Espinoza Paz, “Lo Intentamos”
I said Duke Ellington, but the more I listen to this song, the more the harmonic colors of the winds sound like Mingus instead. Which makes sense; Mingus was inspired by mariachi, which is (I’m presuming) the original genre out of which this perfectly lovely Latin pop song came to be — in kind of the same way that Taylor Swift is connected to bluegrass.
These are not the kinds of horns (and reeds) I’m used to hearing on pop radio: they’re not flattened together playing funk/soul riffs, but loosely organized, playing jazzy variations over and under and around the singing. Which is not jazz singing: Paz is definitely a mariachi singer even if he plays his emotions a little closer to the vest than is traditional. But I can’t get over the fact that these kinds of instrumental, even orchestral colors are being played to a happily receptive audience in 2009. It’s like at least one of my most secret pop wishes has been granted.
