'FAMILIA' marks the latest release from Ramiro Zayas which excitingly finds the pianist performing alongside the Basel Jazz Orchestra for their full-length release.
With the album having been released at the conclusion of 2025, last year would prove to be an exceptionally busy and productive period for the Argentinian-born and Berlin-based musician and composer. We had previously marvelled at Zayas' 'Collector' album upon its release - a project serving as his third full-length and a stunning effort that embraced a sublime balance of improvisation intertwined with imaginative composition.
Each new release from Zayas consistently bears the responsibility of regaling a new narrative attached to the project: the opportunity to continually embrace the art of new collaborative energy never seems to be lost on Zayas and is a genuinely compelling quality within an artist who places such reverence on their music. 'Surin' would follow almost immediately and would find Zayas partnering with drummer Juan Ibarra for a wonderful release aptly described on Bandcamp as blending "Uruguayan and Argentine folk rhythms with the influence of modern jazz".
'FAMILIA' finds Zayas once again recontextualising listener expectations by tackling perhaps his most ambitious project to date in his collaboration with the eighteen-person Basel Jazz Orchestra. Comprised of musicians from various international backgrounds and artists immersed within Basel's jazz landscape, the pairing generates some enthralling results throughout the album.
It is a collaboration however that poses something of a delicious dichotomy of styles and approaches to music-making. The freedom of live improvisation that Zayas has openly embraced on past projects would in theory appear to work in stark contrast to the structure of an expansive ensemble but – unsurprisingly – Zayas and company strike the balance with formidable success.
With Zayas tackling the album's writing and arrangements, the boundlessly versatile artist once again finds a way to thrive across the album's eight compositions. With sensational backing from the Basel Jazz Orchestra, the collective introduce a fantastic new dimension to Zayas' music making the path from 'Collector' to 'Surin' to 'FAMILIA' an engrossing journey. Alongside the fantastic musical accompaniment, special mention should go to vocalist Joyce Bastos who blesses 'Autopsicografia' with an exquisite performance.
Through the release of 'FAMILIA', Ramiro Zayas has really tested himself and presented an outstanding release worthy of his ever-expanding catalogue. Perhaps even more pertinent than that however is that 'FAMILIA' is evident that, for Zayas, the journey continues with more stories to tell.
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