Aquí Me Quedo is the only arrangement of an existing composition on this album. The original piece was a protest song written by Victor Jara. It advocated for a unified Chile without bloodshed, where everyone can coexist and where class differences don’t divide. It criticized the wealthy who left and didn’t care for their own country. Because of his liberal values and critique of the right-wing, Jara was brutally tortured and executed when Pinochet came into power.
This arrangement tells the story of Jara’s final moments. It starts with the peaceful, positive energy of his music and quickly degrades into his capture, torture, and finally, murder. The tenor plays the role of Jara and you can hear his brutal demise through the free tenor solo. But afterward, the hope for and message of peace returns as the uplifting initial vamp rings through the end of the song.
Trumpeter Harry Spencer’s orchestral modern jazz has cinematic scope, inspired here by dissidents throughout history. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 3, 2023