JAYECHE

Vytas Brenner: latin jazz-fusion artist?

Pretty much. After his first album that gave the name to his (by then) new band "Ofrenda", Hermano was showing more jazz inclination in a couple of songs. In here, about 80% of the album is fusion, taken by jams ("Playa De Agua"), songs much in the vein of Di Meola-Lenny White version of Return To Forever ("Cariaco" & "Caracas Para Locos"; "La Restinga" could be included in this category but in a lesser sense, for it's more consonant and constant) or smooth latin-jazz ditties ("Cerro El Avila") and mixed with the unforgettable venezuelan rhythm on a yet fusion lexeme ("Catatumbo") and more symphonic, yet very short songs ("Canchunchú Florido"). I must add that I prefer the live version of "Playa De Agua" found in "Ofrenda - En Vivo" than this version, which is less dynamic and lacking the power that the former had injected.

Not a masterpiece, but well crafted and carefully made "fusion" album by whom appeared in the beginning to be a symphonic progressive rock artist. I must have adverted to symphonic progressive fans about the lack of the "symphonic sound" in this album. For me it just confirms the overwhelming versatility and musicianship of Vytas & Co. 3.55 stars, rounded to 4.

The debut by Mr. Brenner and his accompanied band mates Jayeche is WHY I like music especially when you take a format or genre and inject some spice into the mix to create something different yet very accessible to the casual listener. Ok so its 1975 the tail end of the glorious jazz fusion era as well as the demise of the progressive era's apex of truly great works but the lighthouse was still guiding the ships safety into port. On Jeyeche multi instrumentalist and leader Vytas Brenner taps the jazz funk fusion keg of influences as you will plainly hear a tad of Return to Forever Influence but he also taps the deep well of inspiration of Venezuelan folk music. You can hear the South American influences in the use of strings instruments and definitive use of certain rhythms that you know are not drawn from blues or your standard Santana well of latin beats. Vytas makes heavy use of analog strings synths, Moogs (and I have to say I love his mimicking birds and wind to create more texture) and tons of electric piano. Then theres a downtempo smooth bossa like ballad Avila which simmers everything down to a cool spacey drift-ty close. I will say the band is tight here traversing a myriad of styles and harmonic highways that will appeal to fans of prog as well as jazz fusion and there is NO real vocals which makes this a purely instrumental affair. I have owned Vytas album Ofrenda prior to discovering this gem and all I can attest is he continued to build that Venezuelan folk influence into his later works that alone made him a stand out in the prog/fusion genre for its level of diversity.