Pedrito Martínez, Antonio Sánchez & Michael League, Elipsis Review

By Icrom Bigrad

When experiencing Elipsis, it’s clear this album isn’t organized around harmony, solos, or even songs in the traditional sense. It’s organized around rhythm, the kind that is communal and constantly in motion. Pedrito Martínez, Antonio Sánchez, and Michael League approach this collaborative trio project with a groove-first mindset, allowing feel and interaction to determine form rather than the other way around. The result is a record that feels physical, conversational, and deeply rooted in a corporeal energy, while still pushing forward into modern production and texture.

Recorded through spontaneous improvisations at New York’s Power Station and later shaped in post-production by League, Elipsis reverses the usual compositional order. The playing comes first; the structure follows. That choice gives the album its defining character. Nothing here feels imposed. Instead, each track unfolds organically, shaped by where the music felt right among three musicians who know how to listen to where it naturally wants to go. Grounded in Afro-Cuban folkloric and Yoruba-derived rhythm, Pedrito Martínez treats groove and voice as living language, not genre markers. This is the theme that Sánchez and League focus on throughout the album.

“Obbakoso” sets this unique tone immediately. The layered Afro-Cuban rhythms are rich and grounding, and Martínez’s robust, authentic singing lands with authority. This is head-nod music from the first pulse, not because it’s flashy, but because the groove is undeniable. Martínez and Sánchez lock into a rhythmic feel that’s expressive and grounded, leaving space for the performance to accept League’s production choices. As the track develops, League’s production elements and synth textures begin to emerge, lifting the energy without breaking the flow. The middle section opens up into something celebratory: bass, hand claps, and fuller production enter, and the urge to move becomes impossible to ignore. It’s a powerful statement of intent, with tradition meeting modern studio craft, driven entirely by feel.

“Caminando” is where the trio’s chemistry shines. There’s a strong sense of call-and-response between production and vocals. The improvised vocals dance with the layers of drums and percussion. The groove is the central character here, shaped collectively as the track unfolds. League’s creative production adds a contemporary edge, subtly steering the music toward a modern fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythm, dance elements, and jazz sensibility. Martínez’s vocal improvisation, especially within the stacked vocal textures, feels deeply authentic, never ornamental. This is a trio shaping groove into a story, one that speaks across cultures and emotional registers without spelling anything out.

The album’s most overt experimental moment arrives with “Variant.” From the start, League’s synths, bass, and production sounds establish a distinctly different texture. The lead synth has a sharp bite, with expressive pitch-wheel bends that immediately set this track apart. When Martínez and Sánchez enter, the groove is locked the energy comes to life. The drums and percussion parts are constantly shifting, stretching, and responding to each other. The risk here is creating too much density, but the fluidity interacts to build the groove story. The percussion and drumset interaction keeps the groove evolving, refusing to settle into predictability. There’s a forward-leaning, house- and trance-influenced energy at play, filtered through Afro-Cuban rhythmic language and jazz-informed improvisation. It’s an exposed, daring, and compelling example of the music’s success.

“Mi Tambor” brings the focus back to percussion and voice, grounding the album in tradition without feeling retrospective. The rhythmic language is clear, direct, and deeply rooted, with Martínez’s voice once again functioning as storyteller and rhythmic engine. Rather than acting as a contrast to the modern textures, the two live together to create a sound that is irresistible. The track feels like a reminder that everything begins with groove.

“Suuru” leans into patience and moody textures. The groove unfolds slowly, built through repetition and subtle variation. Space plays an essential role here, and the trio’s collective timing comes to the foreground. Sánchez is a master of subtle color and shaping that is felt and heard. It’s a track that rewards close listening, revealing its shape over time rather than announcing it outright.

The album closes with “Congo No Calla,” where contemporary textures and electronic elements feel fully integrated. Following the traditional grounding of “Mi Tambor,” the modern sounds land as a natural evolution rather than a stylistic jump. The trio sounds unified and confident, bringing the album’s journey full circle, from tradition to exploration, and back again.

Elipsis works so well because there is an absence of hierarchy of style. No one player dominates, and no single element is treated as the focal point. Rhythm, texture, and groove are shared responsibilities, shaped collectively through listening and response. Improvisation here isn’t about spotlight moments; it’s about the process of listening to the moment where music lives. Another interesting feature is how the studio becomes an extension of the ensemble, a space where cultural lineage and modern sound design coexist without friction.

At its core, Elipsis is a fresh sound of studio exploration filtered through Afro-Cuban rhythmic richness and vocal tradition. By pairing electronica, jazz fusion, and deeply rooted rhythmic language, Martínez, Sánchez, and League create an album that feels alive, physical, and forward-looking. It’s an enjoyable, repeat-worthy listen.