Music
Press
Before the law caught up with them for fraud, the makers of Enzyte intermittently ran a short late-night TV infomercial. Enzyte claimed to be a "male enhancement" formula. Bob, the star of the infomercial and supposed satisfied user of Enzyte, was constantly shown with this goofy but confident shit-eating smile on his face. The music used for that commercial was very similar in mood to "Rotonova." Listening to guitarist Razl's hipper and more intricate song will make you smile just like Bob. The 1:20 tune is part bossa nova, part blues, part traditional jazz organ trio and all fun. On the album it acts as a perfect transition to the next tune. You should check out Razl's music when you have a chance, even if you feel you have no need for enhancement.
Disclaimer: "Rotonova" has not yet been tested by the FDA to determine its efficacy. - jazz.com (Walter Kolosky)
Spanish guitarist Razl (real name Raul Huelves) is a real find. Rotonova is his debut album. Almost as entertaining as his music are the album's liner notes and song titles. Razl appears to be a very talented artist who takes music quite seriously but doesn't necessarily take himself that way. I have always felt that's the right attitude for musicians who play any form of jazz. Sometimes would-be fans are turned off by the overly serious jazz artist. It's OK to be a lighthearted human being sometimes, I always say.
"Snail Underground" is a blues-funk fusion dosed with an infectious and dastardly undertone. In ways the piece is a really fast modern version of "St. James Infirmary" combined with Béla Fleck's "Sinister Minister." (You can't get more descriptive than that, my friends!) Razl cooks. The heavy Leslie organ grooves and Hugo Astudillo's saxophone make good impressions too. Influences are heard. There's a little Zappa, a brief snippet of the progressive jazz-rock of Return to Forever, a smidgen of the Allman Brothers and a vocal section that for some strange reason made me think of Iron Butterfly! How wonderfully strange this is. Of note is bassist Bryan Beller, whom I recently had the pleasure of discovering for the first time. He is a talent who deserves close watching. Leader Razl is no slouch either. He's got the attitude, composing skills, chops and imagination to put together the right players for a very engaging outing. I suggest you drop your needlepoint and listen to this music now. - jazz.com (Walter Kolosky)
Razl can seriously do the blues, the bop with a great rhythm feeling, exquisite in the interludes, self-demanding, cares for the sound and works the harmonies and expresses with fluent phrasing and accurate. A very pleasant surprise. A record that deserves to be in a good music catalogue of high quality guitar material. - Total Guitar Magazine (Spain)
Discography
Razl-Rotonova (Martian Sheep Records 2008)
Most of the tracks of Rotonova have been airplaying in radios such as Greenarrow (USA), Bitches Brew (USA), WCSB (USA), Upper room (USA), Disc�polis (Spain), iCat jazz (Spain), Ahora jazz(Spain), Jazz en el aire (Spain), Radio Fussa (Chile)
Photos
Bio
Rotonova is the debut album of the Jazz-Funk guitarist Razl. Intergalactic dangerously addictive grooves, creative guitar melodies over saturated leslie sounds, and zappian environments for weird earthlings.
The album has been recorded with the collaboration of Dean Brown (Marcus Miller, Brecker Brothers, Vital Information, Bill Evans) and Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Mullmuzzler) on guitar, Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Mike Keneally Band) and Damian Erskine (jazz legend Peter Erskine's nephew) on bass and Charlie Dennard (Stanton Moore, Quintology, New World Funk Ensemble) on keyboards amongst others. All mastered by the prestigious engineer Michael Fossenkemper of Turttletone Studios, NY (Medeski, Martin & Wood, John Scofield).
Rotonova is not a record for velocipedes... Razl's fingers haven't been in danger at any time, but melodies have been meditated with great evil, since they have an extreme neural penetration capacity.
Razl amuses himself in every note and environment from this ordered chaos, paranoic improvisation in perfect equilibrium. All this makes Rotonova a surprisingly mixture in which each song is a new sound universe molded by each and every one of the great musicians collaborating with Razl.
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�Spanish guitarist Razl is a real find. Almost as entertaining as his music are the album's liner notes and song titles. Razl appears to be a very talented artist who takes music quite seriously but doesn't necessarily take himself that way. He's got the attitude, composing skills, chops and imagination to put together the right players for a very engaging outing.�
-Walter Kolosky (www.jazz.com)
"This is Fusion with a capital F, proving that there's no shame in revisiting the past when the results are this good."
-Mark Saleski (www.jazz.com)
�Razl really plays blues and bop with feeling, has taste in the interludes, he is self demanding and expresses himself with a fluid and precise phrasing. Without a doubt, Rotonova deserves to be in a good album catalogue for high quality guitar material�
-Total Guitar Magazine (Spain)
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