Cucamonga - Alter Huevo (2012)

Otra resubida de Sandy, un muy buen disco de una loca banda de jazz rock santafecina, muy a lo Zappa y con toda su historia atrás. RIO, Avant-Prog y Jazz rock desfachatado, alegre y talentoso. Otro álbum recomendado, si no lo escuchaste y te gusta Zappa estás en falta, sabelo...

Artista: Cucamonga
Álbum: Alter Huevo
Año: 2012
Género: RIO / Avant-Prog / Jazz rock
Duración: 40:03
Nacionalidad: Argentina

Lista de Temas:
01. Tetascotch
02. El Dengue De La Laguna
03. Tu Guaina
04. Variadones Sobre Tu Hermana
05. Tillana
06. Cerrazan En El Teyu Cuare
07. Daminguillo
08. Aetdanda

Alineación:
- Bruno Rosado / Saxos
- Mauricio Bernal / Piano
- Julián Macedo / Batería
- Adriano Demartini / Bajo
- Oscar "Frodo" Peralta / Guitarra
Invitados:
Eugenio Zeppa / clarinete

Tengo entendido que algunas de las primeras grabaciones de Zappa las grabó en "Cucamonga" (un pequeño pueblo en plena Ruta 66), aunque también está la paródica canción "Cucamonga Dance" compuesta a dúo por Charly García y Pedro Aznar para el álbum "Tango 4":



Sin embargo, este Cucamonga es un explosivo quinteto argentino. Banda de Santa Fé, Argentina, que este mismo año sacaron este impresionante disco.
Un ardiente jazz rock con muchos toques zappateros (obvio, hablo de Zappa) y todo en un tono muy burlesco, aquí no hay seriedad pero sí hay música compuesta por músicos enormes, que componen un disco que puede ir desde una música de feria hasta una ambientación sonora o un jazz rock desenfadado, ecos de tango, a veces despierta reminiscencias de producciones cercanas al Canterbury, y en algunos momentos hasta se hacercan a algo parecido a m{usica de cámara-rock, pero jugando constantemente en un alto nivel y muy elegantemente: impresionante trabajo de la batería y percusión, muchos juegos entre saxo y guitarra revolcándose uno sobre otro
Podría decirse que Cucamonga ha realizado un álbum extremadamente original utilizando elementos ya conocidos y utilizados por todos, en términos estilísticos despliegan un colorido especial que nos hace pensar que estamos escuchando algo nuevo, pero variando sobre la marcha en base a sus densos sonidos y al virtuosismo de toda la banda, con improvisaciones desaforas, grandes cuotas de humor, cambios de ritmo inesperados y varias sorpresas que aparecen a lo largo del álbum, mientras el bajo y el piano despliegan un arsenal rítmico-melódico que abarca un arcoiris de formas y estilos, a lo que se le suma el ocasional clarinete aportando floridas escenas y arreglos.
Para finalizar, si te gustan los grandes juegos virtuosos y experimentales de Zappa y Hermeto Pascoal, y no tienes problemas que se le sumen una cuota de sarcasmo e ironía loca e irreverente, medio al estilo de La Manzana Cromática Protoplasmática, escucha este disco porque te va a volar la Cabeza de Moog.

Este disco ya se ha venido posicionando como descarga en varios sitios, yo solo vengo a confirmar la calidad de este trabajo agregando que es de lo mejor que actualmente se practica en América Latina por lo menos en lo que respecta a R.I.O. Porque decir que es de lo mejor de Argentina en realidad se queda corto, es destacado mas bien en todo el subcontinente. No hay mucho mas que añadir a lo que dicen las reseñas existentes, solo decir que debería ser obligado para todos los que gustan de Frank Zappa, Samla Mammas Manna y lo producido por el sello italiano AltRock. Se van a encontrar con seccion de vientos, humorismo, absurdo, prácticas jazzísticas, sectores rítmicos no usuales y por allí unas percusiones acústicas muy interesantes para el tipo de música.

Kobaïan

Hoy se da la ocasión de presentar “Alter Huevo”, disco grabado y producido a inicios de 2011, pero recién editado para el mercado en el presente año 2012 por vía del sello italiano AltRock. El disco e ncuestión es una joya de jazz-prog experimental, gestada por una banda argentina muy talentosa y energética: CUCAMONGA. Este quinteto adoptó su nombre a partir de la localidad californiana donde FRANK ZAPPA grabó varios de sus primeros discos, y de hecho, esta alusión no es una coincidencia porque las orquestaciones dadaístas y desarrollos temáticos surrealistas que forman parte del estándar Zappiano conforman una evidente influencia en el sonido nuclear de esta banda en cuestión. Pero también están las confluencias con el prog vanguardista de ayer (SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA) y hoy (ENSEMBLE NIMBUS), así como el impacto recibido por los legados del jazz-fusion de los 70s y la primera ola del R.I.O. La formación de CUCAMONGA consiste en: Bruno Rosado (saxofones tenor y soprano), Mauricio Bernal (piano eléctrico, sintetizador Casio, marimba, acordeón, percusión), Óscar “Frodo” Peralta (guitarra eléctrica), Adriano Demartini (bajo eléctrico, voces graciosas) y Julián Macedo (batería, vibráfono, marimba, glockenspiel, percusión). El quinteto cuenta con un ilustre colaborador ocasional a los clarinetes: Eugenio Zeppa.
Vamos ahora al repertorio de “Alter Huevo”. ‘Tetascotch’ abre el álbum con una fuerza de carácter efectiva y electrizante, basada en una grácil combinación de humor bufonesco de raíz circense con el aura extrovertida del mejor legado del jazz-fusion 70ero. Imaginando una partitura perdida de Return To Forever remozada por ZAPPA en sus tiempos de “One Size Fits All” y arreglada por un combo de músicos de SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA y los BIRDSONSG OF THE MESOZOIC de los 90s, podremos anticipar lo que nos depara. En alguna instancia de la segunda mitad, se genera un interludio denso y oscuro influido por el HENRY COW de “In Praise In Learning”, interludio que habrá de definir la modalidad filuda con la cual el grupo retoma uno de los motivos precedentes para la coda. ‘El Dengue De La Laguna’ es un sucesor lógico de la impresionante pieza de entrada: realzando un poco más el aspecto jazz-rockero, el grupo no abandona para nada el elemento bufonesco. La dupla de ‘Tu Guaina’ y ‘Variaciones Sobre Tu Hermana’ sirve para que la banda siga ahondando en el refinamiento y la agudización de sus claramente definidos instintos vanguardistas. Ambos temas exploran atmósferas inquietas coloreadas por ornamentos bizarros y recursos deconstructivos razonablemente chocantes, siendo el primero intrigante y el segundo osadamente inescrutable.
‘Tillana’ empieza con un preludio multi-percusivo que suena a una maquinaria jocosa, para luego dar entrada a un estupendo cuerpo central cuyas referencias nucleares son WEATHER REPORT y el SOFT MACHINE post-Dean. La arquitectura melódica y los meticulosamente cuidados desarrollos armónicos del cuerpo central portan una aureola excelsa imposible de ignorar: tenemos aquí un cénit particular del álbum después del impacto absoluto generado por la secuencia de los dos primeros temas. Con ‘Cerrazón En El Teyú Cuaré’, el grupo replantea sus parámetros jazz-progresivos bajo un esquema misterioso, casi sombrío, pero mayormente contemplativo: una atmósfera crepuscular donde la banda explora matices grisáceos que sirven como trasfondo de reposo emocional después de la patente magnificencia de ‘Tillana’. Esta exploración de ambientaciones crepusculares nos trae a la mente, a modo de "paralelo causal". algunas de las sonoridades creadas por la banda italiana CALOMITO. Luego sigue la dupla de ‘Dominguillo’ y ‘Cletalandia’, donde el ensamble regresa a terrenos más extrovertidos, aunque manteniendo una estrategia de sigilosa contención para la evidente agilidad motivada por las ideas musicales. ‘Dominguillo’ es prácticamente un interludio sustentado sobre una inteligente secuencia disonante dirigida por el matrimonio entre el piano y el saxo soprano; ‘Cletalandia’, por su parte, es el vibrante cierre del álbum donde la banda recapitula varios ambientes similares a los que se hicieron notar en ‘El Dengue De La Laguna’ y ‘Tillana’… y además, incluye algunos simpáticos diálogos farsescos sobre los vaivenes de la sexualidad humana.
“Alter Huevo” es una joya progresiva de nuestros días, y como tal, hace que CUCAMONGA merezca nuestra atención: debemos mantenernos siempre alerta ante los aportes a la vanguardia rockera que emergen incansablemente desde el área sudamericana.

César Inca

Cucamonga are an explosive quintet from Argentina. As their most evident inspiration, that is a “certain” Frank Zappa, hang always in the balance between jazz, rock and experimentation. Supported by an infallible rhythm section, the band holds together an extremely precise writing and elegant harmonies with an enviable melodic and solistic freshness: electric piano, percussions and guitar run after each other through themes and solos, able to go from hard grooves to breathtaking breaks and funny atmospheres.

AltRock

Cucamonga is an experimental argentinian jazz and progressive rock band made up of Bruno Rosado on tenor and soprano sax; Mauricio Bernal, on electric piano, casio "Tone Bank", marimbas, accordion, and percussion; Oscar "Frodo" Peralta, on electric guitar; Andriano Demartini, on electric bass and funny voices; and Julian Maceda, on drums, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, and percussion.
This is an interesting mix of experimental jazz and progressive time signatures, balanced uniquely within an almost circus - like atmosphere.
A great way to break up the regular music you play in your daily routine.

Mark Johnson

CUCAMONGA is a quintet hailing from Argentina, and the all-instrumental “Alter Huevo” is most likely their debut album. It was issued by Italy’s AltrOck Records which, along with Lizard and Musea, I see as one of the leading European labels nowadays, probably the most ‘serious’ one.
Just like the case of Inner Ear Brigade, the info sheet of this CD doesn’t go further its publishers’ vision of the music presented. For instance, they compare it to Frank Zappa, with which many wouldn’t agree, I suppose. On five of the eight tracks here, Tetascotch, Tu Guaina, Tillana, Dominguillo and Cletalanda, they play an alloy of RIO and Jazz-Fusion (often merely alternating sections with corresponding arrangements, though) that seems common to bands such as Etron Fou Leloublan and Dajmonji with occasional hints of Soft Machine and Tunnels, and no bizarre elements at all. To be more precise, the first of them is more varied in style, as it additionally reveals a couple of sympho-prog and folk-rock moves and, at one point, even what can only bring to mind Metal-In-Opposition. It also needs to be mentioned that the jazz rock-related arrangements are for the most part slightly avant-tinged (just wanted to write “too”, but realized it would be wrong). Oscar Peralta’s guitar leads can recall the less manic and twisted aspects of Allan Holdsworth playing. Bassist Adriano Demartini evokes Guy Segers in approach. Julian Macedo’s vibraphone parts are sometimes reminiscent of Mark Wagnon, while his drumming is normally beyond comparison, the same statement being relevant to the work of saxophonist Bruno Rosado and multi-instrumentalist Mauricio Bernal (who, as a keyboardist, obviously prefers pianos, I must add). The proceedings are not as eclectic as those by either of the two aforementioned chamber rock ensembles, yet the music is of a high quality, featuring quite a few interesting chord progressions, besides angular melodies and stuff, so to speak. All in all, it’s just on those five pieces where Cucamonga is at its peak – in terms of both composition and performance. The remaining three tracks are less-to-much less interesting and impressive. Cerrazon en el Teyu Cuare is conventional Jazz Rock, too jovial and predictable alike to please the progressive ear, littered with non-musical features in places, such as (a lot of) male and female voices, bringing to mind a spontaneous crowded meeting. The first half of El Dengue de la Laguna develops similarly to the previously described track, but then it offers the listener circus music with a certain clownish feel to it. Nominally, Variaciones Sobre tu Hermana embraces all of the album’s basic styles, but is in fact a set of several different sketches with a lot of moments of silence and some verbal trash as well.
Conclusion: I believe “Alter Huevo” is Cucamonga’s first album indeed, since it suffers from what comes across as nothing other than the debut syndrome. However, a solid part of its contents indicate that this is a talented band with a lot of potential, inspiring me with confidence that their further outings will be much more cohesive than this one.

Progressor

"Tetascotch," the first track on Alter Huevo, Argentine quintet Cucamonga's 2012 AltrOck label debut, begins with a bit of circusy zaniness, a cartoon-ish fanfare with accordion, marimba, toy keyboard voicings, goofy vocal interjections, and stop-and-start rhythms, but the band gets more serious in just over a minute. Cucamonga are similarly crazy later in the disc -- as soon as the very next track, "El Dengue de la Laguna," actually. But when the "Tetascotch" intro segues into modern creative jazz-rock, it becomes apparent that this quintet expertly balances humor with seriousness in true Zappa-esque fashion. Mauricio Bernal's electric piano introduces jazz harmonics into the mix, Bruno Rosado's tenor sax mirrors Oscar "Frodo" Peralta's sustained guitar in a melody that takes contemporary jazz in the direction of John Zorn's Masada, while the punchy bass-drums tandem of Adriano Demartini and Julián Macedo drives the music forward in a dynamic 7/8 rhythm -- and although Peralta cuts loose with a solo that would lead any fusion fan to stand up and take notice, the band abruptly leaves jazz-rock behind too, with a slow and ominous Robert Fripp-meets-"She’s So Heavy" bridge leading into...silence. Something mysterious seems to be afoot, as a single bass note interrupts the calm, followed by additional widely spaced plucks as the melody and rhythm begin to assume a stealthy, suspenseful late-night form, augmented by a light and swift unison line from Bernal's electric keys and Rosado's soprano as random catlike yowlings add to the mood of shadowy goings-on. The band then seques back into heaviness and wraps up with a return to the theme -- a conventional move, perhaps, but maniacal laughter from a pair of guest vocalists keeps things off-kilter.
If "Tetascotch" reveals an electric jazz quintet enamored with stylistic and compositional left turns, that impression is only strengthened as Alter Huevo proceeds. "El Dengue de la Laguna" jumps so quickly from motif to motif that the listener's head is left spinning; the same can be said for the brief "Tu Guaina," and although the lengthier "Variaciones Sobre Tu Hermana" begins to flirt with bona fide swing, much of the piece is given over to small instrumental and percussive gestures, again surrounded by moments of lingering silence. World fusion flavors follow with a fine version (introduced by Bernal and Macedo's inventive percussion) of the Trilok Gurtu/Daniel Goyone arrangement of the Indian Carnatic traditional "Tillana" from Gurtu's 1993 album Crazy Saints; this, and the moody "Cerrazón en el Teyú Cuaré" with ominous soundscapes but light touches particularly from Rosado again on soprano, keep jazz flames burning amidst the changeups. Jazz hounds should also love the strong tenor solo unleashed by Rosado on the final track, "Cletalandia" -- following a segment when the band accompanies voice-over advice about restoring sexuality to marriage offered by a Paraguayan sexologist to an audience member on a television "female channel." More Zappa-esque humor? Perhaps, but Cucamonga don’t really need it; their richly creative imaginary soundtrack music speaks for itself.

All Music

The name of Argentine band Cucamonga will not fail to ring a bell with Frank Zappa fans, as it references the Californian suburban city (now called Rancho Cucamonga) where Zappa’s Studio Z was located. Unfortunately, the information available on this quintet – led by guitarist Oscar “Frodo” Peralta, who is also the band’s main composer – is very sparse, and they currently have no active website or social media presence. Their debut album, Alter Huevo, recorded in early 2011 in the northern Argentine city of Santa Fe, was released a year later by AltrOck Productions.
Not surprisingly, Zappa is a major influence on Cucamonga’s sound, which comfortably straddles the line between avant-progressive rock and classic jazz-rock/fusion, with liberal doses of humour thrown in as an added bonus. Clearly a bunch of talented and dedicated musicians, their particular brand of music may not be extremely innovative (nor does it claim to be), but it is sure to intrigue the discerning listener, with enough complexity to please the most demanding fans and an endearingly light-hearted attitude to temper the technical dexterity. Though Alter Huevo is mostly instrumental, voices and bursts of laughter add a quirky touch to a few tracks. Warm hints of Latin music are scattered throughout the album, while the accordion – the iconic protagonist of tango music – lends its distinctive Old World flavour to some of the compositions. However, Cucamonga’s sound rests on three main instruments – guitar, sax and drums – effectively complemented by keyboards and mallet percussion.
With a running time just under 40 minutes, Alter Huevo is a compact, well-balanced album that is easy to enjoy without getting overwhelmed by an excess of notes. Opener “Tetascotch”, the longest track on the album, and the most complex in terms of mood and tempo changes, kicks off with a funny circus-like tune, then takes a more laid-back turn, with all the instruments getting their chance to shine in classic jazz-rock fashion. “El Dengue De La Laguna” continues on the same path, showcasing Julian Macedo’s stellar drumming – propulsive and textural at the same time – while the instrumental interplay often suggests a dialogue without words, with an elegance that hints at vintage Canterbury. “Tu Guaina” and “Variaciones Sobre Tu Hermana” veer towards the Avant end of the spectrum, the latter throwing in some dissonance and moments of rarefied calm enhanced by the cascading tinkle of the mallet percussion.
With “Tillana”, Cucamonga tackle a traditional piece of Carnatic music (the classical music of Southern India) originally rearranged by legendary percussionist Trilok Gurtu for his 1993 album Crazy Saints – which, as can be expected, pushes percussion to the forefront, though guitar, sax and piano also play a strong role. “Cerrazón En Al Teyú Cuaré” alternates slow, melancholy moments with sudden surges of power. The short, upbeat “Dominguillo” introduces album closer “Cletalandia”, based on a hilarious radio broadcast about restoring sensuality in marriage – something that would have definitely won Zappa’s seal of approval. Those familiar with Spanish will enjoy reading the text in the CD booklet. Musically speaking, the track is bookended by energetic sections very much in classic jazz-rock style, powered by Adriano Demartini’s groovy bass lines; while the central part, which includes the broadcast, is accompanied by sparse yet expressive sax.
In keeping with AltrOck’s reputation for stylishly packaged products, Alter Huevo comes with a nicely illustrated booklet (courtesy of the label’s resident graphic artist, the multi-talented Paolo Ske Botta) that successfully combines elegance and whimsy. Udi Koomran’s experienced mastering guarantees excellent sound quality, emphasizing Cucamonga’s varied instrumentation and the impressive skill of the players. Lovers of eclectic jazz-rock with a pinch of avant-garde and world-music spice (as offered by bands as AltrOck’s own Calomito or MoonJune’s Slivovitz) will appreciate this solid, classy offering by an interesting new band. However, it would be a good idea if Cucamonga took a more active role in promoting their music on the Web, which in this day and age is nothing short of indispensable.

Progmistress

Una aclaración, si los músicos no lo piden expresamente, en general yo soy reacio a compartir discos salidos este mismo año, simplemente por respeto a los músicos y su obra, y prefiero compartir el álbum cuando ya haya pasado un tiempo, pero como las copias en MP3 de este álbum se consiguen en toda la red, aporto una versión lossless para el que le interese escuchar en buena calidad.