Toni Vaquer and Voodoo Children Collective master the art of stretching jazz
One of the highlights of the night was the dialogue between the two batteries, framed as complementary rather than confrontational.
PalmToni Vaquer's project maintains its commitment to exploring unusual formats and integrating them into a single sonic language. In Voodoo Children Collective, this commitment materializes in a unique fusion: classical instruments that allow "music to be stretched like rubber" coexist with tubes of big band Drier and more defined, shaping a discourse that constantly evolves without losing coherence. Vaquer assumes a role that goes beyond directing: he presents, contextualizes, and dedicates each piece, often turning them into gestures of recognition for the project's musicians.
One of the highlights of the evening was the dialogue between the two drummers, based on complementarity rather than confrontation. This rhythmic solidity supports a repertoire that naturally navigates complex territories. The compositions, with their ambitious and meticulously crafted architecture, maintain a surprisingly accessible sound, as if the project had deliberately smoothed all the rough edges to facilitate audience engagement.
The influences evoke projects like Snarky Puppy, both in their interest in textures and in the way they articulate jazzy triple rhythms with funky duples and more ethnically rooted pulses. This combination generates a broad and flexible sound that is very characteristic of the collective.
The setlist It explored various registers: from the delicacy of Django in the rhythmic engine of Katana either Little Nada Dragonpassing through the concentrated intensity ofElegyThe last two pieces featured the participation of the children from the A Ran de Mar jazz school in Portocolom, who provided luminous and emotionally impactful vocal support, reinforced by the presence of traditional Spanish verse and other elements of folk music. The ensemble delivered a concert that confirms Vaquer and his collective's ability to expand the boundaries of jazz and create a space for open dialogue. A project that stretches, transforms, and returns music with its own unique vitality.
