Trumpet & percussion duo Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes release adventurous debut on International Anthem
Over the past couple of years, New York City’s avant-jazz-meets-spoken word collective Irreversible Entanglements has stormed on the scene and have been one of the most creative and thought-provoking bands in jazz. Two of the group’s closest members in trumpeter Aquiles Navarro and drummer Tcheser Holmes have come together again to release a brilliant and wildly adventurous duo album titled Heritage of the Invisible II on Chicago’s International Anthem label.
The same fearless musical approach that is ever present on both of Irreversible Entanglements’ two recordings (2020’s Who Sent You? and 2017 self-titled release) is also strongly found on this ten track recording, blending together explosive free-jazz solos and improvisation blended together with their Latin and Afro-Caribbean musical roots.
After two after-hours sessions at Brooklyn’s S1 Studios, the telepathic duo went back and incorporated electronic elements from Juno 106 and Moog Grandmother synths over their acoustic improvisations, as well as overdubbed contributions from poets, vocalist and instrumentalist friends, and field recordings of themselves in conversation. Notably one of those excerpts is a spoken word recording from Navarro’s mentor, collaborator, and jazz great Carlos Garnett on “$$$ /// billete”. The binding theme throughout is Navarro and Holmes’ strong friendship, years of playing together, and paying homage to their strong Panamanian roots.
Overall, this is a superb forward-thinking recording that has deep layers to it that you cannot fully digest with just one listen. As with the Irreversible Entanglements recordings, Aquiles Navarro and Tcheser Holmes on Heritage of the Invisible II continue to push their music forward into new and untapped orbits of exploration. This is jazz at it’s most creative, and it feels like for these two incredible close-nit musicians/friends, the creative musical adventure has just begun.
Also checkout Emma-Jean Thackray‘s recent show on Worldwide FM featuring some incredible new progressive jazz music and an insightful interview with Aquiles Navarro and Tcheser Holmes.
Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes — ‘Heritage of the Invisible II’
(International Anthem)
- Initial Meditation
- plantains
- Pueblo
- A Night in NY
- M.O.N.K (Most Only Never Knew)
- interlude⇅interludio
- NAVARROHOLMES
- $$$ /// billete
- Father
- remix by madam data
