Album Review: The Joy of Playing from Benjamin Schnake

Album:  The Joy of Playing
Artist:  Benjamin Schnake
Label:  BSG
Website:  https://benjaminschnake.com

A whirlwind of graceful instrumentation, The Joy of Playing from guitarist-composer-arranger Benjamin Schnake's ensemble amasses a collaborative collective that showcases the vitality of pianist Santiago Leibson, the expressive doodling of saxophonists Dave Pietro, Sunhyun Yoo, and Tim Struven, the soulful eloquence of trumpet player John Blevins, the billowy flutters of trombonists Eric Quinn and Jennifer Wharton, and the fluid traipsing of Ammon Swinbank's flute, all companioned by the pulsing beats of bassist Gui Duvignau and drummer Paul Shaw.  At the helm is Benjamin Schnake whose guitar augments the melodic passages, adding texture, movement and dimension to the tracks.

The suave strumming of Schnake's guitar cruising along "Aju" boasts a cha-cha vibration encircling Liebson's keys bouncing joyfully then ebbing as Shaw's drums pounce and plume. The musicians agility flows with a graceful stride that is ambrosia for the aural senses. Their sweet sounding splashing and symbiotic crisscrossing lace the title track in a frolicking tangle while "Lakitas" flows into an exotic dance led by Schnake's ripping guitar chords enticing the listener into an alluring maze. The atmospheric shimmers of "Fragrant" is a sparse score, highlighting the elevating phrasing of Sunhyun Yoo's soprano sax then switches to a blazing flurry of horns in Schnake's arrangement for Charles Mingus's iconic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat."

Schnake proclaims that his deepest musical background comes from Latin American music, particularly folk music from the Andes where he was born in Northern Chile.  His recording with the Benjamín Schnake Ensemble features well-known New York City musician and NYU teacher Dave Pietro on alto sax, along with a GRAMMY awarded post-production team and NYU alumni. Comprised of six of Schnake's original compositions and his arrangement for Charles Mingus's iconic tune, Schnake's ensemble blends vintage jazz idioms with a South American flare that is ambrosia for the aural senses.

Musicians:
Dave Pietro – alto sax
Sunhyun Yoo – alto sax, soprano sax
Tim Struven – tenor sax
John Blevins – trumpet
Eric Quinn – trombone
Jennifer Wharton – bass trombone
Ammon Swinbank – flute
Benjamín Schnake – nylon-string guitar, electric guitar, mandolin
Santiago Leibson – piano
Gui Duvignau – bass
Paul Shaw – drums