MONTREAL GAZETTE, April 12, 2011 By Irwin Block Carlos Jiménez Undercurrents (Independent) His melodic lines emerge seamlessly from his fretboard, the melodies templates for nuanced explorations in this strong debut CD from jazz guitarist Carlos Jiménez. His penchant for neo-bebop is evident in the first two uptempo tunes, where he weaves in and around the melody line, his sound recalling that of the late Tal Farlow. The rhythm section is integrated into the structure of each piece, featuring the rich colours of pianist Josh Rager, with sterling support from bassist Dave Watts — love that big sound — and drummer Michel Berthiaume. Jiménez’s switches rhythmic gears as he captures the Brazilian flavours of Dichavado, but it’s his ensemble arrangements and thematic development that make the strongest impression. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Podworthy: Expressway The Carlos Jiménez Quartet launches Undercurrents Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, 1250 Mackay St. Call 514-931-6808. IB Correction: Because of a reporter error, pianist Josh Rager was misidentified in a CD review of Undercurrents, published in Tuesday's Arts & Life section. The Gazette regrets the error. © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette ALL ABOUT JAZZ, May 5, 2011 From the basement to the Montréal Jazz Festival: Guitarist Carlos Jiménez' self-taught road to success On his latest album Undercurrents, guitarist Carlos Jiménez exhibits the cool self-confidence and keen precision of an artist at the top of his game, about as far as it gets from the kid whoused to practice in his parents' basement. But every musician has to begin somewhere, and for Jiménez those tireless moments underground provided the key to his command of the instrument. “I'm initially self-taught," he revealed. “I would spend about seven hours a day in my parents' basement practicing, learning songs, solos, riffs, scales, chords, etc. I was 14-years-old." By the time he was 19, Jiménez decided “music was it for me and I moved to Montreal to attend music school. I had no formal training so I started from scratch learning theory and classical guitar for three years. Then at night I would go to jazz clubs and study even harder." That Jiménez decided to pursue music wasn't a shocking revelation considering that it enveloped his childhood. “I grew up surrounded by all kinds of music. My parents weren't musicians but they loved music and there was music every day in the house. I guess that started it," he said. “I remember feeling the need of music as far as grade school. I've always considered myself first a music lover and then a musician. Then, of course, seeing live music for the first time was huge. It was probably a rock show, and it made me pick up the guitar. When I got into jazz, the concerts were definitely what fueled my interest in becoming a musician. I knew I wanted to be part of that world." And that world has welcomed Jiménez with open arms. Jiménez has performed with some of the most notable figures in Canadian jazz and has played at the Montréal Jazz Festival, the largest in the world according to Guinness World Records. As a kid, music always meant fun times. Now it's different because I live it 24/7," Jiménez revealed. “But it's still very inspiring." OTTAWA CITIZEN / JAZZBLOG.CA, April 6, 2011 By Peter Hum Undercurrents Carlos Jimenez From Carlos Jimenez, a young Montreal guitarist who is now on faculty at his alma mater McGill University, comes the most in-the-jazz-box recording of this batch. Most of its eight originals are long, flowing compositions that lay the groundwork for Jimenez and pianist Josh Rager to unfurl long-lined solos, bolstered by bassist Dave Watts and drummer Michel Berthiaume. In some quarters, McGill has a reputation as a bebop/jazz tradition school and Jimenez's straighforward but well-developed playing and writing do this reputation proud. Expressway, the disc's swinging opener, and Undercurrents, a Latin tune, find Jimenez and Rager deftly negotiating their way through well-crafted sets of harmonies. There's more accomplished change-making at the disc's other end. Voices is a classy jazz waltz, and the disc's closer, Anybody Else But You is a nice, slightly Tristanoish, Warne Marsh-y line written, as you would expect, on the chords of Nobody Else But Me. Other tunes take a more modal tack. The earnest, pensive ballad In a Thought features Jimenez's acoustic guitar. Soundtrack is a warm samba-type tune that brings to mind early Pat Metheny Group. Late Loop is a pretty, contemporary 7/4 tune with well-connected chords and a keenly articulated melody. Shadows of Reality is a slow, simmering tune that patiently layers melodies by Jimenez and Rager. The disc's big change-up is Jimenez's polished performance of the Brazilian piece Dichavado, a overdubbed duet for acoustic guitars. This short track leaps out thanks to its obvious change of compositional voice and instrumentation. It's also louder than the quartet tracks, which in comparison feel more subdued and even overly similar. Overall, it does feel to me as if the disc could have done with a greater dynamic range or a larger range of expression in the performances. That said, Undercurrents is a solid, accessible debut that clearly presents Jimenez's marked progress thus far down jazz's mainstream path. JAZZ CORNER. COM, April 10, 2011 By Robert Sutton Canada-based guitarist Carlos Jiménez weaves unspeakably gorgeous melodies on 'Undercurrents' Carlos Jiménez doesn't just play the guitar; he illustrates his emotions with them, each note a poignant brushstroke. In "In a Thought," one of the tracks on his latest album Undercurrents, Jiménez rides on a slow-burning groove that captures the comforting sound of inner peace; it's as if he is using each string of his guitar to convey the words that his mind cannot piece together. Such is the power of instrumental jazz that dares reveal the soul of an artist. That the music on Undercurrents would come off as introspective is no coincidence. According to Jiménez, one of his goals is to move those he shares his compositions with, to open himself up. "I want to present something that represents me and that I'm proud of," Jiménez explained. "As a performer, as a composer and a teacher, I want to share my passion of music and hopefully trigger something in the listener's mind." The evocative qualities of Undercurrents are consistently distributed through every track. On "Soundtrack," Jiménez's guitar work is spellbindingly beautiful, weaving a pattern of incandescent melodies. Then there is "Shadows of Reality," which unreels slowly but then Jiménez adds layers of ethereal atmospherics. It is unspeakably gorgeous. The jaw-dropping craftsmanship that Jiménez invests in each song is rooted in his lifelong affection for jazz and also music in general. "It's a passion and a reason to get up in the morning," Jiménez revealed. "I'm still passionate about music. I still buy records, go to concerts, discover new artists, and learn new pieces with great enthusiasm. But now I make a living as a musician. It's a rough gig. As they say, you don't get into music for the pay check; you get into music because you test positive for it."