For those unaware, Emilio Solla is able to summarize through this small orchestra his different ideas as composer and arranger in a large ensemble format.

During the last few years he has been highly in demand as orchestrator and arranger for larger ensembles for artists such as Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo O’Farrill, both of his own pieces and the work of others, and these experiences have expanded his taste for orchestral color, bringing his writing to a new level of accomplishment.

La Inestable de Brooklyn is a nine piece orchestra with an unusual instrumental combination including two reed players, one trumpet, one trombone, accordion, violin, piano, double-bass and drums. This peculiar ensemble, made up of many different smaller units, can project textures and sounds that evoke a wide range of styles and influences.

Commenting on a performance by Solla recently, The New York Times said “The virile throb of Astor Piazzolla’s nuevo tango was omnipresent in the pianist Emilio Solla’s stately pulse.”

But even as the influence of the great creator of modern tango is present in Solla’s compositions, he takes here a broader approach, from academic counterpoint writing to free improvisation, from traditional tango and Latin American sounds to a standard trio plus horns that brings at times the classical color of the greatest and most distinctly American art form: jazz music.

After more than three years of rehearsing and playing regularly in some of New York most prestigious venues they recorded “Second Half” in 2014, which received a Grammy Nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2015. And here now in 2026 we are graced with the just-released (March 13th) new album “Handmade.”

1. Suite de los Abrazos (A Hugging Suite) III. Bodegón Caníbal
2. Joni Mitchell
3. Suite de los Abrazos (A Hugging Suite) I. Milonga Mutante
4. Para el Agua
5. Suite de los Abrazos (A Hugging Suite) II. The Loss
6. Miles Tango
7. Bird Song
8. La Carta
9. De Viento y de Sal

Featuring nine original compositions by Solla, the fresh new recording opens on the three-part musical wonderment of Suite de los Abrazos (A Hugging Suite); first up is the buoyantly uplifting III. Bodegón Caníbal, then comes the dancefloor swirls, twirls and dips the sterner I. Milonga Mutante, ending with the sheer decadence of II. The Loss, interspersed with the flourishingly Parisian-hued Joni Mitchell (and an homage to one of Solla’s favorite songwriters) and the ambiently elegant Para el Agua (which was originally a solo piano piece).

Along next is the free flowing, dutifully crafted Miles Tango (a nod to Argentine tango traditions, presented in a modern jazz tone) which is itself seamlessly backed by the gently robust fare of Bird Song (a chacarera (Argentine folk dance) featuring violinist Sara Caswell as the “bird” character), the new set rounding out on the delicate, veritably glistening La Carta, coming to an all-too-soon close on the atmospherically vocalized De Viento y de Sal.

Musicians:
Tim Armacost, tenor, alto flute & bass clarinet
Alejandro Avilés, alto, soprano, flute, piccolo
David Smith, trumpet & flugelhorn
Mike Fahie, trombone
Sara Caswell, violin
Rodolfo Zanetti, bandoneon
Emilio Solla, piano & writing
Edward Perez, double bass
Rogério Boccato, drums

Official Emilio Solla Bandcamp Page