{"id":11167,"date":"2025-08-25T06:56:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T11:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=11167"},"modified":"2025-08-25T23:58:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T04:58:25","slug":"review-aruan-ortiz-creole-renaissance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-aruan-ortiz-creole-renaissance\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Aru\u00e1n Ortiz\u2019s \u2018Cr\u00e9ole  Renaissance\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The well-decorated Cuban-born, Brooklyn-based pianist Aru\u00e1n Ortiz has developed his reputation in the avant-garde or free jazz world. Typically, when thinking of a free jazz pianist, Cecil Taylor, or more recently, Matthew Shipp, comes to most people\u2019s minds.&nbsp; Ortiz only barely resembles either, rarely taking free-form rollicking excursions on this album. He is far more minimalist in conveying his messages. Nonetheless, he leaves a stunning impact. Each note and chord on his second solo album, <em>Cr\u00e9ole Renaissance <\/em>(Intakt, 2025), is deliberate and carefully considered, but in furtherance of a creativity that is limitless. To these ears, he sublimates his renowned prodigious technique to shape the story while at the same time drawing from avant-garde influences, as well as Schoenberg, Messiaen, and Bebo Valdez. Listen carefully, though, to find him quoting Ellington or the Cuban artist, Company Segundo. But the album is also not an easy listen. It is meant to be provocative and is mostly somber and meditative. It demands attention and closed eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_fG6gK5-bKv4\"><div id=\"lyte_fG6gK5-bKv4\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/fG6gK5-bKv4\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fG6gK5-bKv4\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/fG6gK5-bKv4\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also gratifying when writing reviews of this type to learn something new about history. Ortiz focuses on Negritude, the cultural, political, and literary movement that awakened racial consciousness and emerged from French intellectuals in the 1930s, as an element of the African diaspora. He was inspired by poets such as Aim\u00e9 and Suzanne Cesaire, as well as Ren\u00e9 Menil\u2019s new kind of narrative of Afrodisaporic life and history in the Caribbean. These are the deep roots of Black experimentation. His writing assails the legacy of colonialism and the European power that once dominated the world. As such, half of the track titles are in French, the other half in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_wNVLRsP7grQ\"><div id=\"lyte_wNVLRsP7grQ\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wNVLRsP7grQ\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wNVLRsP7grQ\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wNVLRsP7grQ\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the opening, \u201cL\u2019Etudiant noir,\u201d Ortiz begins somberly in the lower register, eventually encompassing the entire keyboard in an effort to delineate the huge gaps between those in power and the powerless, as gleaned from poet Edouard Glissant\u2019s \u201cthe determining gaps.\u201d The piece ends with an emphatic bass chord. Arguably, the most evocative track is \u201cSeven Aprils in Paris (And a Sophisticated Lady).\u201d The piece unfolds gently as if he\u2019s painting a lazy spring day in Paris, brightening the palette slightly when the classy lady comes into view. All is quiet as he observes from a distance. He is likely contrasting the peace of \u201cthat world\u201d with the unrest felt by those of color. The brief \u201cLegitime Defense\u201d is angular and disjointed, one of the few free jazz excursions, put to an abrupt finale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe the most personal track is \u201cFrom the Distance of my Freedom,\u201d where Ortiz delivers spoken word posing questions about the place of the colonized, skin color, African identity, and what it feels like to be excluded. Some call it the feeling of being invisible. Ortiz calls it \u201csilent exclusion.\u201d Following the words, he moves into varying tempos and dynamics, moving ever so unpredictably, sometimes with a mere swipe of a key. The brief title track is aptly stormy, infused with repetitive motifs. \u201cThe Great Camouflage\u201d takes the opposite tack, a dramatic series of dark chords with glimpses of treble and ample space between each. \u201cDeuxi\u00e8me Miniature (Dancing)\u201d becomes more animated, but Ortiz manages to insert dark chords and notes, giving the piece a mix of joy and angst; a tone of anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_dddw8V7rAUk\"><div id=\"lyte_dddw8V7rAUk\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/dddw8V7rAUk\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dddw8V7rAUk\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/dddw8V7rAUk\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those three pieces seem to serve as a preamble to the culminating one, \u201cWe Belong to Those Who Say No to Darkness.\u201d Here, Ortiz uses a variety of techniques, i including dampening the strings to produce thuds and metallic strums. The piano sounds like a different instrument &#8211; a zither, oud, or possibly an electric guitar. Like \u201cThe Great Camouflage,\u201d the piece unfolds very deliberately. The title is drawn from Cesaire\u2019s defiant preface to the first issue of Tropiques, where he writes that although \u201cthe shadow\u201d of imperialism seems to be encroaching in many aspects of life, still \u201cwe belong to those who say no to the shadow. We know that the salvation of the world depends on us, too.\u201d&nbsp; These are writings from practically a century ago. Consider that this week alone in the States, we had a President comment that the Smithsonian museum focused too much on slavery, and that the Texas House of Representatives passed a redistricting plan to curtail the voting rights of people of color. Colonialism has again reared its ugly head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would seem Ortiz has made his major statement through the prior piece. \u201cThe Haberdasher\u201d is more melodic and brighter.&nbsp; \u201cLo que you quiero es Chan Chan\u201d is based on a song by Cuban artist Compay Segundo, perhaps a statement of his people finding joy in resistance, or simply an embrace of his Afro-Cuban roots. Yet, the piece just ends in a descending murmur, a statement in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is urgent music, a wakeup call that shuns the bombastic in favor of a quietly compelling peaceful protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2018Cr\u00e9ole Renaissance\u2019 will be released on August 29, 2025 on Intakt Records. It can be <a href=\"https:\/\/aruanortiz.bandcamp.com\/album\/cr-ole-renaissance?label=1225330023\">purchased on Bandcamp<\/a>.  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo credit: Luciano Rossetti<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The well-decorated Cuban-born, Brooklyn-based pianist Aru\u00e1n Ortiz has developed his reputation in the avant-garde or free jazz world. Typically, when thinking of a free jazz pianist, Cecil Taylor, or more recently, Matthew Shipp, comes to most people\u2019s minds.&nbsp; Ortiz only barely resembles either, rarely taking free-form rollicking excursions on this album. He is far more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":11166,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":79,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[1288,1291,1292,1293,1289,1290],"class_list":["post-11167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-aruan-ortiz","tag-creole-renaissance","tag-intakt","tag-intakt-records","tag-piano","tag-solo-piano"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_1144.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-2U7","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10753,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-abstraction-jbl\/","url_meta":{"origin":11167,"position":0},"title":"Review: James Brandon Lewis Quartet&#8217;s &#8216;Abstraction Is Deliverance&#8217;","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"June 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis has established himself as the most versatile tenorist on the scene today in a relatively short time. He\u2019s played in classical settings, gospel settings, in a punk trio, with a rock band, and as a sideman for Ches Smith and others. But his most consistent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_2704-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_2704-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_2704-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/img_2704-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":255,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/bitches-brew-50th-compositions\/","url_meta":{"origin":11167,"position":1},"title":"Miles Davis&#8217; Bitches Brew 50th Anniversary Celebration- Part One: The Compositions","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"March 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"On March 30, 1970, Miles Davis shocked the world with his groundbreaking Bitches Brew (Columbia Records, 1970). Although the trumpeter had been increasingly trending towards merging jazz with rock since at least Miles in The Sky (Columbia Records, 1968), Brew destroyed any divide between the two. At the time, some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bitches Brew 50th Anniversary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bitches Brew 50th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/special-series\/bitches-brew-50th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bitches Brew I: Composition","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BB_mainart_compositions.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BB_mainart_compositions.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BB_mainart_compositions.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BB_mainart_compositions.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2518,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/exploring-violin-versatility\/","url_meta":{"origin":11167,"position":2},"title":"Exploring the Violin&#8217;s Versatility","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"February 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Historians believe the first violin dates to sometime in the early 16th Century. Gaudenzio Ferrari\u2019s paintings show a three-string variant as early as the 1530s. As the Renaissance turned Baroque, Classical, then Romantic, the violin became a prominent figure in Western music. Perhaps too preeminent in orchestral settings. When asked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Shepherd Tone with Rob Shepherd&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Shepherd Tone with Rob Shepherd","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/columns\/shepherd-tone-with-rob-shepherd\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/violin.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/violin.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/violin.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/violin.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2029,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/kiwanuka-2019-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":11167,"position":3},"title":"Brian Kiwanuka\u2019s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019","author":"Brian Kiwanuka","date":"November 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"As the PostGenre Team is working on their list(s) of Favorites from 2020, here is a flashback to Brian Kiwanuka\u2019s 2019 list. This list originally appeared at Nextbop. 10. Brandee Younger \u2013 Soul Awakening (Self Release) The harp is a spellbinding instrument and throughout Soul Awakening Brandee Younger is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/BeFunky-collage4.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/BeFunky-collage4.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/BeFunky-collage4.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/BeFunky-collage4.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7321,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/https-postgenre-org-rob-shepherd-favorite-2023\/","url_meta":{"origin":11167,"position":4},"title":"Rob Shepherd&#8217;s Favorite Albums of 2023","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"December 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In terms of my music writing, 2023 started off frustratingly with a few interviews that fell through and one that took place but ultimately exploded in my face.\u00a0 However, the year ended very strongly. During 2023, I produced several album reviews and released thirty-two interviews, with many more done but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Best of Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Best of Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/7D716C41-0464-431C-8508-164CB9BB98E8.jpeg?fit=750%2C519&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/7D716C41-0464-431C-8508-164CB9BB98E8.jpeg?fit=750%2C519&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/7D716C41-0464-431C-8508-164CB9BB98E8.jpeg?fit=750%2C519&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/7D716C41-0464-431C-8508-164CB9BB98E8.jpeg?fit=750%2C519&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11167"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11171,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11167\/revisions\/11171"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}