PRE-ORDER: This item will be shipped with the aim to deliver on release day.
Release Date: 13 February 2026
Label: Aleph Aguiar Records
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 0767062070272
Genres: Jazz Contemporary
Description
Venezuelan-born, UK-based guitarist Aleph Aguiar returns with Sugar on my Blackbeans, his third release and a nostalgic yet modern take on the lively, swinging Latin jazz of the 1960s. Across nine original compositions, Aguiar pays tribute to one of his favourite musical eras, when artists were boldly experimenting with Latin American rhythms and percussion.
Recorded live to tape over just two days, the album captures the spontaneity and energy of Aguiar's quintet which features leading British musicians Quentin Collins (trumpet), Liam Dunachie (Hammond organ), Will Fry (percussion) and Shane Forbes (drums). Aguiar's choice of instrumentation - trumpet and Hammond organ rather than the typical saxophone-and-piano combination - draws inspiration from guitar greats such as Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino. For Aguiar, the trumpet's timbre is central to Latin American musical traditions and pairs naturally with the guitar's phrasing, while the Hammond organ offers harmonic space and flexibility that enhance the guitar's range and bring added depth to the ensemble's sound.
The album's title is a playful nod to his Venezuelan heritage - black beans are a South American staple, but only in Venezuela are they often topped with sugar. The title track, an upbeat boogaloo, captures the album's central spirit: "simple, fun and funky". Other highlights include 'Panspermia', inspired by Aguiar's fascination with astronomy and the idea that life's building blocks arrived on Earth via meteorites; 'Blue Tourpials', named after Venezuela's national bird and built on a joropo-inflected 3/4 groove; and 'Mondongo', a slow, expressive melody set against syncopated percussion. By contrast, 'Little Daisy' and 'One for Sorrow, Two for Joy' offer gentler moments, the latter influenced by the English magpie superstition.
A longtime collaborator in the contemporary dance world - his mother and wife are both dancers - Aleph Aguiar writes instinctively with physicality and rhythm in mind. Sugar on my Blackbeans is no exception: a vibrant album guaranteed to make listeners move, smile and have fun.
Tracklisting
Ellery Trio Eskelin; Ellery Eskelin; G Versace; Gerry Hemingway; Hemingway Gerry
Aleph Aguiar
Ben Wendel
Ensemble Intercontemporain; Matthias Pintscher
Johannes Enders
Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France; Peter Eötvös
Quinsin Nachoff
Stefano Boggiani
