There is an easy trap for university jazz recordings, where technical proficiency becomes the entire point of their performance. “Back Home,” the new release from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Joe Williams Jazz Scholarship Combo and Latin Jazz Ensemble, avoids that mistake entirely. Across fourteen tracks, the musicians craft a unique identity as performers, giving the record much more personality than the words “student ensemble” might suggest.
The album is essentially divided into two complementary halves. The opening eight pieces belong to the Joe Williams Jazz Scholarship Combo under Dave Loeb, while the final six expand into the more rhythmically colorful world of Pepe Jiménez’s Latin Jazz Ensemble. It is an unusually composition-heavy program, with original pieces by Andrés Montero, Tristan Selzler, Jason Knuckles, Skyy Estanislao and Josh Alvarado forming much of its identity.
https://unlvjazz.bandcamp.com/album/back-home
https://www.unlv.edu/music/jazz-ensemble
The Joe Williams Combo side establishes that identity immediately. Jason Knuckles’ “Pops ’N’ Ricky,” built around the familiar language of “When You’re Smiling,” has the kind of buoyancy that makes a natural opener. The title track, “Back Home,” brings the record into warmer and more personal territory. Composed by drummer Andrés Montero with lyrics by vocalist Eva Yazdanpanah and a soulful sax solo by Skyy Estanislao, it’s one of the record’s most inviting moments.
Some of the strongest material comes when the combo stretches beyond straightforward swing. Skyy Estanislao’s “Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue” introduces a warmer melodic character, but “Sam Hose” may be an even better example of what this ensemble does well. Knuckles writes a memorable jazz waltz that creates room for both his tenor playing and Selzler’s more expansive, McCoy Tyner-influenced piano vocabulary before easing into a quieter conclusion. The demanding arrangements across the album are played to perfection, supporting the idea that this is already a group of nature soloists that are now developing their artistic personalities.
Then Back Home changes complexion. The Latin Jazz Ensemble adds trumpets, a larger reed section, additional percussion and, crucially, Nathan Bastidas’ charango, immediately broadening the album’s palette. Josh Alvarado’s “Latin Ruins” is built around an appealing riff-based foundation, while “Tierra Mestiza” is particularly intriguing because the charango gives it a folk-derived identity that prevents the Latin side of the album from becoming too generic.
The appeal of Back Home is that it captures a group of young musicians at the stage where formidable technique is beginning to turn into individual musical identity. The Joe Williams Combo provides sophistication and intimacy; the Latin Jazz Ensemble supplies much of the color and communal energy. Together, they make an impressively varied record whose best moments suggest that several of these names will be worth following well beyond UNLV.