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Exploring Dafnis Prieto, 2011 MacArthur Fellow: Prieto as Composer

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Dafnis Prieto recently was honored as a 2011 MacArthur Fellow, being recognized for excellence in his artistic pursuits. From his studies in Cuba to his professional work in New York, Prieto has always been a musician committed to outstanding artistry and pushing the limits of his creative energy. This cutting edge attitude has led to a burst of Latin Jazz excitement, but not in the standard ways that one might expect. Prieto has shown himself to be a technically astounding drummer, an inspired bandleader, an edgy avant grade musician, a supportive sideman, and a genre bending composer that has contributed to jazz, Latin music, modern classical settings, and more. The money that comes with the MacArthur Fellowship is meant to fund future creativity, which they assume will follow the path of Prieto's high artistic standards. In this series, we'll be exploring the different facets of Prieto's outstanding career that led to this honor. Last week we examined Prieto's work as a bandleader and his performances as a sideman. Today we're going to investigate some of Prieto's contributions to various projects as a composer.

Dafnis Prieto As Composer

For anyone familiar with his recordings as a bandleader, Prieto's skills as a composer are no secret. His albums consist exclusively of original compositions, and they all overflow with his unmissable artistic personality. For many artists, this would be the telling piece of their artistic identity—the total strength of their compositional power would go into their own albums. Prieto's skills as a composer reach far beyond his albums though, liberally touching different instrumentations and genres. His training in classical music left Prieto with a solid foundation in ensemble writing, allowing him to stretch out beyond the traditional boundaries of Latin Jazz. He's taken advantage of that ability, contributing original compositions to ensembles both in and outside of the Latin Jazz world.

“Song For Chico"
Song For Chico
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble


Pianist Arturo O'Farrill has made a point of commissioning pieces from young composers for his stunning big band, and this track brought Prieto's distinct compositional voice into the group's repertoire. Written for Chico O'Farrill, Prieto does a great job of balancing traditional Cuban music forms associated with the elder O'Farrill and the more modern sensibilities more commonly used by the drummer. There's a beauty and drive to the piece that The Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble grabs with a passion, delivering an amazing performance. Prieto plays the big band like a fine instrument, bringing out lush textures, rhythmic intricacies, and the intensive fire hidden in this type of ensemble. He makes plenty of space for the group's fine improvisers as well, integrating diverse solo sections into the piece that showcase the ensemble's wealth of talent. Prieto brings the band to life with a fitting tribute to one of the music's most important voices and leaves us with a desire for more big band writing from the drummer.

“Echo-dimensions"
Timbrando
Meridian Arts Ensemble


The Meridian Arts Ensemble constructed Timbrando with the idea of exploring Latin flavored music in a brass quintet setting, so they enlisted the help of Prieto on this track. Hs contribution didn't necessarily fit the stereotypical image of Latin music, but it certainly showed the possibilities of the genre when you think outside the box. The brass ensemble dances around the rhythmic assertion of the drum kit with a classical elegance, hitting jagged corners at every turn. The group plays around rhythmic structures, but never falls into them in a traditional sense, making the piece even more fascinating. There's stunning displays of brass virtuosity and gorgeous examples of pristine tone as well as distinctly modern approaches to harmony and melodic construction. If you look hard enough, you can relate this piece to Cuban music, but it's far from obvious; you'll find a broad collection of Prieto's musical interests. It's an intriguing example of Prieto's writing in a distinctly different context that pushes the limits of any genre.

“Claveteando"
Building
The Ethos Percussion Group


Jazz fans around the world will quickly attest to Prieto's skills as a drummer, but even the most rabid followers would be surprised by his composition for The Ethos Percussion Group. Prieto combines his knowledge of South American and Caribbean rhythms with his experience in the colors of symphonic percussion here, building a piece that walks between worlds. Written for an extended collection of percussion instruments, the piece makes a rapid fire race through a number of different rhythmic languages across its ten minute span. Afro-Cuban rumbas explode into existence only to abruptly stop after a few measures, followed by slight references to Brazilian samba. Coloristic sections filled with cymbals, triangles, and temple blocks give the composition a symphonic edge before falling into a churning songo feel. Despite the neurotic changes in style and genre, there's an intriguing logic to the piece that begs for a full listen. This is smart percussion writing that takes the listener on a journey through several cultures, but also frames that trip in an educated perspective. Any drummer familiar with Prieto's work needs to hear this work, but any listener is going to find the beauty in this work—its a brilliant collection of ideas.

“Against The Law"
Birds Of A Feather
Caribbean Jazz Project


Prieto contributed to this Caribbean Jazz Project album as a drummer, but injected more of his personality into the mix with this great composition. The piece opens with a number of edgy breaks that slice the groove into countless pieces without ever killing its momentum. When the rhythm section falls into a rumba underneath the stuttering melody of Dave Samuel's vibraphone, they find themselves working through a number of complex rhythmic figures. Solo cycles send the group into steady grooves, exploring straight ahead son montuno, Afro-Cuban 6/8, and more, highlighting the group's outstanding improvisers. This isn't a chance for the group to relax though; Prieto constantly intersperses game changing interludes and background lines. The group responds with an enthusiastic zeal, grabbing the challenges proposed by Prieto's writing and pushing the limits of their musicianship. This is a classic Prieto composition that explores the idea of dual tradition and embraces the nature of modern musicality.

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