGrath has a profound proclivity toward ensuring both the music and logistics flow and interact the way they are envisioned, and Lyles is an expert at connecting sounds and aesthetics to human emotions.

A testament to the band’s shared vision is the equal dispersion of compositions by each member throughout the album. The opening track on Entre Amigos is a composition contributed by McGrath entitled “The Almost-Mourning” with a prominent solo by the composer. First written in 2009, McGrath brought in and recomposed this piece for Entre Amigos to represent and reflect the process of healing and recovering after the potential loss of connection to family. “Windy City”, composed by and with a profound solo by Cortiñas, is a sonic painting of the band’s home of Chicago, reflecting the variegated moods and landscapes of the city. “Half Moon” is written by Fujisaki and likewise notably features her as the piece emotively contemplates the state of “being imperfectly perfect.” The album closes with “Wellspring, ” contributed by Lyles and featuring Fujisaki, Lyles, and McGrath. Inspired by the words of Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran who said, “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked, ” this track is a bittersweet yet transformative journey that reflects on both joy and sorrow.

Entre Amigos is an album and group marked by the ebullience of each member’s contribution and the dazzling display of the whole that exceeds even the unparalleled majesty of its constituent parts. From Fujisaki’s refined, life-giving touch and Cortiñas’s attentive and responsive shaping of pieces to McGrath’s omnipresent, dedicated passion and Lyles’s detailed focus on both emotion and technique, the quartet creates a homogenous sound and a vision that is as stalwartly of one accord as it is varied in creative flourishing.

Entre Amigos releases independently on November 15th, 2024.

press contacts

jazz