SAAM, the previous album from pianist Marta Sanchez, was a remarkable statement of purpose that heralded another major talent on the scene. Stripping her sound down from a quintet to a trio, the Madrid-born/NYC-based composer presents Perpetual Void, the next step in her creative arc. Inspired by over two years of insomnia and anxiety following her mother’s death and her own attempts at motherhood, Sanchez takes her subtly Latin-flavored postbop and turns it toward letting all those feelings out – and go. Songs titled “The Absence of the People You Long For,” “The Love Unable to Give,” and “I Don’t Wanna Live the Wrong Life and Then Die” don’t pull any emotional punches – she balances her near-instantly appealing melodies with wandering ripples and dissonant asides, letting her sidefolks (bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Savannah Harris) as well the listener absorb the vibe and feel what she felt. But, despite its title, this album is not a well of depression, but a reclamation of hope. “This is the Last One About You” has its thorns, but it’s also a heartfelt goodbye – acknowledging both a never-ending love and that it’s time to move forward. A chronicle of swimming through grief and coming out stronger at the end, Perpetual Void is a masterpiece of self-expression in jazz.
