Juanjo López – Above, Beyond, Within (Desafío Candente Records, 2025)
Mexican guitarist and composer Juanjo López presents Above, Beyond, Within, a three-part suite of original compositions shaped by his experience in geographic displacement, spiritual questioning, and personal renewal.
Above, Beyond, Within features pianist Hana Fujisaki, bassist Kitt Lyles, and drummer Gustavo Cortiñas, three key figures in Chicago’s jazz scene. Across six compositions, the group presents a fie contemporary jazz album with odd meters, Latin American rhythmic traditions, and free improvisation.
The suite features three movements. “Above” opens with “Grace,” a meditative piano-led piece built on a cycling theme that expands into spacious group improvisation. “Retorno” (Return) uses 7/4 time and features a stellar guitar solo and interplay with the piano.
The delightful “Retreat” highlights Fujisaki’s and López’s melodic inventiveness. “Inner Realm” ultimately delivers collective improvisation that emphasizes ensemble interplay over solo display.
The final movement, “Within,” incorporates South American rhythmic influences, notably zamba, and closes with the lengthy progressive fusion piece “La Nueva Jerusalén.”
Now based in Chicago, López draws from more than two decades of experience across various musical genres, jazz, bolero, and Latin American traditional music. He is a former member of the Big Band Jazz de México and has collaborated with well known artists including Armando Manzanero, Natalia Lafourcade, Iraida Noriega, and Ingrid Beaujean. His earlier trio project, SHO Trío, released Temporal (2008) and Ser (2014), and he debuted as a solo artist with Cabaku in 2017. Since relocating to the United States for graduate studies in jazz at Northern Illinois University, López has deepened his focus on composition and spiritual inquiry—both central themes of the new release.
Composed during a period of intense personal transition, Above, Beyond, Within serves as a musical meditation on exile, divine presence, and interior awakening. Without sentimentality, López locates the sacred not in spectacle, but in silence, patience, and attentive listening. The result is a focused and contemplative album that invites reflection long after its final chord fades.
Musicians: Juanjo López on guitar; Hana Fujisaki on piano; Kitt Lyles on double bass; and Gustavo Cortiñas Fouilloux on drums.