Marta Sanchez - SAAM (Whirlwind)

Born in Madrid but centered in New York City, pianist Marta Sanchez keeps a limb in both locations on her sixth album SAAM. There’s a subtle swing feel in opening cut “The Unconquered Vulnerable Area” that’s not quite Latin jazz – wrong continent, for one thing – but should feel familiar to anyone looking for that post-bolero rhythm. Yet her keyboard work takes off solidly from the hard bop tradition, spinning off into rollicking solos and bluesy comping when it’s her band’s turn to shine. The title track (the acronym stands for Spanish American Art Museum) hits that note even harder, sloughing off the danceability for an exotic flavor that leans toward the avant-garde, at least to Western ears.

For those not attuned to European flavorings, there’s plenty of straightforward jazz as well, with “If You Could Stand It,” “When Dreaming is the Only” and “Dear Worthiness” letting Sanchez and snakehipped saxophonists Alex LoRe and Roman Filiu swirl around each other like dancers. Sanchez also uses the ballad “The Hard Balance” to throw the spotlight more directly on her cohorts, particularly bassist Rashaan Carter. Powered by drummer Allan Mednard, the players interact as if working on a hive mind, throwing phrases at each other to catch, always advancing the will of the tune.

The musicians’ impressive skill certainly turns heads, but it’s all utilized at the service of emotional expression. At the heart of the record sit a pair of very different tunes paying tribute to Sanchez’s late mother, who passed away during lockdown. The gentle “Marivi” features guests Ambrose Akinmusire playing trumpet and singer Camilia Meza crooning lyrics written by Sanchez herself, while “December 11th” centers on the leader and her band giving lushly melodic life to her tangled feelings. While those tracks are the most emotionally direct, everything on SAAM exposes nerves, letting Sanchez signify what she means without artifice, even as she does so with the utmost taste and musicality. Jazz with heart indeed.