Alex Pertout VIAJES (Travels)
Alex Pertout presents ‘Viajes (Travels)’, an intimate and cinematic album that serves as a logbook of his musical life. Six-tracks trace a personal route from the Andes Mountains to the spiritual ‘Fourth World’, passing through the ritual heart of Cuba and the nostalgia of boleros. With deep respect, Pertout weaves unexpected connections: a Chilean folk song collected by Violeta Parra dialogues with jazz; sacred Afro-Cuban (Lucumí) chants expand into contemporary harmonic arrangements; and melodies inspired by Carnatic India blend with atmospheric soundscapes. This is the culmination of decades of exploration, a work that embodies the prophecy of a universal, borderless music.
For this journey, Pertout convened a constellation of international artists, recording between Melbourne, Havana, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Chennai, West Cork, Launceston and New York. The album is a dialogue between tradition and avant-garde, where respect for roots merges with creative freedom.The cover photograph was captured by Julian Alexander Pertout arriving in Callao, Lima, Peru.
FAREWELL (Alex Pertout) 7:05
1 - La Cordillera / El Palomo (8:42)
Composer: Alex Pertout ("La Cordillera")
Traditional Chilean Folksong ("El Palomo") - Reimagined and Arranged by Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: bombo legüero, udu, caxixis, ganza, shekeré, pandero, gong, handclaps,
percussive texture, nyunga nyunga mbira, zampoñas, quena, synthesizers
Magdalena Matthey: lead, background vocals
Miroslav Bukovsky: flugelhorn
Pedro Villagra: quenacho
Luke Howard: piano
Alan Plachta: acoustic, electric guitars
Craig Newman: electric bass
Gerry Pantazis: drums
2 - Farewell (7:06)
Composer: Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: bongós, congas, ganza, güícharo, triangle pandeiro,
surdo, percussive textures, vibes, fender rhodes, synthesizers
Mike Stern: guitars
Luke Howard: piano
Susannah Coleman-Brown: vocals
Craig Newman: fretless bass
Gerry Pantazis: drums
3 - Ashirvad (9:55)
Composer: Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: udu, congas, berimbaus, table gongs, ganza, triangle, cabasa,
cymbals, surdo, percussive textures, loops, marimba, quenacho, konnakol, synthesizers
Sandy Evans: saxophone
Charulatha Mani: lead, background vocals
Luke Howard: fender rhodes, acoustic piano
Stephen Housden: acoustic and electric guitars
Ben Robertson: double bass
*Atmospheric field recordings in Marina Beach, Chennai, India by Alex Pertout
4 – Lejos De Ti (7:05)
Composer: Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: bongós, congas, maracas, vibes, pandero,
timbales, percussive textures, loops, synthesizers
Magdalena Matthey: lead, background vocals
Mayquel González: trumpet, flugelhorn
Luke Howard: piano
Alan Plachta: acoustic guitars
William Roblejo: violin
Ben Robertson: double bass
5 - L’Oyá / Longo Ito (7:35)
Traditional Afro-Chants - Reimagined and Arranged by Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: congas, shekeré, cencerro, pandero, kanjira, handclaps,
glockenspiel, percussive textures, loops, synthesizers
Silvia Cabrera: lead, background vocals
Justo Pelladito: tambor bembé (caja), baclground vocals
César López: saxophone
Leonardo Pérez: violin
Luke Howard: piano
Alan Plachta: acoustic, electric guitars
Craig Newman: electric bass
Gerry Pantazis: drums
6 - Saudade (7:42)
Composer: Alex Pertout
Alex Pertout: udu, bombo legüero, caxixis, pandeiro, concert bass drum, cymbals, gongs,
atmospheric, percussive textures, vibes glockenspiel, mbira nyunga nyunga, syntesizers
Miroslav Bukovsky: flugelhorn
Luke Howard: piano
Leonardo Pérez: violines divisi
Steve Wade: voz
Ben Robertson: double bass
Gerry Pantazis: drums
*Atmospheric field recordings in New York, USA by Alex Pertout
PRODUCED BY ALEX PERTOUT
RECORDED BY Alex Pertout in Melbourne, Australia.
ADDITIONAL RECORDINGS BY Alfonso Peña in La Habana, Cuba; Pedro Villagra in Santiago, Chile; Pablo Butelman in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Edmond Gilmore in New York, USA.; Stephen Housden in West Cork, Ireland; Butch Monserrat in Launceston; Patrick Telfer, Luke Howard, Ben Robertson, Gerry Pantazis and Craig Newman in Melbourne, Australia. Atmospheric field recordings in New York, USA and Marina Beach, Chennai, India, by Alex Pertout.
MIXED BY Alex Pertout in Melbourne, Australia. Production of additional mix stems by Alfonso Peña in Madrid, Spain and Doug Brady in Melbourne, Australia. Additional studio assistance by Luciano Scaglio.
MASTERED BY Ted Jensen, Sterling Sound, Nashville, USA.
COVER AND DIGITAL BOOKLET PHOTOGRAPHY BY Julian Alexander Pertout in Callao, Lima, Perú; Shalimar Express, Rajasthan, India; Viña del Mar, Santiago y Los Horcones, Chile; La Habana, Cuba; Glenorky, New Zealand.
TYPOGRAPHY BY Jasper Martin.
SPECIAL THANKS TO Mike Stern, Luke Howard, Sandy Evans, Charulatha Mani, Magdalena Matthey, Alan Plachta, Justo Pelladito, Silvia Cabrera, César López, Stephen Housden, Mayquel González, William Roblejo, Pedro Villagra, Leonardo Pérez, Steve Wade, Miroslav Bukovsky, Susannah Coleman-Brown, Craig Newman, Ben Robertson, Gerry Pantazis, Alfonso Peña, Patrick Telfer, Pablo Butelman, Edmond Gilmore, Doug Brady, Butch Monserrat, Ted Jensen, Chris Grainger, Julian Alexander Pertout, Andrian Pertout, Katia Cardan, Luciano Scaglio, Jasper Martin, Cary Diez, Isabel Reinoso, Graeme Regan and Amelia Thompson.
MY THANKS ALSO TO Peter Grech for sampling and development of textures for synthesizers, Mark Inglese of D’Addario Australia for LP Latin Percussion, Justin Malseed of Dynamic Music for Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Brad Willats of Australasian Music Supplies for Remo Heads.
With love to Julian Alexander Pertout
