Xosé Miguelez - Ontology (2019)

While looking through songbooks of traditional Galician music, Spanish saxophonist Xose Miguelez happened upon a recording by the ethnic musicologist Dorothé Schubart of a ballad, sung by his own Great-Aunt Amparo almost 40 years ago in Cerdedelo-Laza, a beautiful village hidden in the Galician hills. All of the compositions on "Ontology" come from a four-note motif at the beginning of that ballad. The idea came from Kansas City saxophonist Matt Otto, a friend and mentor to Xose and the producer of this recording. Though through the sounds of this dynamic, modern jazz quartet it may be difficult to discern the four-note motif, it is the very root and inspiration of this work. Listen to the end to hear Great-Aunt Amparo sing her song.

Xose Miguelez - tenor saxophone
Storm Nilson - guitar
Ben Leifer - double bass & electric bass
John Kizilarmut - drums & cajon flamenco
Peter Schlamb - vibraphone (2,9)
Matt Otto - tenor saxophone (1,4,5), EWI (2)