...catchy and inventive...the performances develop in unexpected directions, and the often-episodic frameworks make most of the selections sound like mini-suites.
Ozean is German for "ocean," where life on Earth started and the pathways for forging cultural exchange and enrichment of civilization were navigated. The beauty, importance and fragility of the waterways were front-of-mind as guitarist Hugo Fernandez composed this music for his Berlin-based quartet. Born in Mexico, with stops at Berklee and the University of New Orleans before a decade in Madrid and now Berlin, Fernandez's experiences through life in these vivid cultural capitals comes through the music with wide-ranging elements of folkloric forms, Western classical music, and even pop, informing his deep jazz sensibilities. With trumpeter Christoph Titz, bassist Martin Lillich, and fellow expat, drummer Jesus Vega, they embrace a musical world that could be a "forward-looking vision of jazz" (House of World Cultures, Berlin).
"...personality, competence and a sound all of its own..."
El Pais (Spain)
Track Listing:
1. Spark of Desire 6:14
2. Imaginary Geometry 5:07
3. Caribbean Illusion 4:54
4. Birdhouse 7:14
5. Undercurrent 5:39
6. Watertones 7:36
7. Neptune Grass 4:07
8. Latina 6:03
Music by Hugo Fernandez | SGAE
Performers:
Hugo Fernandez - guitar
Christoph Titz - trumpet & flugelhorn
Martin Lillich - electric bass
Jesus Vega - drums
Production Info:
Produced by Hugo Fernandez
Co-produced by Vanessa Labrada
Recorded by Michael Buk
at Greve Studios, Berlin, DE
on January 21-22, 2022
Mixed by Michael Buk & Volker Greve
at Greve Studios, Berlin, DE
Mastered by Volker Greve
Photos by David Beecroft
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Ozean
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
An innovative German cool school guitarist whose idea of cool school is laid back Wes rather than standard ECM, he comes in with a solid set of jazz for the mind that any fan of sitting down jazz will recognize as top shelf. Well played and well planned, this is certainly a guitar player of note leading the way. ...
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Tensile toned guitarist Hugo Fernandez brings together a quartet with horn man Christoph Titz, electric bassist MartinLillich and drummer Jesus Vega through a collection of post bopping originals. He has fun with a reggae pulsed "Caribbean Illusion" and gets a bit funky on the back beat of "Water Tones". Titz is flued and warm on the muted "Undercu ...
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
An innovative German cool school guitarist whose idea of cool school is laid back Wes rather than standard ECM, he comes in with a solid set of jazz for the mind that any fan of sitting down jazz will recognize as top shelf. Well played and well planned, this is certainly a guitar player of note leading the way. ...
CD Hotlist (Rick Anderson)
The line between straight-ahead jazz and fusion (or, heaven help us, "smooth jazz") can be fuzzy and the borderland it defines can be treacherous: tread carefully and you can create exciting and forward-thinking music; get careless and you might slip into a puddle of schlock. On his new album, guitarist Hugo Fernandez offers a master class in negot ...
Take Effect (Tom Haugen)
The guitarist and composer Hugo Fernandez brings his Berlin based quartet to these 8 rich tunes that embrace folk, classical and even pop into the memorable jazz formula.
"Spark of Desire" starts the listen with Fernandez's smooth guitar alongside the soulful trumpet, as light drumming complements the introspective climate, and "Imaginary Geome ...
