Aero

The Aero Saxophone Quartet brings its trademark versatility and variety to their debut album, which embraces music from Glazunov to John Coltrane. Praised by Augusta Read Thomas for their ‘nuanced, colourful, and artfully sculpted’ performances, the award-winning Aero Quartet was formed in 2020 and has quickly established a reputation for wide-ranging programmes. This album spans classical and jazz, profound and light-hearted. Alongside Glazunov’s richly innovative music, we hear the evocative Danzón No. 5 (Portales de Madrugada) by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, the playful Wapango by Cuban-American legend Paquito D’Rivera, and Ed Calle’s sultry Iberia Suite. There are thought-provoking works from Carlos Simon, whose Elegy (A Cry from the Grave) pays powerful tribute to Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and from Guillermo Lago, whose Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is dedicated to his many friends there. The release culminates in Coltrane’s Dear Lord, a mellow yet joyful affirmation of life.