Duo with Baldo Martinez
Quoting review by Jerry D'Souza - Allaboutjazz
"Communication is a bridge. Carlo Actis Dato and Baldo Martinez build one that is supple and sways tantalizingly to the impulses of their imagination. Both are visionaries who can envisage the distant and head for it. Their path is not a straight one, though, for that would be predictable and boring. They change pace and direction, one leading the other and then waiting to move in tandem before the role of leader is switched. They define movement and direction on the spur, and when the journey is done, they have defined adventure before resting at the signpost of resolution.[...]"
As a founder member of essential bands
in the development of Spanish jazz such as CLUNIA (Concert at the
Musée d`Art Moderne de la Ville de París—“Cinq Siécles d’Art Espagnol “)
or ZYKLUS, Baldo Martínez has always been interested in
initiatives that aim to enrich and expand Music. He has also been
collaborating with different renown musicians, both national and
international, such us Jorge Pardo, Paolo Fresu, Maria Joâo, Carlo actis
Dato, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Rabinowitz, Chano Dominguez, Laurent Phillipe,
Javier Paxariño, etc…
He is regarded as “The new face of jazz” by the newspapers “El Mundo” and also as an important musician in the fields of experimentation and fushioning music, comment by “The Spanish Jazz guide”.
He has, with his current band, recently released a C.D. under the Karonte Record label which is called “No País Dos Ananos” (“In the country of the midgets”). On listening this album it becomes clear the evolution of this musician; influenced by different currents of European Jazz (Masqualero, Jan Garbarek, Dave Holland) his woks are coloured with a variety of ethnic music from all over the world, although specially Spanish, and reach a personal result that uses improvisation as an essential means of expression in music.
In the January 1997 issue of “Cuadernos de jazz”, in its section of best albums of the year, “No Pais Dos Ananos” was qualified as the Second Best Album. It has also been selects by the magazine “Todas las novedades” (dedicated to the latest come out records in all kinds of music) as one the best 96 Jazz albums.
His second album as leader, JUEGO DE NIÑOS, has been recently released. It includes such collaborations as that trumpetist David Herrington, the “tablista” Nirankar khalsa and the saxophone player Alejandro Perez; the rhythmic section is covered by the same musicians as two years ago. One of the newest introductions is a very special folk instrument: the “Zanfoña”(Hurdy-Gurdy).
Baldo Martínez and his band played in Spain, France (Jazzebre,..) , Mexico (EUROJAZZ –
Europea Jazz Festival-) Portugal (Matosinhos-Oporto International Festival of European Jazz, Faro, Guimaraes, etc...), Germany (Musik Triennale Koln 2004) Marruecos (Rabat, Casablanca, Tanger,....), Luxemburgo,...... resulting highly successful for both audience and critics.
On the year 1999, He has realized one project in the Guimaraes International Jazz Festival-Portugal (a festival that is very vinculated to the latest European Jazz Tendencies), this project is called "Minho Project", and is a production for this festival based on Galician traditional music( the northern region of Spain, where he is from, with celtic connections), and music from the north of Portugal, all of the music is developed from a current point of view, and with the tendencies of his music. In this project participat musicians like Maria Joao(Voice), Greg Moore (Trombone and Tuba),. . . On January have partcipated Valentin Clastrier(Hurdy-Gurly) FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL ESCENA CONTEMPORANEA
In 2001 his record NAI is released, which also
is considered second best record of the year, with acclaim from the press. in
2002 worthy of mention is his participation in Eurojazz, Mexico, this festival
reflects each year the most outstanding european jazz groups from many
countries.
In the last year also worthy of mention are his projects with Paolo
Fresu and Carlo Actis Dato, with whom he forms a duo whose recording
is soon to be released.
