Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
DownBeat’s 73rd Annual Critics Poll: One for the Record Books
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
Pianist Fabian Almazan’s ‘This Land Abounds With Life’ is set for release June 14 on his own Biophilia imprint.
(Photo: Clara Pereira/Jazztrail)
Bassist Linda May Han Oh, pianist Fabian Almazan and drummer Henry Cole
(Photo: Desmond White)A bandleader, composer and member of Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective, pianist Fabian Almazan synthesizes a lifetime’s worth of experiences on This Land Abounds With Life, a disc that includes contributions from bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Henry Cole.
The new trio recording, out June 14 on Almazan’s Biophilia imprint, is, in part, a reflection of the pianist’s first trip back to Cuba since leaving there as child. Some snippets of field recordings find their way onto a couple tracks, “Songs Of The Forgotten” boasting a bit of birdsong. Below is the debut of “Benjamin,” the first track on This Land, a tune that references a character in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
“The novella was banned in all the communist countries, including Cuba,” Almazan says about the Orwell book in a press release. “I’m seeing a lot of things happening in the U.S. right now that are reminiscent of what happens right before a dictatorship. I just want to remind myself and others not to forget the past.”
For more information about Almazan’s upcoming album, as well as a spate of trio tour dates, visit his website. DB
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
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The DownBeat Critics Poll provides a wonderful snapshot of the jazz scene today, with much to explore and many great…
