“Puerto de Buenos Aires, 1933”
Zoho Music
Street Date: October 13, 2017
Puerto de Buenos Aires 1933 was inspired by a remnant of Nojechowicz’s family history, the passport that his grandmother carried when she fled Warsaw for Argentina in 1933 along with Nojechowicz’s father, who was then a small boy. Crossing Europe by train, they left behind everything familiar to face the unknown in Buenos Aires — a trip that spared them from the Holocaust, when so many others in their community later perished. The Latin jazz suite that chronicles their long, uncertain journey is the centerpiece of EL ECO’s new recording, Puerto de Buenos Aires 1933.
In addition to Nojechowicz (Claudio Roditi, Romero Lubambo, Donny McCaslin, Airto Moreira) the EL ECO ensemble members include Brazilian pianist Helio Alves (Joe Henderson, Yo-Yo Ma), Argentinean bassist Fernando Huergo (Antonio Sanchez, Dave Liebman), Italian saxophonist Marco Pignataro (Eddie Gomez, Berklee Global Jazz Institute), vocalist Kim Nazarian (New York Voices), and Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch (Eddie Palmieri, Phil Woods). Nojechowicz and the band are joined on three tracks by Italian accordionist Roberto Cassan, who sadly passed away shortly after this recording.
The evocative sound of Puerto de Buenos Aires 1933 is already capturing attention. “There is something very powerful in these compositions,” said internationally renowned composer Osvaldo Golijov. Acclaimed Brazilian jazz vocalist Luciana Souza called Puerto de Buenos Aires 1933 “a beautiful and important record.” And Oscar-winning film composer Gustavo Santaolalla (“Motorcycle Diaries,” “Babel”) summarized the recording: “Excellent material! And great musicians!”
EL ECO festival performances have included Telluride Jazz Celebration, where the festival line-up featured Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard; the Curaçao Jazz Festival; the Freihofer Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs; the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival in Argentina; and the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival.
Also an international clinician and educator, Nojechowicz has led his World Jazz Ensemble students in workshops at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School with guest artists Joshua Redman and Wynton Marsalis through a collaboration with Harvard University. He has also traveled with his students to teach and perform at the Panama Jazz Festival, which features renowned jazz artists that have included Danilo Perez, Chucho Valdez, and John Scofield.
NEIL TESSER
JAZZIZ
"Conceived in solemnity and impressively executed with passion and precision, the album succeeds entirely." Read the full review here.
MAUREEN MALLOY
WRTI (JAZZ ALBUM OF THE WEEK)
"Infused with Latin jazz tonality and feel, Nojechowicz paints a beautiful picture of a new way of life in Argentina. His ensemble, El Eco, adds some South American heat to a jazzy, cinematic style." Read the full feature here.
D. OSCAR GROOMES
O'S PLACE JAZZ NEWSLETTER
"It is a passionate depiction of the successful voyage and a rich, enjoyable session." Read the full review here.
MICHAEL FAGIEN
JAZZIZ
"...emotions are richly expressed on “Milonga Para Los Niños”, our selection, made all the more poignant by Kim Nazarian's wordless vocals, Roberto Cassan's accordion, Helio Alves' piano, Marco Pignataro's tenor saxophone and Nojechowicz's sensitive drumming." Read the full review here.
MARCO WERMAN
PRI - THE WORLD
Listen to the full interview here.
TROY DOSTERT
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Nojechowicz's creativity as a composer and bandleader is on full display, as the music gives ample voice to the human resilience that is its inspiration." Read the full 4 star review here.
GRAHAM COLOMBÉ
JAZZ JOURNAL UK
"...there's a pleasing variety of moods and of Latin rhythms." Read the full review here.