Iberica

Saxophonist and composer Matt Otto's innovative new recording integrates his modern jazz sensibilities with Ensemble Iberica, a Kansas City-based collective devoted to the music of Spain and Portugal, and whose instrumentation focuses on the guitar but includes the Cuban tres, Brazilian Cavaquinho, and Turkish oud. Rendering the lines and voicings of Otto's music within the texture and aesthetic of a chamber music ensemble results in a sound that is both lush and contemplative, creating new, compelling soundscapes. Iberica also features Brad Cox on Fender Rhodes, Karl McComas-Reichl on bass & cello, and Mike Stover on steel guitar. ... haunting, understated sophistication... like a skilled boxer, he stays within himself, confidently bobbing and weaving melody through the steady rhythm, jabbing and dancing, soloing in flurries of notes. JAZZ REVIEW