Los Andes Jazz Project

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1. El Kallawaya (The Witch Doctor/El Médico Brujo) (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales:Drums,vocals / Jerry González: Fluegel Horn (SOLO) / Andrés Bedó: Piano (SOLO) / Bob Sands: Tenor Sax / Bobby Martínez: Alto Sax / Patxi Urchegui: Trumpet / Norman Hogue: Trombone / Txuma Segura: Guitar / Peter Oteo: Bass Description: Song based on various South American rhythms and seen from a fusion perspective. Orchestrated for 4 and 5 brass instruments. The solos are developed in a style called “Saya Caporal”.
2. Carnaval Caporal (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Drums,Reco-reco,whistle,Tambores,Synth pads / Bob Sands: Soprano Sax (SOLO) / Germán Kucick: Piano (SOLO) / Ovidio López: Guitar / Txuma Segura: Guitar / Juan San martín: Bass Description: Song inspired by the carnival dances of the Saya Caporal. Saya Caporal:Andes rhythm and musical style with origins in Africa.
3. Joselito (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Drums,Reco-reco,Whistle,Timbal,Zampoñas / Jaime Muela: Flute (SOLO) / Andrés Bedó: Piano / Cherryl Walters: Trombone / Miguel Blanco: Bass Description:Song basically inspired by the rhythms and cadences of “Saya Caporal”, “Tundiqui”(variation of the Saya without singing) and “Huayño”(joyful rhythm for the fast, leaping dance from the Aymara and Quechua regions of Bolivia).
4. Awicha (Grandmother / Abuela ) (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Drums / Bob Sands: Soprano Sax (SOLO) / Germán Kucick: Elec. Piano (SOLO) / Gustavo Gregorio: Acoustic Bass Description: Ballad in 3/4or 6/8(depending on how you analyze it) based in the typical Andes rhythms of 3 against 2, such as the “Lamento” or the Cueca”.
5. Pachamama (Mother Earth / Madre Tierra ) (Yayo Morales ) Yayo morales: Drums,Reco-reco,Whistle,Tambores,Vocals,Zampoñas,Synth Pads / J.Manuel Illera: Guitar (SOLO) / Bob Sands: Soprano Sax / Germán Kucick: Piano / Martín Gª Leyton: Bass Description: This song is a development of polyrhythms played over a Saya in 4/4, which later resolves to a 3/4 6/8) for the solos, which are based on the “Bailecitos” and “Carnivalitos” rhythms. The chorus (written in Aymara and Quechua) sing the 3 commandments of the Incan Empire, “Amasua, amallulla, amakella”(don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t lie). It’s dedicated in memory of José Manuel Illera, virtuoso guitarist from Santander who died in a tragic car accident soon after this recording was completed.
6. Waca-Tokory ( Bull’s Dance/Baile del Toro ) (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Drums, Cow Bells / Germán Kucick:Piano, Keyboard (SOLO) / Bob Sands: Flutes / Juan San Martín: Bass Description: Based on the dance of the WAKATOKORY, indigenous carnaval dance that’s inspired by the Spanish bullfighters (from the Colonial Era), of which the Spaniards themselves talked about and imitated. This dance is very colorful and spectacular since the dancers put on a bull costume .
7. El Cóndor Zappa (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Percussions, Vocals, Charango, Zampoñas, Chajchas, Bolivian Bombo / Andrés Bedó: Piano,Keyboards,Synth (SOLOS) Description: In Bolivia, a “Zappada” is like a jam session or an improvisation in a march. This is a “Zappada” on “El Cóndor Pasa”…..Hmm…interesting.
8. Afro-Saya (Yayo Morales) Yayo Morales: Drums (SOLO), Percussion, Timbal ,Synth Pads / Jerry González: Muted Trumpet (SOLO) / Bob Sands: Tenor Sax (SOLO) / Javier “Caramelo” Massó: Piano / Bobby Martínez: Alto Sax / Patxi Urchegui: Trumpet / Norman Hogue: Trombone / Ovidio López: Guitar / Martín Gª Leyton: Bass . Description: Based on an Afro-Bolivian rhythm called Afro-Saya. Rhythm of African origins that was brought over during the colonial and slave eras and that influenced the folkloric rhythms in Bolivia. Written for a large section with 4 or 5 brass instruments.
9. Pinturas Al Oleo ( Oil Paintings )(Yayo Morales) Part 1. Idea Part 2. Sketch Part 3. Art ( Mixing colors) Part 4. Final brushstroke Yayo Morales: Drums,Vocals / Bob Sands: Flute (SOLO-R) / Bobby Martínez: Flute (SOLO-L) / Manuel Machado: Muted Trumpet (SOLO) / Norman Hogue: Trombone (SOLO) / Ovidio López: Acoustic & Spanish Guitar (SOLO) / Germán Kucick: Elec. Piano, Piano / Gustavo Gregorio: Acoustic Bass. Descripción: This song is written in four principal parts, that describe the basic procedure of oil painting. It was created with a clear idea of creating colors and environments, strokes and blots, to generate real and abstract images with their own philosophy. Structured from the start in Idea, Sketch, Art(mixing colors), and Final brushstroke, the theme is developed in several outlines: the Intro(Idea) is recreated over a Saya rhythm(camouflaged by the brushes) and by the phrasing of the Spanish guitar; then, the Sketch presents the theme, which goes to a 7/4 bar. Art consists in the mixing of the colors which was, without a doubt, an experiment with more than satisfactory results. How was it done? Well, when we get to this part (where the solos should start) we go back to a 4/4 that is developed in a mix of rhythms such as Tarqueada, Huayño(slow), Saya, etc. and has a choir as a background that gets bigger and louder little by little. This choir sings in Aymara and phonetically it creates a very interesting environment. It goes like this: “Jumaz janiw utaniktati. Jupanakax utanipxiwa. Jumax qaritaki jachaña. Jupanakax janiw llaki”. A rough translation is: “You don’t even have a house. They do have houses. You are too tired to cry. And they feel no sorrow.” To mix the colors I wrote a few phrases for each soloist that they could use now and then (at will), each phrase was assigned a certain color, that is, for example flute 1 had two phrases, each one with a different color (red and green), flute 2 had another two colors (blue and yellow), trombone (black and white), and the muted trompet another two colors. Each one of them could be played whenever the soloist wanted, and in case of two colors coinciding, for example, red and orange, that would generate orange; of course, harmonically speaking the coincidences of the instruments work marvelously and it generated diverse climates and, again, colors. Finally, the song returns to 7/4 until it dies in the Final brushstroke.

	Yayo Morales “ Los Andes Jazz Project"
	This album, which features many of the best musicians in Madrid and Spain in general, was conceived about 4 years ago. It took shape slowly due to the lack of production and scarcity of economic resources. Finally, the album is done; it reflects infinite smells and tastes, colors and landscapes, extracted from the Pachamama (Mother Earth), who talks to us and sings to us from her white breast, eternally from the snow-covered mountains…from this comes the title, “LOS ANDES JAZZ PROJECT”.
The 9 songs are different proposals (or at least that’s the intention) of Afro-Bolivian music and Bolivian/Andes folk music styles and rhythms in general (It’s a mix between sounds with a Jazz feel and traditional Andes rhythms such as Afro Saya,, Saya Caporal, Tundiqui, Tuntuna, Huayño, Lamento, Tarqueada, etc.), treated in a modern, less traditional way, poured into a pot, seasoned with experimental fusions and melodies that could be “Andinas” or “Criollas”, or maybe not, that make the potion bubbles up and boil until it’s ready. This project would not have reached it’s height without the support and participation of an exquisite selection of musicians, suitable for this experiment, who not only understood the concept of this music perfectly, but also stretched it as high as the clouds, offering their talents and quality, their hearts and their share of hope. Andrés Bedó, Bob Sands, Bobby Martiínez, Cheryl Walters, Germán Kucich, Gustabo Gregorio, Jaime Muela, Javier Massó”Carmelo”, Jerry González, José M. Illera, Juan San Martín, Manuel Mmachado, Martín G Leyton, Miguel Blanco, Norman hogue, Ovidio López, Patxi Urchegui, Peter Oteo and Txuma Segura. “LOS ANDES JAZZ PROJECT” is, in short, an ambitious but humble, unpretentious project of a music with spirit, power and love. I’d like to think that it’s an alternative to “Latin” or “Latin Jazz” music, because I present it with something…I don’t know what it is, maybe I don’t want to know, but it’s something different. Yayo Morales.